WHAT: Sixty-six high school teams, including two from Chile, will face off in the 24th season of the Los Angeles regional FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition. This year’s theme is “FIRST Stronghold.”

The 2016 challenge is played between two alliances of three robots each. Each alliance is on a quest to breach their opponents’ defenses, weaken their tower with boulders and capture the tower. During the final 20 seconds of the quest, robots may surround and scale the opposing tower to capture it.

Prior to the competition, students had six weeks to work with a kit containing motors, batteries, a control system, a PC and automation components. In this time frame, they programmed and tested a robot weighing up to 120 pounds, built from these elements. Teams also raise funds and learn about teamwork.

Professionals from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, as well as higher-education institutes, aerospace companies and others, help teams solve problems and tackle real-world engineering obstacles.

WHO: More than 1,500 students from California, Hawaii and Chile, with their professional mentors. See list below.

WHEN: Friday, March 11:
8:30 a.m. – 5:45 p.m. Opening ceremonies, qualification matches
5:45 a.m. – 6:15 p.m. Awards ceremony

Saturday, March 12:
8:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Opening ceremonies, qualification matches
1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Final rounds
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Awards ceremony

WHERE: Long Beach Arena, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, California, 90802
Phone: 562-436-3636. Admission is free. Parking fees apply.
More information and a short video about FIRST are at http://www.usfirst.org.
More information on NASA’s Robotics Alliance Project is at http://robotics.nasa.gov.

JPL is managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Los Angeles FIRST Robotics Competition 2016 List of Participating High Schools and Community Teams

1. Servite High School, Anaheim, California
2. Fairmont Preparatory Academy, Anaheim, California
3. Arcadia High School, Arcadia, California*
4. California Academy of Mathematics and Science, Carson, California
5. West Ranch High School, Santa Clarita, California
6. Valley Christian School System, Cerritos, California
7. Culver City High School, Culver City, California*
8. Downey High School, Downey, California
9. El Segundo High School, El Segundo, California
10. Troy High School, Fullerton, California
11. Neighborhood Group/”i to the Fourth Robotics,” Fullerton, California
12. Granada Hills Charter High School, Granada Hills, California
13. Hawthorne High School, Hawthorne, California
14. Da Vinci Science, Hawthorne, California
15. Hope Chapel Academy, Hermosa Beach, California*
16. Huntington Beach High School, Huntington Beach, California
17. Marina High School, Huntington Beach, California
18. Ocean View High School, Huntington Beach, California
19. St. Mary’s Academy, Inglewood, California
20. Neighborhood Group / “Code Orange,” Irvine California
21. Crescenta Valley High School, La Crescenta, California*
22. Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School, La Crescenta, California*
23. Lancaster High School, Lancaster, California
24. Frazier Mountain High School, Lebec, California*
25. Sato Academy of Arts and Sciences, Long Beach, California
26. Boyle Heights STEM Academy, Los Angeles, California
27. James A. Foshay Learning Center, Los Angeles
28. James A. Garfield Senior High School, Los Angeles
29. King Drew Medical Magnet High School of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles
30. Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School, Los Angeles
31. Benjamin Franklin Senior High School, Los Angeles
32. Los Angeles Senior High School, Los Angeles
33. Loyola High School, Los Angeles
34. Milken Community School, Los Angeles
35. Hawkins High School MESA Program, Los Angeles
36. Alexander Hamilton Senior High School, Los Angeles
37. Abraham Lincoln Senior High School, Los Angeles
38. Manual Arts Senior High School, Los Angeles
39. Shalhevet School, Los Angeles
40. Windward School, Los Angeles
41. Sage Hill School, Newport Coast, California
42. Newbury Park High School, Newbury, California
43. El Modena High School, Villa Park High School and Canyon High School, Orange, California
44. Orcutt Academy Charter School, Orcutt, California
45. Palos Verdes High School, Palos Verdes Estates, California
46. Palmdale Aerospace Academy, Palmdale, California
47. Redondo Union High School and Mira Costa High School, Redondo Beach, California
48. Polytechnic High School, Riverside, California
49. Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, Rolling Hills Estates, California
50. Don Bosco Technical Institute, Rosemead, California
51. San Marino High School, San Marino, California*
52. Rolling Hills Prep School, San Pedro, California
53. Santa Maria Police Activities League, Santa Maria, California
54. The Buckley School, Sherman Oaks, California
55. Harvard-Westlake School, Studio City, California
56. Bridges Academy, Studio City, California
57. FRC Team 980 “ThunderBots,” Sylmar, California*
58. South High School, Torrance, California
59. West High School, Torrance, California
60. High Tech LA, Van Nuys, California
61. West Covina High School, West Covina, California
62. Chaminade College Preparatory High School, West Hills, California
63. Sacred Hearts Academy, Honolulu, Hawaii
64. Cimarron Memorial High School, Las Vegas, Nevada

International teams:
65. Municipalidad de Recoleta and Liceo Valentin Letelier, Recoleta, Chile
66. Corporacion Corazon Technologico y Cientifico de Chile, Santiago, Chile

* denotes teams sponsored by JPL