RESOURCE LIBRARY

Inspiring Success Training Modules

In 2017, FIRST collaborated with the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) to develop training for coaches, mentors, volunteers, partners and other key stakeholders who work directly with students and are committed to creating a sense of belonging for students on teams. Through engaging and reflective activities on our interactions with students, these modules will equip us with specific strategies to support community outreach, student participation, motivation, engagement and success.

We have prepared a complimentary, three-part training module course for the FIRST community. This course is free and available to anyone. The three interactive course modules each range in 20 - 40 minutes. Complete the modules individually or all at once. We recommend completing each module in one sitting as the certificates generate based on completion of each module.

*These modules may not contain the latest inclusive language, however, the overall equity, diversity, and inclusion concepts are still relevant. 

Once you've completed the training modules we encourage you to download the FIRST Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Training badge. When file opens, right click and "save image as" to download.

FIRST Volunteer Training Module

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.

Youth participation and development are important to FIRST. Helping young people to develop leadership competencies makes them better to solve societal and community issues. The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Team has formed a Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) to help inspire youth voice and leadership within FIRST.

One of the initial projects of the ED&I Youth Advisory Committee was the assistance in developing equity, diversity, and inclusion training for youth. The Inspiring Youth Voice Training modules and animation video was designed to help youth understand the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion. This training will introduce strategies to help make FIRST a more inclusive environment.

We have prepared three modules and an animation video for FIRST youth participants. Each module and the animation are 2-3 minutes.

 

• Put Her FIRST Video Series - A collection of FIRST^® LEGO^® League videos featuring young women team members.
• FIRST Like A Girl - #FIRSTLikeAGirl strives to improve the culture of STEM by sharing the experiences of the successful women and girls in FIRST.
• LGBTQ+ of FIRST - An organization dedicated to raising awareness and acceptance of LGBTQ+ participants in FIRST.
• Inspiring the Future: High School STEMinists Share Their Stories - Two inspiring FIRST participants share their experiences in the WE23 Diverse Podcast Studio as part of the 2023 Society of Women Engineers Conference.
• Girls Who Code - The organization is building the largest pipeline of future female engineers in the United States. Girls Who Code offers learning opportunities for students and alumni to deepen their computer science skills as well as their confidence.
• Women in STEM: A Guide to Bridging the Gender Gap - Maryville University Online wants to help educate people on the benefits of a career in STEM fields as well as provide the resources necessary for women, minorities, and people with disabilities to follow their passion and desired career path. This guide provides some information about the current gender and diversity gaps in STEM university studies and careers, reasons for those gaps, and strategies to help promote inclusivity in STEM-related industries.

 

Created in collaboration with Kids Included Together (KIT), these webinar training focuses on providing coaches and mentors with a better understanding of some of the challenges youth with disabilities face, and how to create a more welcoming and comfortable environment for everyone on their FIRST teams.

• I Can Be Inclusive Too e-Course - These interactive Inclusion tools will provide practical steps to achieve your disability inclusion goals and help you feel confident in understanding inclusion, creating accommodations, supporting and responding positively to behavior challenges and creating supportive environments. Through these videos, we will highlight a path of resources and supports to access at time of need. Participants will leave with several resources, learn from videos, and scenario demonstrations helping to build staff confidence and competence in supporting all youth at your program!
  • ADA Basics
  • Power of Language
  • Connecting for Inclusion Pt. 1
  • Connecting for Inclusion Pt. 2
  • Supportive Responses
  • Using Your Space Wisely
  • Views on Behavior
• Creating a Sense of Belonging – For youth with autism spectrum disorder 
• Inclusive Recruitment and Enrollment Strategies webinar
• Tip Sheets
  • 5 questions for families
  • 5 questions for team members
  • Case by case checklist
  • Gathering info from families

Human Rights Campaign, Project THRIVE
FIRST has joined Project THRIVE, a multi-year, collaborative effort of many national organizations led by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation to create more equitable, inclusive support systems and communities for LGBTQ+ youth.

