[Yaaarc] Support FIRST Lego League in Michigan for science, engineering and technology education

[James Ronald]

FYI, 

This message was posted to the 24tooth mailing list.    I firgured that would post it here as well just in case those interested in FIRST were not aware.  I also sent of a letter to Senator Garcia.  

Jim

From: FLL Teams [mailto:fllteams at usfirst.org] 
Sent: Friday, June 02, 2006 9:57 AM
To: Recipient list suppressed:
Subject: FIRST Email Blast/***FIRST in Michigan***

Greetings FLL Teams:
On behalf of one of the FIRST Robotics Competition teams (FRC), the FIRST program for high school students, we are forwarding this important message to all FIRST LEGO League teams in Michigan.  

Please assist the FRC teams in your state by joining them in this urgent effort to contact the leaders of the appropriations committees in both the House and the Senate. Read below for more information.

*******************



This is an S.O.S.  We need your help, and we need it NOW.  As you may remember, Governor Granholm pledged $2 million to help start a FIRST Robotics team at each and every high school in Michigan that doesn't currently have one.  As promised, the $2 million was put into the state budget, but recently both the Senate and the House of Representatives removed it.  We have a very short window of time to convince them to it put back. 
 
Please forward this email to your team and ask everyone involved (students, mentors, teachers) along with the school principals, sponsors and parents to take two minutes TODAY to email the letter below to members of the legislature who sit on the senate and house education committees, as well as the senators and representatives from your district.  We want our voice to be heard, and to be heard loudly. 
 
I have made the process as easy as possible.  All you have to do is:
1. copy and paste the short letter below into an email
2. copy and paste the long string of emails addresses for the state and house education committee members onto the  "send to" line 
3. pull the email address of your state legislators add it to the "send to" list from #2 above.  Feel free to go to the following websites to look them up: 
House of Representatives: 
http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp
Senate:
http://senate.michigan.gov/
 
 
Be sure to sign (type) your name, and include your address and the name of your school, if applicable. It is important for the legislators to see you are from their district. 
 
I want our state legislators to be INUNDATED with letters so it will be clear to them, whether Republican or Democrat, they cannot afford to turn their backs on this fabulous program. 
 
I am counting on you to help make Michigan the strongest FIRST state in the nation. With $2,000,000 dedicated to creating new FIRST teams, we can easily do this.
 
Best Regards,
Gail Alpert
FRC Team
******************************
 
Send To: [copy and paste this list of the education committee members in the "send to"] 
kathyangerer at house.mi.gov, richardball at house.mi.gov, 
SenNCassis at senate.michigan.gov, brendaclack at house.mi.gov ,
SenIClark-Coleman at senate.michigan.gov, kevinelsenheimer at house.mi.gov,
robertgosselin at house.mi.gov, rephildenbrand at house.mi.gov,
jackhoogendyk at house.mi.gov , hoon-yunghopgood at house.mi.gov,
herbkehrl at house.mi.gov , SenWKuipers at senate.michigan.gov,
SenBLeland at senate.michigan.gov, lamarlemmonsiii at house.mi.gov,
tommeyer at house.mi.gov , gsalpfirst at gmail.com , fredmiller at house.mi.gov ,
tompearce at house.mi.gov , lesliemortimer at house.mi.gov,
johnproos at house.mi.gov , virgilsmith at house.mi.gov ,
SenGVanWoerkom at senate.michigan.gov, repbarbvanderveen at house.mi.gov, 
lorencewenke at hous e.mi.gov ,   SenRJelinek at senate.michigan.gov, SenACropsey at senate.michigan.gov,
SenMSwitalski at senate.michigan.gov, scotthummel at house.mi.gov ,
johnnmoolenaar at house.mi.gov, davidfarhat at house.mi.gov ,
glennsteil at house.mi.gov, franamos at house.mi.gov,
 [add your legislators email addresses]
 

Dear Legislators from my District:
I am writing this letter to ask that you please reinstate Sec 99 (C) of the State School Aid Act which was removed by the Senate and the House.  The FIRST Robotics program is vital to the growth of the future technological workforce in Michigan. Currently 25% of our high schools participate in the program.   Reinstatement of Sec 99 (C) will encourage students from the other 75% of high schools in Michigan to pursue a career related to engineering, science and technology.   
 [COPY AND PASTE INTO BODY OF EMAIL-add comments here if you wish or leave as is.] 
 
Best Regards,
[your name]
[your home address]
[your school name, if applicable]