A GLOBAL ROBOTICS COMMUNITY PREPARING YOUNG PEOPLE FOR THE FUTURE
FIRST is More Than Robots®
Our participants gain the confidence — and community — to build their future. We launched our More Than campaign to dismantle labels for kids and promote self-esteem through STEM. Watch our PSA. To get a deeper understanding of the transformative FIRST experience for participants, watch the 2022 Disney+ documentary, “More Than Robots.”
We Are the World's Leading
Youth-Serving Nonprofit Advancing STEM Education
FIRST® inspires young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators by engaging them 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.
FIRST® IN SHOWSM presented by Qualcomm
Bring STEM inspiration, holistic skill building, and fun to your classroom or after-school learning environment with collaborative problem solving during our arts-themed 2023-2024 robotics season.
Inspiring Generations of Global Citizens
679K+ students participated in the 2019-2020 season
There are FIRST teams in ~110 countries.
81% of FIRST Alumni Declare Majors in STEM
83% of FIRST Alumni have Confidence to Take Leadership Roles in School
Hear from the FIRST Community
Parents
Students
Educators
Volunteers
Educators
"I'm a firm believer in FIRST — it boosts confidence, builds collaborative skills, and is hands-on. It takes the best of pedagogy, and best practices in education, and brings it all together."
- Urvi Shah, Director of Educational Technology and Innovation
Volunteers
"It doesn't matter what you can or can't do. Come! We can certainly use you."
- Phil Salazarz, FIRST Event Volunteer
At-Home Learning
FIRST remains committed to continuing our efforts to give students the skills and confidence they need to change the world - today and tomorrow. Learn about opportunities for online learning/skills development, FIRST supported activities, and a place to stay connected to the FIRST community during this global pandemic.
A Suite of Hands-On, STEM Learning Programs
Through a progression of team-based robotics challenges and backed by a global network of mentors, coaches, volunteers, alumni, and sponsors, FIRST helps young people discover a passion for STEM and develop the skills they'll need to succeed in today's competitive workforce.
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.
*ages and grades vary by country
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 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.
FIRST ® & Qualcomm: A Pioneering Partnership to Inspire Young Innovators
Qualcomm Incorporated
FIRST Strategic Partner
It’s a future understood by two like-minded organizations: Today’s students will be the drivers of tomorrow’s breakthroughs. Together, FIRST ® and Qualcomm IncorporatedTM are...
FIRST is a Place Where I Belong
Eduardo Pineda
FIRST Robotics Competition Team 6647 "Voltec Robotics," Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
"I had a feeling that FIRST® was the place where I belonged, and that feeling has never disappeared."
Before I participated in FIRST, I never saw myself with a career, many friends, or as a...
FIRST Updates
Stay up to date on the latest events and conversations in the FIRST community.