FIRST Robotics Competition

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a globally recognized non-profit organization headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire, dedicated to transforming youth culture around science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). At its operational core is FIRSTInspires.org, the central digital hub that orchestrates the organization’s worldwide programs, volunteer networks, and educational resources. Through this platform, FIRST delivers its mission to inspire young people to become leaders and innovators by engaging them in mentor-based programs that build technical skills while fostering critical life capabilities such as collaboration, resilience, and creative problem-solving.

The website serves as the primary interface for four flagship robotics programs: FIRST LEGO League (discover, explore, and challenge divisions for ages 4–16), FIRST Tech Challenge (grades 7–12), FIRST Robotics Competition (grades 9–12), and FIRST Championship events that converge thousands of teams annually. Each program is scaffolded to accommodate different developmental stages, using hands-on robotics design, coding, and engineering challenges to contextualize abstract STEM concepts within tangible, real-world missions. Beyond technical training, the site emphasizes Gracious Professionalism® and Coopertition®—core philosophies that encourage high-quality work, respect for others, and kindness even in competitive environments.

For students and educators, FIRSTInspires.org offers an integrated ecosystem of learning resources, safety guidelines, curriculum connections, and grant information. Teams register for events, access game manuals and rulebooks, submit documentation, and track rankings through centralized portals. Coaches and mentors find specialized training modules, risk-management protocols, and diversity, equity, and inclusion toolkits designed to cultivate welcoming, accessible team environments. The platform also highlights scholarship and career-pathway opportunities, partnering with universities and industry sponsors to map robotics participation onto post-secondary success.

From an operational standpoint, the site coordinates a massive volunteer infrastructure. Regional and district events are scheduled and managed through standardized workflows, while volunteers—ranging from referees and inspectors to event producers—complete role-specific certifications and background checks via the platform. Sponsorship and partnership pages detail how corporations, foundations, and individual donors support team grants, equity initiatives, and operational logistics, illustrating how community investment scales access to high-quality STEM experiences.

Ultimately, FIRSTInspires.org transcends its function as an administrative portal. It embodies a movement that reimagines STEM education as a collaborative, inclusive, and joyful endeavor rather than an elite or isolating pursuit. By centering mentorship, ethics, and real-world engineering practice, the platform helps students discover not only what they can build, but who they can become: compassionate innovators equipped to navigate complexity, lead diverse teams, and improve the world through technology.

FIRST is the world’s leading youth robotics community, delivering youth robotics competitions that inspire innovation, build confidence, and prepare young people for life. Discover what drives our global movement.

The FIRST Core Values are fundamental to FIRST and unique to its programs. They emphasize friendly sportsmanship, respect for others’ contributions, teamwork, learning, and community involvement and are part of our commitment to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of unity.

Starting with a Kit of Parts, teams of high school students design, program, and build industrial-sized robots to play an action-packed game, released in January. They compete on a themed field as part of a three-team alliance in the spirit of Coopertition^®. In 360-degree learning guided by adult mentors, each FIRST^® Robotics Competition team also creates a team identity, raises funds to meet its goals, and advances appreciation for STEM in its community.