FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics announced this week that the Georgia Dome, the Georgia World Congress Center and Centennial Olympic Park will serve as the main sites for the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Robotics Competition Championships.

The FIRST Robotics Competition is an exciting, multi-national competition that teams professionals and young people to solve an engineering design problem in an intense and competitive way. The program is a life-changing, career-molding experience. The competitions are high-tech spectator sporting events, the result of lots of focused brainstorming, teamwork, dedicated mentoring and deadlines.

The tradition began 10 years ago with 28 teams competing at a New Hampshire high school gym. In recent years, the competition involves more than 20,000 students on over 800 teams in 23 regional competitions and one championship event. For three years, Atlanta will be the host city of this championship event.

" This is a great show for all of Atlanta - the convention center, the hotels and the city," said Katy Pando, public relations manager at the GWCC. "The show combines technology and spirited competition - two kinds of events we know quite a bit about." The GWCC campus, which includes the Georgia Dome and Centennial Olympic Park, has hosted everything from Super Bowls to Olympic competition to national conventions to high tech trade shows.

The mission of FIRST is to design accessible, innovative programs that build self-confidence, knowledge and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering. Atlanta's premier FIRST Robotics Competition Championship is scheduled for April 15-17, 2004.