What is FIRST?
A global robotics community preparing young people for the future.
“FIRST is more than robots. The robots are a vehicle for students to learn important life skills.
Kids often come in not knowing what to expect – of the program nor of themselves. They leave, even after the first season, with a vision, with confidence and with a sense that they can create their own future.”
– FOUNDER, DEAN KAMEN
MISSION
Inspiring young people to be science and technology leaders
We engage young people in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
PROGRESSION OF PROGRAMS
FIRST LEGO League
FIRST LEGO League introduces STEM to children ages 4-16 through fun, exciting hands-on learning.
Participants gain real-world problem-solving experiences through a guided, global robotics program, helping today’s students and teachers build a better future together. FIRST LEGO League’s three divisions inspire youth to experiment and grow their critical thinking, coding, and design skills through hands-on STEM learning and robotics.
FIRST Tech Challenge
FIRST Tech Challenge students learn to think like engineers.
Teams design, build, and program robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. Robots are built from a reusable platform, powered by android technology, and can be coded using a variety of levels of Java-based programming.
FIRST Robotics Competition
FIRST Robotics Competition teams design, program, and build a robot starting with a standard kit of parts and common set of rules to play in a themed head-to-head challenge.
Teams also build a brand, develop community partnerships for support, and work to promote STEM in their local community.
THE FIRST COMMUNITY
Our future is build better together.
80+ Million Dollars in Scholarships per year!
History
30+ Years of Inspiring Young People
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded by inventor and entrepreneur, Dean Kamen, in 1989 to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology.
Based in Manchester, NH, the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity began with 28 teams in a New Hampshire high-school gym. Today, the four FIRST programs reach over 600,000 young people annually in 110+ countries. The fun they have, the knowledge they gain, and the friendships they make along the way help build self-confidence, nurture creativity, and inspire them to solve the world’s greatest challenges, be strong citizens, and build a brighter future.
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