The FIRST mission is to inspire a generation of science and technology leaders who are both gracious and professional. This FIRST Code of Conduct lists some of the basic behaviors mentors, coaches, volunteers, team members, affiliate partners, contractors, staff, and other participants should adhere to while participating in FIRST activities.

• Exhibit Gracious Professionalism^® at all times. Gracious Professionalism is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. With Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate notions.
• Ensure the safety of all participants in FIRST activities.
• Not engage in any form of bullying, harassment, use of profane or insulting language, or any actual or threatened violence.
• Adhere to all FIRST Youth Protection Program (YPP) policies.
• Report any unsafe behavior to event or local FIRST leadership.
• Persons who do not comply with this Code of Conduct may be barred from participating in FIRST activities.

We encourage anyone participating with FIRST or attending FIRST related activities or events to report concerns to FIRST. Click on the “Report a Concern” button below to access the FIRST Reporting Portal which provides a confidential platform to report youth protection concerns, medical incidents, or other issues. All reports are reviewed by trained staff and reporters will receive a follow-up response as long as contact information is provided.

In the United States and Canada there are laws that require individuals working with youth to report known or suspected instances of child abuse and neglect. You can find a complete list for the USA and other contact information on the Child Welfare Gateway website State Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Numbers. The contact information for reporting suspected child maltreatment in Canada can be found on the Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal under the Provincial and Territorial Assistance page. For other global locations, you can find information on the ICMEC Education Portal.

Anyone participating in FIRST should be familiar with our Youth Protection policies and training. The Youth Protection Guide and Youth Protection training below cover the fundamental guidelines and requirements for all participants.

• FIRST Youth Protection Program Guide
• Youth Protection Training Videos

This training is intended to enable adults working with FIRST teams to recognize situations that may pose a threat to team member safety and take the actions necessary to prevent and report injuries. We also encourage anyone participating with FIRST to take this training to better understand how to protect themselves and our youth participants. The training consists of a series of short videos; each video is no more than 5 minutes and the entire series can be completed in 40-50 minutes.

More information regarding the Youth Protection screening and clearance process and what to expect:

• U.S. Screening Process Step by Step
• Canadian Screening Process - Sterling Backcheck EConsent User Guide
• Canadian Screening Process - Learn about the Sterling Backcheck ID Verification
• Frequently Asked Questions

These resources are designed to support individuals managing events or attending events as volunteers.

• Emergency Response Template
• Walk-On Volunteer Policy
• Youth Protection Program Handouts: Postcard | Flyer | Event signage

Team Safety Meeting Resources for All

• Team Safety Meeting - Youth Protection Program (YPP) Segment

Team Safety Meeting Resources for Ages 6-10

• Traffic Light Activity
• Surprises vs. Secrets Activity
• Buddy System Activity

Training Videos:

• Team Safety Meeting Video – Middle School Version
• Team Safety Meeting Video – High School Version
• Keeping Kids Safe – for adults working with youth

Parent Resources:

• Consent Team Travel Form
• Notification Guidelines Parents Form

As part of our commitment to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community for all our participants, we have partnered with leading organizations to create complimentary trainings and resources on how you can inspire the youth voice, create a sense of belonging, and more. Training and resource topics include:

• mentor and coach training
• youth member training
• gender equity
• disability inclusion
• language assistance
• and more

The volunteer trainings below can help those new to volunteering with FIRST (or need a refresher) learn more about volunteer roles and expectations. More information for volunteers can also be found on the Volunteer page of our website.

• Volunteering with FIRST is an introductory learning module for mentors, coaches, and event volunteers that explores what FIRST is and what it means to volunteer with FIRST.
• Remote Mentoring with FIRST is a brief simulation training that explores the fundamentals of remote meetings for mentors and coaches.
• Mentoring and Coaching with FIRST is a cross-program training module designed for new and prospective mentors and coaches that will allow you to develop a deeper understanding of the expectations of the role and where to find support.

Express Enrollment new for the 2023-2024 season:

The new Express Enrollment application is available now for coaches/mentors in the United States and Canada with completed FIRST Youth Protection Screenings and provides a simplified experience on mobile and desktop to register and accept youth to FIRST teams. 

FIRST lead coaches/mentors can generate web links or QR codes in the FIRST Dashboard to share with parents and guardians of their youth participants, granting access to the application. 

