what's FIRST
Science. Technology, Competition and Cooperation
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Founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen, FIRST means For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. Often students view science and math careers as “geeky” and not exciting. Kamen created FIRST “to transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes.” This is accomplished through mentor-based programs including the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) that teach young people science and technology skills as well as many life skills including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
FIRST includes programs for students from elementary through high school. The FIRST LEGO League (FLL) introduces 9-14 year olds to real-world engineering challenges by building and competing with robots made of LEGOs that are programmed using the Mindstorms software and NXT controllers. Recently, the Junior FIRST LEGO League was created to offer the same opportunity to younger students ages 6-9. The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) allows high school students to design, build, and program midsize, more cost effective robots and apply real-world math and science concepts.
An important aspect of FIRST is Gracious Professionalism, a term created by Dr. Woodie Flowers (a FIRST National Advisor and Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Gracious Professionalism means always treating others with respect and kindness, while still allowing for competition. This means no bragging or putting others down, but instead treating others with respect. Combining both cooperation and competition, “coopertition” is another value of FIRST. Teams are dynamically assigned during the competition and a competitor in one round may be your partner in the next round. Coopertition encourages teams to help and assist each other while maintaining a level of “fierce competition.”
Since its creation, FIRST has evolved from a 28-team competition held in a New Hampshire high school gym in 1992 to a program currently involving over 150,000 kids. Students from around the world come to the FIRST Championship held in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. As the years progress, FIRST continues to grow and spread its vision and values, inspiring students to achieve their science and technology dreams.
To learn more about FIRST, visit usfirst.org
