SALT LAKE CITY, May 24, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Salt Lake City facility recently hosted a student competition focused on engineering to mark the conclusion of the second year of its WORTHY (Worthwhile to Help High School Youth) mentoring and scholarship program.
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The Salt Lake City facility's WORTHY program began in the fall of 2009 and is intended to encourage and advance students' pursuits of technical degrees. The program provides on-the-job experience for local high school students, including one day per month working with two Northrop Grumman employee mentors on an engineering and design project.
The WORTHY program's second year concluded on May 11 when eight students from West High School of Salt Lake City participated in a "SumoBot" competition. Using LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robot-building kits, the students designed and programmed robots with motion, sound and touch sensors to seek robot opponents and push them out of the ring first. Students were able to demonstrate collaboration skills and engineering principles that they learned during the mentoring program. High school faculty and Northrop Grumman employees cheered on the competitors.
On May 18, the WORTHY students and their parents gathered with Northrop Grumman employees for an awards banquet where the students gave presentations about their projects and celebrated their accomplishments. Five students were high school seniors who graduated from the program after completing their second year, while three others concluded their first year.
"The WORTHY program provides real-world learning opportunities in science and engineering, which aids students entering degree programs and careers in these fields," said Liz Iversen, sector vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's Navigation Systems Division. "This year's WORTHY students have shown initiative and creativity in their competition performance."
Initially launched in 1997 by Northrop Grumman in Baltimore, the WORTHY program has expanded to include additional company locations. To be accepted into the Salt Lake City WORTHY program, high school sophomores must attend a Northrop Grumman-partnered public high school, maintain a 3.0+ grade point average, complete an application, submit an essay with two letters of recommendation and be selected through an interview process. The program runs during the school year and requires a minimum two-year commitment.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.
