What Is FIRST?

The organization behind the robots#

FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. It is a global not-for-profit organization founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen (creator of the insulin pump, the iBOT, and the Segway). MIT professor emeritus Dr. Woodie Flowers joined as a key advisor and co-founder, shaping the competition's educational philosophy. FIRST's mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators by engaging them in mentor-based programs that build STEM skills, confidence, and life skills like communication and teamwork.

A common way to describe FIRST is 'the hardest fun you'll ever have' and 'the varsity sport for the mind.' That phrasing is intentional: FIRST treats engineering like a competitive sport, with seasons, teams, alliances, referees, scouting, and championships — but the real product is the people it develops, not the machines.

Why FIRST is different#

Unlike most competitions, FIRST is explicitly built around a culture, not just rules. Two ideas define it:

• Gracious Professionalism — competing fiercely while treating opponents with respect and empathy. You will literally help the team you are about to play against.
• Coopertition — the philosophy that teams can cooperate and compete at the same time, often even being rewarded in the rules for helping rivals.

These aren't slogans on a poster. They are judged, awarded, and woven into the game rules (recent games include a 'Coopertition Bonus' for cooperating with your opponent).

The FIRST family of programs#

FIRST is not one competition — it is a progression of programs spanning roughly ages 4 through 18:

• FIRST LEGO League (FLL) — Discover, Explore, and Challenge divisions for younger students (grades PreK–8 / ages 4–16)
• FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) — middle and high school (grades 7–12), smaller robots
• FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) — high school (grades 9–12), large 100+ lb robots

Each year all FIRST programs share an overarching season theme. The 2025–26 theme is FIRST AGE (archaeology); within it, the FRC game is REBUILT presented by Haas and the FLL Challenge game is UNEARTHED. The FRC game is the flagship, capstone experience of the progression. (Note: FIRST is also retiring the FLL division names beginning with the 2026-2027 season in favor of a simpler, age-based structure.)

Scale#

FRC is genuinely global. The 2026 season fielded roughly 3,700 teams competing across 150+ regional and district events, culminating in the FIRST Championship. Tens of thousands of mentors and volunteers make it run.

Why it matters for you#

FIRST and its partners offer tens of millions of dollars in college scholarships each year, and alumni go on to engineering, business, medicine, and the trades. But the most-cited benefit from participants is simpler: it is where they found a team, a mentor, and a reason to fall in love with building things.

Learn more#

• About FIRST: https://www.firstinspires.org/about
• FIRST Robotics Competition home: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc