Pre-teens prepare for Ecobot Challenge engineering competition at UH

The third annual All-Earth Ecobot Challenge will be held this Saturday, April 16, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the University of Houston Athletics/Alumni Center.

The All-Earth Ecobot Challenge recipe mixes communication skills with engineering, math, science and technology to connect fifth- through eighth-graders to the future of commerce and industry in greater Harris County. This year, fourth-graders are invited to participate in the marketing portion of the competition.

Through Ecobot, students build, program and operate autonomous robots to accomplish tasks related to energy generation, conservation and the environment. Marketing teams propose and defend business plans for their robotic inventions.

"The competition brings engineering to life outside the classroom," said Lisa Caruthers, director of the Cooperative for After-School Enrichment, a division of Harris County Department of Education.

Teams enrolled this year include the Texas school Districts from Houston, Humble, New Caney, Pearland, Deer Park, Galena Park, Cypress-Fairbanks, Channelview, Dallas, Huntsville, Luling, Conroe, Lamar Consolidated, Spring Branch and Pasadena. Boy Scout troops and private and charter schools are also sponsoring teams.

The University of Houston Athletics/Alumni Center is located at 3100 Cullen Blvd.

For more information, visit www.ecobotchallenge.com.