What is FIRST^®?

Mission:

The mission of FIRST^®(For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators, 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  Programs:

FIRST  Robotics Competition (FRC)

This is the competition that FIRST Team 1511, Rolling Thunder from Penfield High School competes in. Under strict rules and limited time and resources, teams of high school students are challenged to build industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game in alliance with other teams, while also fundraising to meet their goals, designing a team “brand,” and advancing respect and appreciation for STEM within the local community. Our robots are usually large in size (the maximum allowable size is 5 feet tall!) and have a relatively large playing field (27′ by 54′) and have tasks that, on paper, seem relatively simple, yet are very demanding in strategy and skill.

FIRST  Tech Challenge (FTC)

FIRST Tech Challenge students learn to think like engineers. Teams design, build, and code robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. Robots are built from a reusable platform, powered by Android technology, and can be coded using a variety of levels of Java-based programming.

FIRST  LEGO^® League (FLL)

FIRST LEGO League introduces science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to children ages 4-16* through fun, exciting hands-on learning. Participants gain real-world problem-solving experiences through a guided, global robotics program, helping today’s students and teachers build a better future together.

Our three divisions inspire youth to experiment and grow their critical thinking, coding, and design skills through hands-on STEM learning and robotics.

*ages and grades vary by country