50,000+ Gather in Houston for FIRST Championship, the World’s Largest Celebration of Youth Robotics and STEM

Presenting Sponsor BAE Systems, Inc., Other Global Supporters Celebrate More Than 19,000 Students From 59 Countries Advancing STEM Skills Through Robotics

Event Marks the Culmination of the 2025-2026 Season, FIRST ^® AGE™ Presented by Qualcomm Incorporated

HOUSTON, May 2, 2026 – FIRST^®, a global robotics community preparing young people for the future, welcomed a record attendance of more than 51,000 people and more than 1,100 robots to Houston this week as as youth robotics teams from around the world gathered at the George R. Brown Convention Center to celebrate and compete in the 2026 FIRST Championship presented by BAE Systems.

The annual four-day event combines on-field competition, team and sponsor exhibits, student celebrations, and hands-on experiences, bringing participants, educators, and industry leaders together after months of preparation across FIRST programs.

“There is no other experience like FIRST Championship,” said Chris Moore, chief executive officer at FIRST. “Each year, I’m struck by the passion, energy, and scale made possible by our sponsors and the broader FIRST community. That consistent support nurtures an environment where students are solving problems in real time, adapting, and supporting one another. It’s what happens when young people are given the opportunity to build something real."

Saturday’s closing events put the spotlight on the FIRST^® Robotics Competition and FIRST^® Tech Challenge international championship finals, where middle and high school teams competed in front of a full stadium of cheering fans. Four teams from Ventura, California; Madera, California; Minneola, Florida; and San Diego, California, were the FIRST Robotics Competition Winning Alliance for this year’s game, REBUILT^TM presented by the Gene Haas Foundation, and teams from Austin, Texas; Braila, Romania; and Zeeland, Michigan, were the FIRST Tech Challenge Winning Alliance for DECODE^TM presented by RTX.

More than 19,000 students took part in the event across the three programs, including FIRST^® LEGO^® League, with teams earning honors for robot design, competitive play, research, business plans, creativity, and teamwork. (See “2026 FIRST Championship Winners” section below).

“Building the future workforce starts with investing in students today,” said Cortney Miller, director of Community Investment for BAE Systems. “FIRST Championship provides invaluable, hands-on experiences that empower students to develop the skills, confidence, and awareness needed for lifelong careers in STEM. We’re proud to support this important journey.”

Chris Moore, chief executive officer at FIRST^®, greets a team at 2026 FIRST Championship in Houston.

2025-2026 FIRST^® AGE™ Presented by Qualcomm

Every year, FIRST builds its robotics season around a real-world theme, challenging students to apply science, technology, engineering, and math to ideas that extend beyond the classroom. The 2025-2026 season, FIRST^® AGE™ presented by Qualcomm, drew inspiration from archaeology, inviting teams to explore how discoveries from the past can inform innovation for the future.

Across all programs, students spent months preparing for competition, developing technical skills, conducting research, and refining their ideas through local, regional, and international FIRST events. From early design and testing to live matches and presentations, participants engaged in hands-on, team-based problem solving that reflects how challenges are approached in the real world.

“At Qualcomm, we believe innovation starts when young people are encouraged to explore new ideas and tackle real-world challenges,” said Angela Baker, vice president, corporate responsibility and chief sustainability officer at Qualcomm. “Through programs like FIRST, students gain hands-on experience, develop technical and teamwork skills, and discover how their curiosity can drive positive change. Supporting this journey means investing in the next generation of leaders and problem-solvers.”

2026-2027 Season Announcement

During Saturday’s closing ceremony, FIRST unveiled its upcoming 2026-2027 season, FIRST^® CANOPY™, introducing a new global theme focused on biodiversity. The announcement offered teams a first look at how they will explore the natural world through STEM in the year ahead.

2026 FIRST Championship Winners

Mission-Driven Supporter Awards

FIRST Championship honored significant supporters of the FIRST mission:

• The Volunteer of the Year Award was awarded to outstanding event volunteers for FIRST programs: James Cerar from Ontario, Canada (FIRST Robotics Competition); Kat Svoboda from Illinois (FIRST Tech Challenge); and Brenda Ronnebaum from Ohio (FIRST LEGO League).
• The Woodie Flowers Award, founded by Dr. William P. Murphy Jr. in 1996 and named after Dr. Woodie Flowers to recognize FIRST Robotics Competition mentors who lead, inspire, and empower through effective communication in the art and science of engineering and design, was awarded to Debbie English, Team 4499, The Highlanders, Fort Collins, Colo.
• The Compass Award for excellence in coaching/mentoring FIRST Tech Challenge was awarded to Burçin Gündüz, who was nominated for this award by Team 25171, RoboTakev, Izmir, Türkiye.
• Coach/Mentor Awards for FIRST LEGO League went to John Seet from Team 75311, Unitrix, Singapore; Melissa Madsen from Team 63557, Code Crusaders, Sandy, Utah; Robert Doppler from Team 75262, TEAMRemint, Stainz, Austria; Min Lu from Team 72674, Iron Pegasus, Chandler, Ariz.; Davy Goorts from Team 75266, SMS LEGO WARRIORS, Herk-de-Stad, Belgium; and Padmaja Kandisetty from Team 56510, Innov8, Mason, Ohio.

Student and Robotics Team Awards

Select 2026 team and student winners of the competitions and awards announced in Houston are listed below. Visit the award links provided for additional recipients:

FIRST Leadership Award – This student leadership award celebrates the dedication and individual contributions of outstanding secondary school students participating on FIRST Tech Challenge or FIRST Robotics Competition teams.

“Leadership and Gracious Professionalism are among the most foundational skills I gained during my time in FIRST, still guiding me at the robotics and mechatronics lab I lead today,” said Christian Hubicki, FIRST alum and recent fan-favorite contestant on CBS’ Survivor 50, who spoke at the FIRST Leadership Award Ceremony. “I’m thrilled to be back at FIRST Championship, an event I last attended in 2002. It has gotten bigger and the technology more sophisticated, but the enthusiasm and spirit are exactly the same.”

Winners from FIRST Robotics Competition:

• Anish Patel, Team 10553, Orange Overdrive, Oregon, Wis.
• Ben Zislin, Team 179, Children of the Swamp, Riviera Beach, Fla.
• Camila Charles Medina, Team 3794, Prepa Tecmilenio WinT, Metepec, Mexico
• Celeste Roselli, Team 2415, WiredCats, Atlanta, Ga.
• Emma Langlais, Team 868, TechHOUNDS, Carmel, Ind.
• Gabriel Duenas, Team 687, The Nerd Herd, Carson, Calif.
• Julia Fisk, Team 6753, CBA RoboKings, Midland, Mich.
• Kate Reidenbach, Team 2704, Roaring Robotics, Naperville, Ind.
• Max Wang, Team 4096, Ctrl-Z, Champaign, Ill.
• Vrishab Makam, Team 503, Frog Force, Novi, Mich.

Winners from FIRST Tech Challenge:

• Arjun Dasari, Team 252, Electric Quahogs, Providence, R.I.
• Anya Arun, Team 21351, Cybotz, Charlotte, N.C.
• Kuek Kuek, Team 16010, Astra Machina, Omaha, Neb.
• Karime Lopez, Team 5470, Rambotics, El Paso, Texas
• Ananya Purohit, Team 25742, TechTalons, Folson, Calif.
• Chris Zheng, Team 23280, C.A.R.T, San Diego, Calif.
• Arnav Gaddamanugu, Team 16290, Z.I.P Ties, Sanford, Fla.
• Arhaan Jafri, Team 20240, Slingshot, Austin, Texas
• Sofia Lana, Team 17792, Amigos Droids, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
• Abigail Fenrick, Team 22526, Fondy Fire Tech, Fond du Lac, Wis.

FIRST^® Robotics Competition

FIRST Robotics Competition (ages 14-18) combines sports excitement with the rigors of science and technology. Working with adult mentors, students have limited time to design, build, program, and test their robots to meet the season’s challenge, released each January.

In the 2026 game REBUILT™, teams designed and built industrial-sized robots to reimagine and reconstruct elements of the past through high-energy, alliance-based matches. The presenting sponsor for the FIRST Robotics Competition season was the Gene Haas Foundation.

