OREANDA-NEWS. Kaspersky Lab North America today announced its sponsorship of The Windham Windup-Team 3467 in the FIRST® Robotics Competition, an international high school robotics competition. Kaspersky Lab remains committed to supporting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education initiatives worldwide, and the company is sponsoring this FIRST team for the second year in a row.

The Kaspersky-backed team consists of nearly 50 students from New Hampshire, who gather to build and program industrial-sized robots during a six-week span. Throughout the FIRST competition, more than 3,000 student teams from 25 countries will develop robots while raising funds, designing a team brand and refining teamwork skills. Finalists will present their innovations during two championship events in April.

"STEM education is vital to the future of our country and our children, and students should be encouraged to get involved at a young age," said Angelo Gentile, executive vice president, finance and operations, Kaspersky Lab North America. "We’re proud to continue supporting The Windham Windup team for the second year in a row, as the FIRST competition is a great way to help inspire the next generation of innovators."

As part of the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, Kaspersky Lab supports a number of education programs worldwide, including The Kaspersky Academy Talent Lab, an international research contest for undergraduate students and young professionals aged 18 to 30, and Kaspersky Cyberheroes, a tournament for students in grades 8 through 11. Kaspersky Lab has also partnered with the World Chess Federation and World Chess to protect competitors in and the infrastructure of the tournament, along with offering cybersecurity training for players. In North America, the company regularly works with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to host interactive trainings, such as the most recent "Think Security" seminar on critical infrastructure cybersecurity.