Parents and guardians use the web link or QR code from the lead coach/mentor to register their youth to a team in a few simple steps. After applying to a team, coaches/mentors will need to accept the students through the FIRST Dashboard. Once the coach/mentor approves or declines the request to join a team, the parent/guardian is notified via email. 

Please note that some regions may have additional steps to complete youth registration. If this is the case, your local Program Delivery Organization will contact you with further instructions. 

Coaches/mentors can get started today by visiting the Team Contacts/Roster section of their Team Dashboard. 

View Express Enrollment Coach/Mentor Instructions 

View Express Enrollment Parent/Guardian Instructions 

View Express Enrollment Frequently Asked Questions 

Parents / Guardians new to FIRST and registering their youth for the first time through the FIRST Dashboard:

1. Visit www.firstinspires.org and click “Register” in the upper-right-hand corner
2. Create an account with your name, date of birth, and email address (NOT your youth’s information)
3. Once you are logged into your account dashboard, click the “Parent/Guardian – Youth” tab
4. Click the blue “Add a Youth” button
5. Enter your youth’s profile information and click the blue “Next” button
6. Enter your youth’s school information and click the blue “Next” button
7. Type in your name in the field at bottom of the form
8. Click the blue “Accept & Submit” button at the bottom of the Consent and Release Form
9. Select the program and enter your youth’s team number on the “Apply to Team” page – if you do not know your youth’s team number, please contact the lead coach/mentors to request this information

For a guided tour of the system, please watch our step-by-step registration walkthrough below:

Returning Parents / Guardians re-registering their youth through the FIRST Dashboard:

1. Visit www.firstinspires.org and click “Log in” in the upper-right-hand corner
2. Once you are logged into your account dashboard, click the “Parent/Guardian – Youth” tab
3. Click the “Youth Options” drop-down next to your youth’s name and select “Youth’s Consent & Release”
4. Click anywhere on the “2024 FIRST Consent & Release” title to expand it.
5. Type in your name in the field
6. Click the blue “Accept & Submit” box
7. Click back to Dashboard
8. Click the “Youth Options” drop-down next to your youth’s name and select “Apply to a Team”
9. Select the program and manually type in the team number.
10. Click “Apply”

For a guided tour of the system, please watch our step-by-step registration walkthrough below:

To electronically accept the 2024 FIRST Consent and Release Form via a mobile device:

1. Visit www.firstinspires.org and click the three lines in the upper right-hand corner
2. Click “Log In” to proceed to your FIRST Dashboard
3. Click the  icon
4. Click the “X” in the upper-right-hand corner of the pop-up window
5. Locate your youth’s name and click the “Youth Options” button
6. Click “Youth’s Consent and Release”
7. Click “Click to Sign Form”
8. Read and scroll to the bottom to type in your name in the field
9. Click the “Accept & Submit” button

You may also reference our Mobile instructions guide.

Questions? Contact firstteammembers@firstinspires.org. See below for more information and troubleshooting assistance.

Inviting youth to join the team through the FIRST Dashboard

Your team will need to have two (2) screened lead coaches/mentors in place before you can invite your youth team members and view your team roster.

Option 1

Invite parents/guardians to register their youth:

1. Log in to your Dashboard at www.firstinspires.org 
2. Click on the "Invite Contacts" link located in the "Team Contacts/Roster" column.
3. Click on the blue “INVITE CONTACTS” button.
4. Select "Parent/Guardian" as the contact type.
5. Enter the parent/guardian’s name and email address in the appropriate fields and click "Add."
6. Enter additional parents/guardians as needed; be sure to click “add another” after your last entry even if you are not adding another name.
7. Click “Send Invitation.”

This will generate an email to the parent/guardian contact alerting them that they have been invited to sign the youth FIRST Consent and Release Form and to apply their youth to your team. If they do not already have a user profile, they will be asked to create a parent/guardian account and complete their youth’s profile from the “Parent/Guardian – Youth” tab. For complete instructions for new and returning parents please refer to the Parents/Legal Guardian section of this page.

Once the youth team member has been applied to the team, you will need to go back to the Team Contacts page to accept or decline the youth team members. To do so, scroll down to “Application Pending" under the youth members section, then click the “Options” menu on their contact card. You will then see the accepted team members on your printable roster.