Student-built FIRST^® Robotics Competition robots collect “fuel” game pieces to score points during a FIRST Championship qualifying match as part of the REBUILT™ presented by Haas season.

This year, more than 3,700 FIRST Robotics teams competed in regional and district events, with 600 teams advancing to FIRST Championship. They competed in rotating alliances in one of eight divisions for several matches to earn ranking points and advance to final playoffs.

• Team 6352, LAUNCH TEAM, Surprise, Ariz., won the FIRST Impact Award, the highest honor given at the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship, recognizing the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST.
  • FIRST Impact Award Finalists were Team 359, Hawaiian Kids, Waialua, Hawaii; Team 1880, Warriors of East Harlem, New York, N.Y.; Team 8393, The Giant Diencephalic BrainSTEM Robotics Team, Baden, Pa.; Team 9277, Sparkans, Calgary, Canada; and Team 9545, Caracal Robotics, SARIYER, Türkiye.
• The Winning Alliance of the FIRST Robotics Competition was Team 4414, HighTide, Ventura, Calif.; Team 1323, MadTown Robotics, Madera, Calif.; Team 4065, Nerds of Prey, Minneola, Fla.; and Team 1538, The Holy Cows, San Diego, Calif.
• The Championship Finalist Alliance was Team 2910, Jack in the Bot, Mill Creek, Wash.; Team 2046, Bear Metal, Maple Valley, Wash.; Team 868, TechHOUNDS, Carmel, Ind.; and Team 4206, Robo Vikes, Fort Worth, Texas.

Within their divisions, FIRST Robotics Competition teams earned additional match-based and judged awards, including Championship Division Winner, Engineering Inspiration Award, Rookie All Star Award, and Gracious Professionalism^® Award.

View a list of winning teams by division: Archimedes Division presented by Rockwell Automation | Curie Division presented by The Argosy Foundation | Daly Division presented by BAE Systems | Galileo Division presented by Mouser Electronics | Hopper Division presented by GE Aerospace | Johnson Division sponsored by Gene Haas Foundation | Milstein Division presented by Qualcomm | Newton Division presented by NASA.

FIRST^® Tech Challenge

FIRST Tech Challenge (ages 12-18) students learn to think as engineers. Teams design, build, and program classroom-scale robots, then pair up with alliance partners to compete in a dynamic, themed challenge released every September.

In the 2025-2026 game, DECODE™, teams investigated the power of artifacts, using engineering and programming to explore how discoveries from the past can inform innovation for the future. The presenting sponsor of the FIRST Tech Challenge 2025-2026 season was RTX.

Approximately 9,600 FIRST Tech Challenge teams participated this year, with 342 teams advancing to FIRST Championship, where they competed in rotating alliances in one of six divisions across multiple days of game play to earn ranking points and advance to final playoffs.

• The Inspire Award, recognizing excellence in robot design and teamwork, went to Team 17792, Amigos Droids, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
  • Inspire Award Finalists were Team 14423, RoboCorns, Exton, Pa.; Team 9848, GearView, Mullica Hill, N.J.; Team 6417, Blu Cru, Rockville, Md.; Team 8565, TechnicBots, Plano, Texas; and Team 7477, Super 7, Oviedo, Fla.
• The Winning Alliance was Team 30030, Exodus, Austin, Texas; Team 21087, Velocity, Braila, Romania; and Team 11228, OverClucked Bots, Zeeland, Mich.
  • The Finalist Alliance was Team 18270, RoboPlayers, Irving, Texas; Team 20265, Heart of RoBots, Buzau, Romania; and Team 7172, Technical Difficulties, Plano, Texas.

Within their divisions, FIRST Tech Challenge teams earned additional match-based and judged awards, including Division Winning Alliance, Design Award, and Connect Award.

View a list of winning teams by division: Edison Division sponsored by GE Aerospace | Franklin Division sponsored by John Deere | Goodall Division sponsored by BAE Systems | Jackson Division sponsored by Qualcomm | Lovelace Division sponsored by CrunchLabs | Ross Division

FIRST^® LEGO^® League

FIRST LEGO League (ages 5-16, varies by region) introduces younger students to real-world engineering challenges by inviting them to conduct research projects and build robots using LEGO^® bricks and technology to complete tasks on a thematic playing surface. FIRST LEGO League teams, guided by their imaginations, discover exciting possibilities and learn to make positive contributions to society.

