As we work as a community to prepare young people for a STEM future, FIRST aims to ensure its programs are having a lasting, positive impact on participants across all demographic groups. Our rigorous multi-year longitudinal study, conducted by Brandeis University Center for Youth and Communities, provides strong evidence that participation in FIRST does just that. Even with just one year of FIRST participation, study participants are 2-3xs more likely to have gains in STEM outcomes than a comparison group of peers not participating in FIRST.