Northrop Grumman Sponsors New Mexico FIRST LEGO League State Championship

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Jan. 31, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) recently sponsored the New Mexico FIRST LEGO League (FLL) state championship competition held on Jan. 26 at Albuquerque Academy. The purpose of the FLL competition is to immerse children in real-world science and technology challenges.

In addition to being a first-time gold sponsor of the program, Northrop Grumman employees volunteered to provide onsite expertise during the competition.

"It's exciting for Northrop Grumman to support kids who are passionate about using science, technology, engineering and mathematics [STEM] to develop solutions to problems that face today's scientists," said Kelly Whalen, sector vice president of strategy, business development and innovation, Northrop Grumman Technical Services. "We are committed to doing our part to reverse the trend of declining student interest in STEM education and help students become talented innovators as they prepare to enter the workforce."

Teams designed their own solutions to a current scientific question or problem, and built autonomous LEGO robots that perform a series of missions. The 2012 challenge, which covers the 2012-2013 school year, involved students ages 9 to 14 developing "Senior Solutions" aimed at enabling a better quality of life for senior citizens. The students explored the topic of aging and how it may affect a person's ability to maintain his or her lifestyle – solving issues such as getting around, keeping in touch and staying fit.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cybersecurity, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

CONTACT: Jenae Journot
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         Michelle Bohlen
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