In this year’s season, UNEARTHED^™, more than 70,000 student teams examined how each tool, innovation, and work of art connects us to the people and ideas that came before us. Through critical thinking and design skills, students uncovered the past to discover the future.

FIRST LEGO League Global Program Sponsors are LEGO^® Education and The LEGO^® Foundation. The FIRST^® LEGO^® League Challenge Division Sponsor is Rockwell Automation.

160 FIRST LEGO League Challenge division teams (ages 9-16) competed at this week’s event through robot matches, Innovation Project presentations, and FIRST Core Values activities.

• Top honors went to Champion’s Award Winner Team 75304, ROBOTECH, Barcelona, Spain.
  • Champion’s Award Finalists were Team 75261, mindfactory, Aargau, Switzerland; Team 75284, SCRAPS by FutureLab, Kalamaria, Greece; Team 75259, SESI SENAI SC - Pipeline Surfer's, Itajaí, Brazil; Team 75231, Tolebi Daryn, Kazakhstan; and Team 30474, Robot Rampage, Saint Paul, Minn.
• The Robot Performance Award went to Team 75245, RZ81, Beijing, China.
• The Robot Design Award went to Team 66747, Ctrl+Alt+Elite - Coach Madhura/Mary, Yorba Linda, Calif.
• The Innovation Project Award went to Team 61987, Masterminds, Moscow, Idaho.
• The Core Values Award went to Team 63043, Diggabots, Saint Paul, Minn.

40 FIRST^® LEGO^® League Explore division teams (ages 6-10) investigated the past as if they were a team of archaeologists and presented what they learned on their team journey through a team poster and motorized LEGO^® model.

The Core Values Award, Team Poster Award, Team Model Award, Coding Award, and Challenge Solution Award were presented during a ceremony honoring all exhibiting FIRST LEGO League Explore teams.

Visit the FIRST LEGO League blog for a full list of Challenge and Division award recipients, coming soon.

For more from FIRST Championship, watch highlights and follow FIRST on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

2026 FIRST Championship Sponsors

The 2026 FIRST Championship is presented by BAE Systems. The Lead Sponsor is Mouser Electronics. Co-Sponsors include America’s Navy, The Argosy Foundation, Coca Cola Company, CrunchLabs, DoW STEM, Emerson/NI, GE Aerospace, The Gene Haas Foundation, John Deere, Lockheed Martin, Molex, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Qualcomm Incorporated, Rockwell Automation, TE Connectivity, and The United Therapeutics Corporation. Friends of FIRST include Houston First, Johnson & Johnson, and PwC. Aramco is a supporter of the 2026 FIRST Championship.

2025-2026 FIRST Strategic Partners

The 3M Company, Apple, The Argosy Foundation, BAE Systems, Bechtel Group Foundation, The Boeing Company, Caterpillar, Inc. DEKA Research & Development Corporation, DoW STEM, Dow, FedEx Corporation, The Gene Haas Foundation, General Motors Company, Google.org, John Deere, LEGO Education, Medtronic, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), NI, Novelis Inc., Qualcomm Incorporated, RTX, Rockwell Automation, Inc., and TE Connectivity.

Save the Date for the 2027 FIRST Championship: April 28 - May 1, 2027, Houston

About FIRST^® 

FIRST^® is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future. FIRST provides life-changing, team-based K-12 robotics programs that give young people the skills, confidence, and resilience to build a better world. Boosted by a global support system of volunteers, educators, donors, and sponsors, teams operate under a signature set of FIRST Core Values to conduct research, fundraise, design, build, and showcase their achievements during annual challenges.

An international not-for-profit organization founded in 1989, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) has a proven impact  on STEM learning, interest, and skill-building well beyond high school. Participants and alumni of FIRST programs gain access to education and career discovery opportunities, connections to exclusive scholarships and employers, and a place in the FIRST community for life. Learn more at firstinspires.org.