HERNDON, Va., Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The PTR Group, a leading real-time and embedded technology engineering services provider, today announced that it has agreed to sponsor three high school teams for the 2010 season of the US FIRST Robotics Competition ( http://usfirst.org).

The PTR Group will provide funding to three high school teams in three different states. The teams from Atholton HS in Columbia, MD, Rockwall HS in Rockwall, TX, and James Madison HS in Vienna, VA all have direct mentorship from engineers in the PTR Group. Each team will receive a $5000 donation on their behalf for FIRST. The teams will use the funds for competition registration fees, parts and equipment, and other expenses in the operation of their robotics programs.

"We are very excited to be able to participate, sponsor and educate these teams," says Todd Brackett, company president and mentor to the Atholton HS team. "FIRST provides a unique experience where young minds come in contact with professionals that can show them how their ability to solve problems will serve them for a lifetime. FIRST is the only high school team sport where every player can go pro."

The PTR Group, with a staff of 35, feels that by making a strong commitment of time and money, their investment will pay off in future years by allowing for a strong pool of American-based embedded systems engineering talent for future generations of devices and systems yet to be developed. The company challenges other engineering firms of their size, and larger, to follow in their example by supporting their own local FIRST teams.

FIRST is the brainchild of inventor Dean Kamen. The organization inspires young people's interest and participation in science and technology. This year, nearly 1,700 teams of high school students from around the world will build robots for the competition. Local competitions lead to regional ones. The competition culminates with the championships in the Atlanta Georgia Dome, April 15-17, 2010.

About The PTR Group

The PTR Group is an experienced team of technical professionals specializing in embedded, real-time and distributed systems solutions and services. These services include hardware and software development, prototype development, consulting and training exclusively for the needs of the embedded and real-time Federal and commercial markets. The company was founded in 2000 and has experienced consistent client continuance since inception. The PTR Group Inc. is employee owned and has offices located in Virginia and Maryland. For more information about The PTR Group, please visit www.ThePTRGroup.com, or call 301.789.1548.

Web site: http://www.theptrgroup.com/