FIRST

FIRST
Name	FIRST
Formation	1989
Founder	Dean Kamen
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Manchester, New Hampshire
Region served	International
Leader title	President
Leader name	Jasmin Moghbeli

FIRST

FIRST is an international nonprofit organization that promotes youth participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through robotics competitions and educational programs. Founded in 1989, it connects students with mentors from industry, academia, and nonprofit institutions to develop technical skills, teamwork, and problem-solving. FIRST operates a suite of tiered programs spanning elementary through high school levels and partners with corporations, universities, and governments to scale experiential learning initiatives.

History

FIRST was established in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen with the initial goal of engaging young people in science and technology via competitive robotics. Early support came from organizations such as NASA, National Science Foundation, and corporate partners from the Boston and Manchester, New Hampshire tech communities. The inaugural competition model drew on precedents set by events like the International Science and Engineering Fair and regional robotics challenges in the United States; notable early mentors included engineers from Intuitive Surgical and researchers affiliated with Dartmouth College. Through the 1990s and 2000s, FIRST expanded internationally, establishing events in Canada, Mexico, Australia, and across Europe. Key milestones included the launch of distinct programs modeled on age groups and the growth of signature events such as regional championships that paralleled the scale of tournaments like the XPRIZE competitions. FIRST’s history intersects with major STEM education initiatives from agencies like the U.S. Department of Education and collaborations with corporations such as Google and Microsoft that provided grants and technical resources.

Organization and Structure

FIRST is governed by a board of directors that has included leaders from IBM, Intel, Siemens, and academic institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. Operational leadership coordinates regional and global events from headquarters in Manchester, New Hampshire and satellite offices near major partners including Boston and Silicon Valley. The organizational model relies on a federated network of regional partners, volunteer mentors drawn from companies such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin, and partnerships with nonprofit entities like FIRST Alumni Association chapters and university engineering departments. Programs are organized into age-tiered divisions with standardized rules, event scheduling, safety policies aligned with standards from bodies such as Underwriters Laboratories when applicable, and intellectual property guidelines that reflect practices common to IEEE and American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Committees oversee ethics, diversity, inclusion initiatives, and adjudication panels composed of professionals from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, General Motors, and research institutes.

Programs and Competitions

FIRST offers multiple programs tailored by age: an elementary-level program inspired by early makerspaces, a middle-school challenge analogous to SeaPerch programs, a high-school classroom-centric league, and the flagship high-school robotics competition that culminates in a world championship. Signature events include annual regional competitions, district championships, and an international championship that attracts teams from countries such as Brazil, Israel, Japan, and South Korea. Competition formats incorporate aspects of mechanical design, electrical systems, programming using platforms like LabVIEW and languages endorsed by MIT curricula, and project-based outreach judged by panels drawn from IEEE, Society of Automotive Engineers, and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. FIRST competitions have inspired spin-off contests and collaborations with festivals such as Maker Faire and academic contests like the RoboCup tournaments.

Impact and Outreach

FIRST reports measurable impacts on participants’ pursuit of higher education and careers in engineering, with alumni matriculating to institutions including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, and California Institute of Technology. Outreach initiatives include scholarship programs administered in partnership with universities and corporate scholarship funds from companies like Ford and Qualcomm. FIRST also coordinates community outreach aligning with events such as National Robotics Week and partners with nonprofit networks like Teach For America and Boys & Girls Clubs of America to extend access. Studies comparing FIRST alumni outcomes reference research from Harvard Graduate School of Education and evaluation frameworks used by RAND Corporation to assess long-term workforce impacts. Diversity efforts involve targeted programs in collaboration with organizations like Society of Women Engineers and National Society of Black Engineers to broaden participation among underrepresented groups.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding for FIRST derives from a mix of corporate sponsorships, philanthropic grants, entry fees, and donated in-kind services. Major corporate sponsors historically have included Kaiser Permanente, Koch Industries, PepsiCo, Caterpillar, and technology firms such as Apple and Facebook (Meta Platforms), alongside sustained support from NASA and National Science Foundation grants when available. FIRST’s partnership strategy engages universities for hosting events, corporations for mentoring and hardware donations, and foundations for scholarship and program development. Strategic alliances have been formed with manufacturers like Rockwell Automation and software vendors such as National Instruments to supply components and training, while logistics partners including FedEx and UPS support event operations.

Notable Alumni and Achievements

Alumni of FIRST have gone on to notable careers across engineering, research, entrepreneurship, and public service, with several founding startups that received investment from venture firms like Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz. Distinguished alumni include engineers who contributed to projects at SpaceX, Blue Origin, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, researchers publishing in journals associated with IEEE and Nature, and leaders who have held positions in agencies like NASA and corporations including Tesla. FIRST teams have received recognition at international STEM award programs and have been profiled in media outlets such as Wired, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Collective achievements include partnerships that produced robotics curricula adopted by school districts and alumni-driven nonprofit initiatives supporting STEM access modeled after programs from Code.org and Khan Academy.

Category:Robotics competitions