What is FIRST? FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, N.H., the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity inspires young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.

FIRST provides four programs: The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) for high-schoolstudents; FIRST LEGO League (FLL) for 9 to 14 year-olds; Junior FIRST LEGO League (Jr.FLL) for 6 to 9 year-olds; and the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), a mid-level robotics competition designed for high-school-age students who want the same real-world challenges as the FRC, but who require a more affordable kit and more geographically accessible events. FIRST also operates a research and development facility called FIRST Place at its headquarters.

What is the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)? The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an annual competition that helps young people discover the rewards and excitement of education and careers in science, engineering, and technology. FRC challenges high-school-aged young people – working with professional mentors – to design and build a robot, and compete in high-intensity events that reward the effectiveness of each robot, the power of team strategy and collaboration, and thedetermination of students. Seventeen years ago, the initial FIRST Robotics Competition took place with 28 teams in a high school gym in New Hampshire. In 2009, the largest-ever FRC included 1,686 teams from11 countries competing in 40 Regional events, seven District competitions and a State Championship in Michigan only, and the FIRST Championship at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

What is Gracious Professionalism? Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST. The idea and phrase are found throughout FIRST, but no one has been a stronger champion than FIRST National Advisor, Woodie Flowers. 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. Gracious professionals learn and compete like crazy, but treat one another with respect and kindness in the process.

Who are some of the organizations that sponsor FIRST? FIRST is supported by a strong network of corporations, educational and professional institutions, and individuals. Some of the world’s most respected companies provide funding, mentorship time and talent, volunteers, equipment, and more to make FIRST a reality. Founding Sponsors are Boston ScientificCorporation, Baxter International Inc., The Chrysler Foundation, DEKA R&D, Delphi, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Motorola, Inc., and Xerox Corporation. Strategic Partners are BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, FedEx Corporation, General Motors Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, NASA, National Instruments, Rockwell Automation, and Rockwell Collins. The LEGO Group is a Founding Partner of FIRST LEGO League. 3M and LEGO Systems A/S are

Official Suppliers and National Instruments, Rockwell Automation, and Vestas are sponsors of FIRST LEGO League. PTC is the CAD & Collaboration Sponsor for the FIRST Tech Challenge.

How does the education community support FIRST? FIRST provides an education and career path for young people who might not otherwise have discovered an interest in and pursued education and careers in science and technology. FIRST works closely with schools at every level to transform both the perception and reality of education in science and technology. Some of the finest colleges and universities support FIRST by providing scholarship opportunities, sponsoring teams, and providing mentors, equipment, and facilities. As a result of the support of these colleges and universities, FIRST students are eligible for over $9 million in scholarship funds to continue education in science, technology, engineering, and math.

Who manages the teams and events? FIRST is truly a volunteer-driven organization. For the 2008/09 FIRST season, over 85,000 volunteers contributed in areas including mentorship, event management, recruitment, and team management. The growth and success of FIRST is a direct result of the efforts of the mentors, parents, teachers, community leaders, and citizens who volunteer their time and talent.

How can volunteers get involved? The best way to start discovering the rewards of FIRST is to attend a FIRST event (attendance is free), contact a mentor from a local team, visit the FIRST website, or contact FIRST at 1-800-871-8326. Interested volunteers can visit our website at www.usfirst.org for more information about how to become a mentor.

Why involve a professional mentor? Why don’t students build the robot themselves?

FIRST creates powerful mentoring relationships between students and professionals. FRC teams include engineers and other professionals from some of the world’s most respected companies. Students work closely with and learn from these “stars” of the engineering world. Meaningful involvement of adults in children’s lives is proven as an essential component for developing young people’s potential.

How is the game played? Each year’s Kickoff event unveils a new, exciting, and challenging game. From the Kickoff, teams have just six weeks to solve the season’s common problem using the same kit of parts and a standard set of rules. In the 2009 game, LUNACYTM, robots are designed to pick up 9″ game balls and score them in trailers hitched to their opponents’ robots for points during a 2 minute and 15 second match. Additional points are awarded for scoring a special game ball, the Super Cell, in the opponents’ trailers during the last 20 seconds of the match. “Lunacy” is played on a low-friction floor, which means teams must contend with the laws of physics.

Who participates in the competition? During the 2009 season, over 42,500 high-school students on 1,686 FRC teams competed in 40 Regional tournaments (in the U.S., Canada, and Israel), seven District competitions and a State Championship in Michigan, and the Championship. Each team is comprised of professional mentors and an average of 25 students in grades 9-12. In addition, each FIRST team has one or more sponsors. Those sponsors include companies, universities, or professional organizations that donate their time, talent, funds, equipment, and much more to the team effort.

Is scientific, technology, or mathematic expertise required for students to participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition? FIRST invites students who may not be predisposed to science, math, or technology to participate. In fact, the FRC is designed to inspire, motivate, and encourage students to learn basic principles while challenging more experienced students. Since there are critical roles for students in everything from design and building, to computer animation, and to fundraising and research, every student can actively participate and benefit.

What do the students win?

Teams compete for a series of awards honoring accomplishments in areas including engineering, design excellence, competitive play, sportsmanship, and high-impact partnerships between schools, businesses, and communities. A judging committee of distinguished professionals makes award decisions. The most prestigious award is the Chairman’s Award, which recognizes the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST. All participating students receive a medallion in honor of their achievements. Any FRC participant is also eligible to apply for over $9 million in scholarships from the leading engineering colleges and universities.

Are there other benefits to participating?

Throughout their FIRST experience, students gain maturity, build self-confidence, learn teamwork, and gain an understanding of professionalism. Students have fun while building a network of friends and professional mentors who enrich their lives. A 2005 Brandeis University evaluation of FIRST participants primarily from urban and low income schools found that, compared to a group of students with similar backgrounds in high school math and science, FRC participants were:

• Nearly twice as likely to major in science or engineering (55% vs. 28%).
• More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering (41% vs. 13%), and they majored in engineering at roughly seven times the average among US college students overall.
• More than twice as likely to expect to have a science or technology-related career after college (45% vs. 20%). Goodman Research Group, Boston, Mass., found positive results from its 2000 FIRST Robotics Competition evaluation. Their findings showed: Improvement in student attitudes about science, math, teamwork and the working world.
• Improvement in students’ self-image, particularly among under-represented groups.
• FIRST students’ attitudes about teamwork are significantly more positive after FIRST than they were before participating in the competition season.
• Two-thirds of student participants indicated interest in working for one of their team sponsors after completing their education, and one fifth planned to work for one of their team sponsors in a summer internship or part-time job.

Sponsors benefit by finding future employees and interns. Mentors benefit from renewed inspiration and a reminder as to why they chose science, technology, engineering, and math as a career. Volunteers are recognized as an integral and vital part of the way in which young people connect to the real world, in their own communities, and in the world at large.