iRobot launches educational program

By D.C. Denison, Globe Staff

iRobot Corp. today announced that it has launched a new education initiative called SPARK (for "Starter Programs for the Advancement of Robotics Knowledge").

The object of the initiative is to help educators, parents and students use "the wonder and genius of robots" to inspire students in K-12 schools.

"Robots have the potential to play an integral role in learning," said Colin Angle, chairman and chief executive officer of iRobot. "They excite students and can be important cogs in the teaching process, providing new ways of thinking for students by illustrating abstract concepts that were difficult to teach before their integration into the classroom."

One opportunity that iRobot is offering to schools as part of the program: the ability to sign up for live robot "Demo Days" where iRobot engineers visit classrooms to showcase some of the latest innovations in robotic technology in a hands-on, interactive environment that exposes students to the many ways robots can act as a tool for learning.

To find out more about the program, and to access robot-related resources for use in science, technology, engineering and math curricula, visit the website the company has created at http://spark.irobot.com.