ABOUT FIRST

WHAT IS FIRST?

The FIRST program inspires K-12 students to become science and technology leaders, engaging them in programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills, inspire innovation, and foster well-rounded life skills, including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.

To learn more about FIRST, visit their website.

PROGRAMS

FIRST LEGO LEAGUE (FLL)

Designed for 2nd to 8th graders, FLL encourages basic STEAM learning and exploring. Teams build a robot out of LEGOS and use basic block programming to make it perform a basic task.

FIRST LEGO League is undergoing some changes during this time. FIRST® LEGO® League Founders Edition (the SPIKE-based program) will remain available through July 2028, with transition support and resources provided for current partners and teams. Note that FIRST LEGO League Future Edition will launch in October 2026.

(Picture from Duck Learning)

FIRST TECH CHALLENGE (FTC)

In FTC, students from 7th-12th grade learn to design, build, and code robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. Robots are built from a reusable platform, powered by Android technology, and coded using Java-based programming.

FIRST ROBOTICS CHALLENGE (FRC)

Under strict rules and limited time and resources, teams of 9th-12th graders are challenged to build industrial-size robots to play field games in alliance with other teams, while also fundraising to meet their goals, designing a team “brand,” and advancing STEAM within the local community.

(Picture from FRC team 254)

FIRST Robotics Stats

83% of FIRST participants pursue STEM-related majors, and 96% of students report overcoming a challenge through the program. These are just the numbers: for personal stories about how FIRST has impacted our team, visit HERE.

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