FIRST Robotics

FIRST is the world’s leading youth robotics community, delivering hands-on STEM learning that inspires innovation, builds confidence, and prepares kids for life. Across the globe, students thrive in our programs — powered by mentorship, teamwork, creativity, and engineering challenges.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an international youth organization founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen, aims to inspire young people in science and technology. It operates multiple robotics competitions, including the flagship FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) for high school students, which started in 1992. FRC challenges students to design, build, and program industrial-sized robots annually. Other programs include FIRST LEGO League and FIRST Tech Challenge. Organizations like WPI and FIRST Robotics Canada support its mission through software development, event hosting, and scholarships.