What is FIRST?
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Founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a global nonprofit (501(c)(3)) organization that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18 (PreK-12). Our programs are suitable for schools or structured afterschool activities and receive support from a vast network of volunteers, educators, and sponsor/donors, including over 200 Fortune 500 companies.
Because our programs are More Than Robots®, FIRST participants are guided by a signature set of Core Values to conduct research, fundraise, design, build, and showcase their achievements. Our thrilling, sports-like challenges build their self-confidence and collaborative problem-solving skills and have a proven and lasting impact on STEM learning and interest. Our participants and alumni gain access to education and career discovery opportunities, connections to exclusive scholarships and employers, and a place in the FIRST community for life.
Purpose
FIRST exists to prepare the young people of today for the world of tomorrow.
Vision
To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders.
Mission
The mission of FIRST is to provide life-changing robotics programs that give young people the skills, confidence, and resilience to build a better world.
What are the FIRST Core Values?
The FIRST Core Values are fundamental to FIRST and unique to its programs. They emphasize friendly sportsmanship, respect for the contributions of others, teamwork, learning, and community involvement and are part of our commitment to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of unity. Our community expresses the FIRST philosophies of Gracious Professionalism® and Coopertition® through the FIRST Core Values.
What is Gracious Professionalism®?
Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST. It's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community.
Through Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain coexist. Participants compete intensely while treating each other with respect and empathy. There is no trash talking, nor disingenuous platitudes. Knowledge, competition, and empathy are comfortably blended.
The term was coined by Dr. Woodie Flowers, (1943 - 2019) Executive Advisory Board Chair Emeritus & Distinguished Advisor.
What is Coopertition®?
Coopertition fosters innovation by promoting unqualified kindness and respect in the face of intense competition.
At FIRST, Coopertition means that teams help and cooperate with each other, even as they compete. It's about learning from teammates, teaching others, collaborating with mentors, managing and being managed. Coopertition embodies the spirit of competing while assisting and enabling others whenever possible.
FIRST LEGO League
FIRST LEGO League
FIRST® LEGO® League introduces STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) to children ages 4-16 (varies by region) through fun, exciting hands-on learning.
Participants gain real-world problem-solving experiences through a guided, global robotics program using LEGO® technology, helping today’s students, families, and educators build a better future together.
FIRST LEGO League’s three divisions inspire youth to experiment and grow their critical thinking, coding, and design skills and showcase what they learned.
For children ages 4-6, this playful introductory STEM program ignites their natural curiosity and builds their habits of learning with hands-on activities in the classroom and at home using LEGO® DUPLO® bricks.
In Explore, teams of students ages 6-10 focus on the fundamentals of engineering as they explore real-world problems, learn to design, and code and create unique solutions made with LEGO bricks and powered by LEGO® Education SPIKETM Essential.
Friendly competition is at the heart of Challenge, as teams of students ages 9-14 engage in research, problem-solving, coding, and engineering - building and programming a LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime robot that navigates the missions of a robot game. They also participate in a research project to identify and solve a relevant real-world problem.
FIRST® Tech Challenge students work together with their mentors to design and build robots to compete in a dynamic and exciting challenge released every September.
Teams program classroom-scale robots to follow autonomous commands before student drivers take control in two-on-two matches.
On and off the field, students develop STEM skills, engage in community outreach, practice engineering innovation, and build confidence to help them succeed.
Starting with a Kit of Parts, teams of high school students design, program, and build industrial-sized robots to play an action-packed game, released in January. They compete on a themed field as part of a three-team alliance in the spirit of Coopertition®.
In 360-degree learning guided by adult mentors, each FIRST Robotics Competition team also creates a team identity, raises funds to meet its goals, and advances appreciation for STEM in its community.
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