FIRST Youth Robotics Programs
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), 5000 Mitty Way, Belmont, CA 95129
About
FIRST Youth Robotics Programs introduces students to hands-on robotics challenges where participants conduct research, fundraise, design, build, and showcase their achievements. Each program offers age-appropriate challenges tied to a yearly theme and connects students with mentors and STEM professionals in a global network of young innovators. FIRST Tech Challenge engages students in robot design, coding, and competition, and FIRST Robotics Competition involves high school students engineering industrial-sized robots for large-scale competition while working side-by-side with mentors.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
Inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST in 1989, and since then the organization has had more than 4 million youth participants. FIRST operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is supported by a global network of volunteers, educators, and sponsor/donors, including more than 200 Fortune 500 companies, with a presence in 114 countries and K–12 programs reaching youth in more than 100 countries. The mission of FIRST is to provide life-changing robotics programs that give young people the skills, confidence, and resilience to build a better world, and its vision is to transform culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders.
FIRST programs are guided by a signature set of Core Values, including Discovery, Innovation, Impact, Inclusion, Teamwork, and Fun. The FIRST community expresses the philosophies of Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition through these Core Values; Gracious Professionalism, a term coined by Dr. Woodie Flowers, encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community, while Coopertition means teams help and cooperate with each other even as they compete. FIRST describes its robotics programs as “More Than Robots,” and studies show FIRST alumni are more likely to pursue STEM majors, with 83% pursuing STEM majors by year four of college and 96% of students overcoming challenges through program participation. FIRST is proud to receive top rankings for consistently executing the organization’s mission in a fiscally responsible way.
Last updated June 21, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
Inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST in 1989, and since then the organization has had more than 4 million youth participants. FIRST operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is supported by a global network of volunteers, educators, and sponsor/donors, including more than 200 Fortune 500 companies, with a presence in 114 countries and K–12 programs reaching youth in more than 100 countries. The mission of FIRST is to provide life-changing robotics programs that give young people the skills, confidence, and resilience to build a better world, and its vision is to transform culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders.
FIRST programs are guided by a signature set of Core Values, including Discovery, Innovation, Impact, Inclusion, Teamwork, and Fun. The FIRST community expresses the philosophies of Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition through these Core Values; Gracious Professionalism, a term coined by Dr. Woodie Flowers, encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community, while Coopertition means teams help and cooperate with each other even as they compete. FIRST describes its robotics programs as “More Than Robots,” and studies show FIRST alumni are more likely to pursue STEM majors, with 83% pursuing STEM majors by year four of college and 96% of students overcoming challenges through program participation. FIRST is proud to receive top rankings for consistently executing the organization’s mission in a fiscally responsible way.
Last updated June 21, 2026.
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