For many, the term robot conjures images of Robby from "Forbidden Planet," R2D2 from "Star Wars," or Sunny from "I, Robot," all designed with a human touch to make them more acceptable to the public.

But, on March 27-29, real robots, designed specifically to perform human activities in a repetitive fashion, will be entering Stan Sheriff Center at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa to participate in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Regional Robotics Competition.

The robotic invasion will see 37 teams with more than 700 students, representing 25 Hawai'i schools from O'ahu, Maui, Kaua'i and the Big Island as well as 12 teams from California, Florida, New Jersey and West Virginia, operating R2D2's distant ancestors!

FIRST Robotics is a national competition for high school students that engages them in the exciting and rewarding world of science, technology, engineering and math, popularly called the STEM fields in today's educational jargon.

Each school team — with their mentors — solves a common engineering problem in a six-week time frame. Having been issued a standard 70-pound kit of parts and a common set of rules to build robots, the mechanical wizards are entered in a competition designed by FIRST founder Dean Kamen and a committee of engineers and other professionals.

School teams are partnered with engineers from industry and academia to design and build a prototype robot for a racing game called "Overdrive," where each team scores points for every lap their robot completes.

And, there is more. If you drop by the Stan Sheriff Center, you will see the teams moving and tossing, throwing, placing or hurdling an 8-pound ball over a 6.5-foot overpass to score bonus points.

So why all the hoopla about robots in a school curriculum? The FIRST competition is not only about building a robot, it's also about what each student learns in the process. Besides increasing interest in the STEM fields at a young age, the competition develops leadership, media and public relations skills, team work, organization skills, time management, problem solving, communication skills, and technical skills — all life skills that every employer is seeking in any young person, regardless of profession.

Gov. Linda Lingle and Hawai'i's educators believe that the dynamic nature of FIRST competition offers students additional tools for advancing in science and engineering, areas of learning that are essential to ensure Hawai'i's economic growth potential.

Building math and science skills has never been more important in America, with the demand for scientists and engineers expected to increase during the next decade at four times the rate of all other professions.

Businesses in today's global economy need creative problem-solvers with strong math and science backgrounds. There is much to accomplish, since the National Mathematics Advisory Panel reports that 15-year-olds in the U.S. in 2007 ranked 25th among their peers in 30 developed nations in math literacy and problem solving.

To gain an edge in the 21st century, Hawai'i's students must develop these skills to support the high technology, construction and infrastructure required by state and county agencies. Hawai'i's shortage of engineers and technical talent is real and current.

FIRST Robotics not only teaches our students to build robots that can manipulate an 8-pound ball 6.5 feet in the air, it also strengthens a student's feeling of well-being, self-esteem and dignity. It is these qualities that provide the scaffolding that support enhanced learning, motivation, self-discipline, responsibility and the ability to deal effectively with obstacles and challenges experienced in life and work.

Betty White is the principal of Sacred Hearts Academy, an all-girls school in Kaimuki. She wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.