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When STEM students dedicate so much time into designing and creating projects, they want a chance to show off their innovations. The Smartforce Student Summit (North Building, Hall C) gives students a platform to do just that, and this year, a special display area for students involved in Illinois FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) teams is available for those members to display their Lego or robot projects and interact with other summit attendees to explain their creations.

On Saturday during the Summit, the FIRST Lego League in Illinois will host its official season competition launch. This year, the theme is “Into Orbits,” and according to Greg Jones, vice president of Smartforce development at AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, 500 team coaches and student participants are expected to use the orientation theater for the launch.

Many students who attend the Student Summit not only are in STEM programs at their local schools, but they also enjoy being part of competition teams as well. Teams such as FIRST, available throughout the country, have teams for all ages: the FIRST Lego League consists of elementary school students, the FIRST Technology Competition is designed for middle school students and the FIRST Robotics Competition is for high school students.