Local High School robotics team, sponsored by Afar Communications Inc., reaches final in the San Diego robotics competition.

  Santa Barbara, California, March 26, 2007  –  For the second year in a row the local Dos Pueblos High School Engineering Academy participated in the robotics competition organized by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) .

FIRST was founded in 1992 by Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway .  FIRST’s vision is "to create a world where science and technology are celebrated… where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes."  The program has grown every year and in 2007 more than 100,000 kids participated in the various robotics competitions around the nation.

In Goleta, the physics teacher at Dos Pueblos High School , Mr. Amir Abo-Shaeer, established an Engineering Academy to foster an interest for science, math and technology among its students.  For 45 days the senior class worked 6 days a week well into the night to design, build and test a remote controlled robot that would perform the specific tasks established by FIRST .  In March, among much fanfare, music, and loud cheering, the school participated in two regional competitions held in large sports arenas in Los Angeles and San Diego.  Over 60 high schools competed in each event and Dos Pueblos High School reached the semi-finals in Los Angeles and the finals in San Diego.

Afar Communications Inc. is a proud sponsor of the Dos Pueblos High School Engineering Academy and we congratulate its Robotics Team 1717 for this outstanding achievement.