Option 2

Invite youth (youth must be age 13 and up, FIRST^® Tech Challenge and FIRST^® Robotics Competition teams only):

1. Log in to your Dashboard at www.firstinspires.org.
2. Click on the "Invite Contacts" hyperlink located in the Team Contacts/Roster column.
3. Click on the blue “INVITE CONTACTS” button
4. Select “Youth Team Member” as the contact type.
5. Enter the youth’s name and email address in the appropriate fields and click "add."
6. Enter additional youth as needed; be sure to click “add another” after your last entry even if you are not adding another name.
7. Click “Send Invitation.”

This will generate an email to the youth which will ask them to update their profile, apply to the team, and invite their parent/guardian to sign the FIRST Consent and Release Form.

Option 3 (FIRST Robotics Competition teams only)

Re-invite youth members from the prior season:

1. Log in to your Dashboard at www.firstinspires.org.
2. Click on the "Invite Contacts" hyperlink located in the Team Contacts/Roster column.
3. Click the blue “Reinvite Roster” button to send an email to the prior season roster with a reminder to apply for the new season.
4. Dialogue box reflecting the number of email reminders that be sent.
5. Click the blue “Send ReInvitation” box.

You may also reference this step-by-step guide on reinviting prior season youth members.

Once the youth team member has been applied to the team, you will need to go back to the Team Contacts page to accept or decline the youth team members. To do so, scroll down to “Application Pending" under the Youth Members section then click the “Options” menu on their contact card. You will then see the accepted team members on your printable roster.

              Questions? Contact firstteammembers@firstinspires.org.

After you receive your youth team member email invite generated by the lead coach/mentors of your team, follow these steps:

1. Visit www.firstinspires.org and click “Register” in the upper-right-hand corner
2. Create an account with your name, date of birth, and email address – use the email address that was associated with your invite
3. Once logged into your account dashboard, click the three-person icon located in the upper-right-hand corner by your name
4. Locate your youth team member invite and click “Accept”
5. Complete your profile information when prompted
6. After you are able to “Accept” your youth team member invite, click back to Dashboard
7. Select your “Parent/Guardian” youth tab and click “Invite Parent/Guardian”
8. Enter your parent/guardian’s full name, email address, phone number, and click “Send Invitation”

This will generate an email to your parent/guardian with instructions for them to electronically accept your FIRST Consent and Release Form.

How do I register my youth with FIRST?
Please view our instructions here. You may also reference our Youth Registration System guide.

When does the registration and FIRST Consent and Release Form need to be completed?
Each participant must have the updated form signed prior to the first in-person team meeting and/or first event.

Why is FIRST requiring youth team members to register?
Registration of youth team members is needed to:

• Establish a system of communication with parents/guardians of team members
• Comply with Youth Protection policies by having a way for FIRST to contact parents/guardians of participants in case of emergency
• Provide lead coaches/mentors with an electronic Team Roster that identifies their team and makes management of paperwork easier
• Provide FIRST with information on who is participating in our programs.  This information is used to apply for grants and sponsorships to help grow our programs. We never share personal information about you or your youth without your explicit permission to do so.
• Reduce the cost and amount of paper that needs to be processed and shipped and stored at FIRST Headquarters in New Hampshire.

How will FIRST use the information I provide?

FIRST NEVER SELLS YOUR DATA

FIRST will use the information to:

• Understand whom our programs are serving to ensure they are accessible to all.
• Meet the requirements of sponsors, foundations, and funders who require FIRST to report on the total number of participants served, and their demographic characteristics.
• Provide you with information about FIRST programs and opportunities. Youth under the age of 13 will not be contacted by FIRST.
• The FIRST Privacy Policy provides more information on how FIRST stores and uses registration data.

Will the lead coach/mentor have access to my youth's data?
The Youth Protection-screened lead coach/mentors of your youth’s team will have access to your youth’s first and last name. In addition, these lead coaches/mentors will be provided with your name, phone, and email address. For youth 13 years of age or older, the lead coaches will also have access to your youth's email and phone (if different from the parent). No other information is shared with the lead coaches/mentors.  Please see the FIRST Privacy Policy for more information.

How will FIRST protect our information and identity?
FIRST takes the protection and privacy of data very seriously. Our Privacy Policy ensures that data is protected and used appropriately. For more information, please review the Privacy Policy.

