MANCHESTER, N.H., and BLACKWOOD, N.J. — August 11, 2026 — FIRST®, the world’s largest youth-serving robotics community, today announced an alliance partnership with Destination Imagination (DI), a volunteer-led nonprofit advancing creativity as an essential skill for innovation. Through this alliance, FIRST and DI will collaborate to expand hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) learning opportunities for students across the globe.
FIRST and Destination Imagination share a like-minded commitment to inspiring young people to embrace creativity, build confidence, work collaboratively, and solve real-world problems. This strategic alliance will increase participation in STEAM for young learners through engagement in interactive, project-based challenges rooted in teamwork that build critical life skills.
“FIRST and Destination Imagination share the belief that young people learn best when they can build, make, and explore through hands-on learning experiences,” said Chris Moore, CEO of FIRST. “This alliance will allow FIRST and Destination Imagination to help students worldwide develop the cross-functional skills they need to succeed in their future careers, and encourage them to make a positive difference in their communities and beyond.”
While DI advances innovation through the creative process and open-ended challenges, FIRST helps students hone those same future-ready skills through exciting, sports-like robotics challenges. Both organizations offer life-changing experiences that inspire young people to imagine boldly, build confidently, and believe in themselves.
“We are thrilled to join forces with FIRST to reach more kids and adult supporters,” said Mark Giordono, CEO of Destination Imagination. “Our mission at Destination Imagination is grounded in the belief that creativity is an essential skill for innovation, collaboration, and driving positive impact. By pairing DI’s creative process and team-based problem-solving with the exceptional hands-on robotics programs delivered by FIRST, we offer uniquely well-rounded, complementary offerings for young minds.”
Learn more about FIRST supporters: https://www.firstinspires.org/about/our-supporters
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.
About Destination Imagination
Destination Imagination, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) volunteer-led nonprofit organization that advances creativity as an essential skill for innovation, collaboration, and driving positive impact. The organization creates student-led, STEAM-based experiences grounded in the Destination Imagination Creative Process, which provides a framework for students to work together to identify problems and opportunities, generate ideas, and develop solutions. Through open-ended, project-based learning Challenges, students work in teams to develop original solutions and build skills they carry into school, careers, and life. Founded in 1999, Destination Imagination has impacted more than one million students worldwide. Learn more at destinationimagination.org.