MANCHESTER, N.H., [DATE], 2025 – FIRST® announced today that it has received top honors as a Gold Winner in Education, Art & Culture: Campaign- Non-Profit, Media Impact Campaign, and Social Media Content, Campaign, or Channel, as well as a Silver Winner in Education, Art & Culture: Public Service and Short-Form Video for the 5th Annual Anthem Awards.
"My heartfelt gratitude goes out to all of the many collaborators who worked tirelessly to bring this inspiring campaign to life - including FIRST staff, our featured FIRST alumni, our campaign sponsors 3M, Molex, Novelis, and Optimum, and our production partners, Nation of Artists,” said Chris Moore, CEO, FIRST. “It’s an honor to be granted such prestigious awards by fellow scientists and humanitarians in recognition of the impact we make on students across the globe; including the career opportunities, STEM skills, and the growth it provides.”
Anthem Winners are selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Judges for the 5th Annual Anthem Awards include Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer, American Heart Association; Anjelika Lours’ Kour, Creative Director & Managing Partner, DD.NYC®; Miguel Castro, Head of Global Media Partnerships, Gates Foundation; Belén Frau, Global Communication & Positioning Manager, IKEA; Heather Malenshek, SVP & Chief Marketing Officer, Land O’Lakes, Inc.; Singleton Beato, Global EVP, Chief DEI Officer, McCann Worldgroup; Trovon Williams, Sr. Vice President of Marketing & Communications, NAACP; Lauren Garcimonde-Fisher, Vice President of Brand, Planned Parenthood; Roma McCaig, Chief Public Affairs and Impact Officer, REI Co-op; Brett Peters, Global Lead, TikTok for Good, TikTok; and Michelle Waring, Steward for Sustainability and Everyday Good, Tom’s of Maine, among others.
Launched in October of 2024, the “Get Anywhere” campaign reinforced the reality that by participating in FIRST, everyone can “go pro.” Young people might not have their futures figured out, but this should not stop them from building their skillsets today – because STEM and FIRST-learned skills can get them anywhere. This aspirational national campaign featuring a powerful video series was designed to increase awareness of STEM education’s broad application and increase young people’s confidence to tackle these subjects.
The campaign highlights a wide range of careers pathways represented by real FIRST alumni who used their FIRST-learned skills to land exciting roles at major companies such as John Deere, Nike, and RTX. The “Get Anywhere” campaign showcased FIRST as the tool to empower all students to build STEM skills and find success in their future careers, no matter the industry.
“This has been a challenging year for the impact sector, but the Winners of the 5th Annual Anthem Awards have shown their resilience and continued commitment to a better tomorrow,” said Anthem Awards General Manager, Patricia McLoughlin. “This year’s winners are a source of hope, and I am excited to celebrate their work with the world today.”
The 5th Annual Anthem Awards received more than 2,000 submissions from 42 countries worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, the Anthem Awards are defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their communities.
Read more about our Anthem Awards wins.
Learn more about the “Get Anywhere” campaign.
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, 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 The Anthem Awards:
Launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards, The Anthem Awards honors the purpose & mission-driven work of people, companies and organizations worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, we’re defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their own communities. The Anthem Awards honors work across seven core causes: Diversity; Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging; Education; Art & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Responsible Technology; and Sustainability, Environment & Climate. This season’s sponsors and partners include AARP, Virgin Hotels NYC, The Bloom, The Social Innovation Summit, Sustainable Brands, NationSwell, and TheFutureParty. The Anthem Awards were founded in partnership with the Ad Council, Born This Way Foundation, Feeding America, Glaad, Mozilla, NAACP, NRDC, WWF, and XQ.