What if my youth does not have a team to join?
FIRST does not match youth to existing teams due to our privacy policy. Teams form in local communities and recruit as needed. We encourage those looking for a team to contact local schools, libraries, or youth organizations that may have a team in place or an interest in starting one. An online search may also be helpful, as some teams share contact information through websites and social media pages. Please find additional suggestions below on how to find a team:

1. Using the Team and Event Search tool on our website is a great way to look for teams in your area!
   • Use the “Filter” section to narrow your search results by program
   • The result may yield team number, name, location, and rookie year.  We currently do not disclose team contact information due to privacy concerns; 
   • We recommend conducting a Google or other web search on the team's name. Often a website or Facebook page will appear in the search results that may provide team contact information;
   • As many teams form via schools, youth organizations, and community groups, we also recommend reaching out to these organizations in your area to inquire if any have a FIRST team and if so, if they are looking for additional members. 
2. Program Delivery Partners (PDPs) are sanctioned to run our programs in specific regions. These PDPs have their finger on the pulse of their region and might be aware of area teams looking for team members. To locate the PDPs name and contact information, kindly visit our Find Local Support page.

What if I do not register my youth?
FIRST requires all teams to have youth team members registered with FIRST. Youth team members who have not registered will not be permitted to participate on the FIRST team and compete in FIRST events.

In cases where a student is unable to register due to lack of internet access or an undue burden, FIRST will not require registration in the Youth Registration System and the youth may submit a paper copy of the FIRST Consent and Release Form. The parent/guardian should contact the lead coach/mentor of their youth’s team to request a paper copy of the FIRST Consent and Release Form. The lead coach/mentor will then contact the local FIRST Program Delivery Partner, who will review request and determine if an exception will be made. 

What if I still have questions?
You may contact FIRST Headquarters if you have any other questions. Please reach us by calling 603-666-3906, Option ”0” or email us at firstteammembers@firstinspires.org.

I registered my youth but indicated the wrong team number or program. What should I do?
If you input an incorrect team number or program, you will be able to withdraw the youth’s application from the team in the Youth Registration System. To do this, log in to your account and select the “Withdraw from team” button from the “Parent/Guardian – Youth” tab. After you withdraw from the incorrect team, you can enter the correct program and team number.

I did not receive my account activation email. How can I activate my account?
You can activate your account by clicking "log in", followed by "Forgot password" on the www.firstinspires.org homepage. Click on “Forgot password” and follow the directions.

My email changed. How do I access my account?
You may log into the system with your existing login credentials and update your email address in your user profile.

If you do not remember your password to your existing login credentials, but still have access to your old email account, please visit the login page here: www.firstinspires.org. Click on the “Forgot password” link and follow the directions from there. If you are still having issues, please email firstteammembers@firstinspires.org with your new email address, and we will assist you by updating your email address. Once your email is updated, you will receive a confirmation at the new email address.

It looks like I have completed all of my youth’s account information, but I do not see the FIRST Consent and Release Form to sign?
As the parent/guardian, you must be logged into the system with YOUR user account email address. Once logged in, under the "Parent/Guardian - Youth" tab, select the "Youth Options" button and select "Youth Consent and Release" from the menu. In the following screen, you will see the documents listed at the top and “Click here to sign” next to the title.  Click to expand the document and, when ready, type in your name and click the “Sign & Submit” box at the bottom of the form.

My youth's team application was denied—why?
Your youth’s Lead Coach/Mentor accepts or denies youth team member applications. Please contact them directly as FIRST HQ has no information regarding application status.

My youth is 18. Do I need to complete a FIRST Consent and Release Form for him/her?
No, as a legal adult, your youth can complete the registration process and sign the FIRST Consent and Release Form from their own user account.

How do I register my youth if I do not have a computer or access to the Internet?
There are several options if you do not have access to a computer or the Internet. You can speak with the Lead Coach/Mentor of your youth's team to determine if he or she has access to a computer you can use to register your youth. Some teams hold a registration meeting where parents register their youth together. Most local libraries have free computer and Internet access. If the team is connected to your youth's school, you may be able to access a computer there. You may also access the Youth Registration System through a mobile device.  Instructions on how to complete registration on a mobile device can be found here.

If you are not able to access a computer, email, or the Internet, please contact your youth's Lead Coach/Mentor to request a paper copy of the FIRST Consent and Release Form.  The Lead Coach/Mentor will then contact the local FIRST Program Delivery Partner, who will review the request and determine if an exception will be made. 

Additional information
If you have any further questions, please contact us at: firstteammembers@firstinspires.org or 800-871-8326, Option “0”  for assistance.