The Oakland Schools Education Foundation has been awarded a $20,000 grant by the DTE Energy Foundation to support the Oakland County Competitive Robotics Association. The robotics association is a countywide, student-led robotics competition managed by the Oakland Schools Career-Focused Education Department. The funding support will allow Oakland Schools to grow the program and to help keep the program costs down for participating schools.
Also known as OCCRA, the Oakland County Competitive Robotics Association is designed to provide students with real-world experience in the technical and academic disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Each year, high school students in Oakland County Schools are invited to participate on teams to design and build the “best-engineered” robot weighing up to 120 pounds. OCCRA was created to increase the number of students involved in competitive robotics and generate student enthusiasm for STEM education. Since it began in 2000, OCCRA has become one of Oakland Schools’ most successful academic enrichment programs.
Since 2003, the DTE Energy Foundation has been a major financial sponsor of the Oakland County Competitive Robotics Association. This valuable long-term sponsorship has been significant in helping develop the program’s infrastructure which has allowed the program to continue growing and improving over the years. “The funding from the DTE Energy Foundation will go a long way in supporting the annual OCCRA program and in helping the Oakland Schools Education Foundation continue to achieve its mission”, says Allan McMorris, President and CEO of the Oakland County Credit Union and President of the Oakland Schools Education Foundation.
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