• 2024 Back to School Checklist - This checklist provides a research-based guide for K-12 educators and other youth-serving professionals as they proactively work to ensure safe, welcoming, and inclusive schools and communities for LGBTQ+ youth. 
• Project THRIVE Pride Message 
• Project THRIVE Monthly Newsletters - Project THRIVE offers a monthly newsletter as a resource for any youth-serving professional interested in learning more about better serving LGBTQ+ youth.
• Project THRIVE Webinars - Register for upcoming webinars covering various topics on how to support LGBTQ+ youth in your community.
• Project THRIVE Partner Organizations
• LGBTQ-Inclusive Position Statements and Resolutions - “We encourage all youth-serving professionals to use and share these resolutions and position statements as guides to creating safe, supportive, and affirming environments for LGBTQ+ youth.”
• A Parent’s Quick Guide for In-School Transitions: Empowering Families and Schools to Support Transgender and Non-Binary Students - “This guide supports parents and caregivers navigating the process of in-school social transition with their child and their child’s school. The guide is intended to offer a quick reference for parents through the process, in a step-by-step manner.”
• Promoting Emotional Wellness for LGBTQ Youth - This self-paced hour-long training module will help participants learn how to best promote safety, health, and well-being for LGBTQ youth at home, at school, and in systems of care. Social workers can even earn one free CEU from NASW. 
• LGBTQ Inclusivity in Schools: A Self Assessment Tool - The Center for Disease Control has released a new self-assessment tool for LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in Schools. This is a great measure to determine if you and your school are meeting the full needs of your LGBTQ+ students. 
• imi a free online resource for LGBTQ+ youth to support their mental health and well-being.
• Count Us In Pledge HRC's commitment to transgender and non-binary youth.

A critical aspect of being accessible and inclusive is communication with others. The FIRST Localizations & Language Assistance Strategy positions us to meet the communication needs of students experiencing barriers. Students experiencing limited English proficiency and students with hearing, vision, or speech disabilities, should have the opportunity to fully participate in our programs.
 

Versions of FIRST materials in Spanish

If you need program specific materials in Spanish or another language, please contact to your local Program Delivery Partner or FIRST Customer Service for availability and access to those materials.

At FIRST, we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community for all participants. Well-being is important and we encourage coaches and mentors to educate themselves on ways to best work with their students. A few helpful resources created by the National Institute for Mental Health are linked below. If specific questions or situations arise, we advise you to reach out to organizations that specialize in well-being.
 

• Stand Up to Stress! 
  This printable coloring and activity book for children ages 8-12 teaches kids about stress and anxiety and offers tips for coping in a healthy way. 
  • English
  • Spanish
     
• I’m So Stressed Out! 
  This fact sheet can be printed and posted about stress and anxiety and what students can do to cope.
  • English
  • Spanish
     
• I’m So Stressed Out! 
  This infographic briefly presents information about stress, anxiety, and ways to cope when feeling overwhelmed. It was developed for use on social media to highlight the “I’m So Stressed Out” fact sheet.
  • English
  • Spanish
     
• Teen Depression: More than just moodiness 
  This fact sheet is intended for teens and young adults and presents information about and how to recognize the symptoms of depression and how to get help.
  • English
  • Spanish

 

Student Recruitment Strategies Tip Sheet
This tip sheet is designed to provide helpful strategies for recruitment of all students for FIRST^® teams.

 

Volunteer Recruitment Strategies Tip Sheet
This tip sheet is designed to provide helpful strategies for recruitment of FIRST^® volunteers: mentors, coaches, judges, and other event volunteers.

FIRST maintains important national Alliance relationships with a network of organizations, corporations, foundations, institutions, colleges and universities, and others that are committed to sustaining key programs that ignite young minds and advocate STEM. These relationships help increase FIRST visibility and provide valuable resources.

 

At the state/local level, Alliances can have a significant impact in the community by creating more teams, engaging more mentors, and reaching out to more students.

FIRST Alliances:

• advocate and promote career opportunities in STEM in grades K-12;
• look to build on existing STEM related programs; and
• seek ways to engage their memberships in FIRST mentor/coach opportunities as a means of workforce development, increased community involvement, and encouraging their employees to give back to the communities

Learn more about FIRST alliances.