FIRST® Announces BAE Systems, Inc. as Presenting Sponsor for 2023 FIRST Championship Event in Houston
Global Brands and Industry Leaders Come Together to Support Young Innovators as they Compete at the FIRST® Championship Event presented by BAE Systems, the World’s Largest Celebration of STEM and Robotics for Students
MANCHESTER, N.H., April 5, 2023 ― FIRST®, a robotics community that prepares young people for the future, today announced that BAE Systems will be the Presenting Sponsor for the 2023 FIRST Championship, the world’s largest celebration of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for students, happening in Houston, Texas (April 19-22, 2023) this spring.
"We’re so grateful for BAE Systems’ generous support of the 2023 FIRST Championship. As a presenting sponsor for the event, BAE Systems helps provide life-changing experiences for thousands of young people from around the world who will attend and compete this spring in Houston, Texas,” said Chris Moore, CEO of FIRST. “BAE Systems has supported FIRST for more than 25 years, and we are proud to work alongside them to expand access to STEM education and cultivate the skilled workforce of tomorrow.”
“Our commitment to FIRST is essential to developing the talented STEM workforce we’ll need to continue delivering on our mission, creating new and exciting technologies, and contributing to U.S. global competitiveness,” said Tom Arseneault, president and CEO of BAE Systems, Inc. “The skills these young innovators and future leaders are cultivating as a part of the FIRST community are critical to ensuring we retain the technological edge our industry and our nation needs, for generations to come.”
The 2022-2023 FIRST® ENERGIZE℠ presented by Qualcomm season challenges FIRST teams to reimagine the future of sustainable energy and power their ideas forward. More than 35,000 students, coaches, and supporters from 43 countries will participate in the 2023 FIRST Championship event in Houston. With the support of FIRST sponsors, the event promises participating robotics teams and spectators alike an inspiring and action-packed experience that has all the heart-pounding thrills and team spirit of a professional sporting event. Live robotics match coverage and behind-the-scenes highlights will stream on FIRSTtv.
The 2023 FIRST Championship is presented by BAE Systems. Co-Sponsors include: Bechtel Group Foundation, Central Intelligence Agency, DoD STEM, Ford Motor Company, The Gene Haas Foundation, Google, Mouser Electronics, Rockwell Automation, Inc., United Therapeutics Corporation, The Walt Disney Imagineering, and Zebra Technologies.
The international FIRST Championship is an annual event hosted by FIRST, a youth-serving nonprofit founded by inventor Dean Kamen, to showcase and celebrate mentor-guided student robotics teams from four programs: FIRST® Robotics Competition (grades 9-12); FIRST® Tech Challenge (grades 7-12); FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge (grades 4-8); and FIRST® LEGO® League Explore (grades K-4).
For more information on FIRST Championship, please visit firstchampionship.org. Media interested in attending FIRST Championship should register at firstchampionship.org/media.
About FIRST
FIRST® is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18 (PreK-12) that can be facilitated in school or in structured afterschool programs. Boosted by a global support system of volunteers, educators, and sponsors that include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, 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 by accomplished inventor Dean Kamen in 1989, FIRST has a proven impact on STEM learning, interest, and skill-building well beyond high school. Alumni of FIRST programs gain access to exclusive scholarships, internships, and other opportunities that create connections and open pathways to a wide variety of careers. Learn more at firstinspires.org.
About BAE Systems, Inc.
BAE Systems, Inc. and its 34,000 people are part of a global defense, aerospace, and security company with 89,600 employees worldwide. We deliver a full range of products and services for air, land, sea and space, as well as advanced electronics, intelligence, security, and IT solutions and support services. Inspired by the exceptional, our ambitious teams design, produce, and deliver to protect those who protect us in a high-performance, flexible, and collaborative culture.