The format#
At each event, your team participates in an in-person interview totaling 12 minutes maximum: up to 7 minutes for the student presentation (including set-up) and up to 5 minutes of judge-led Q&A. Teams using a translator or sign-language interpreter may bring that person and get up to 5 additional minutes (up to 2 added to the presentation and up to 3 to the Q&A). A maximum of 3 pre-college team members may present, one adult mentor may observe silently, and no mentor assistance is permitted during the interview. Plan around exactly these constraints.
What judges are listening for#
The judging guidelines ask: "Does the presentation enhance the data provided in their essays? Is the presentation consistent with statements made in the essay? Is it compelling? Do you feel inspired?" Notice the word enhance — the presentation should not simply read your essay aloud; it should bring the data to life and add the human story.
A strong structure#
The worksheet advises using a theme to link all parts of the submission together and leave a lasting impact. A reliable 7-minute arc:
- Open with your theme (~30s) — the same one-sentence thesis from your essay.
- Two or three flagship programs (~4 min) — the ones you placed in the presentation circle of the Venn diagram, each with a concrete number and a human moment.
- Sustainability (~1 min) — how programs survive turnover and funding changes; judges explicitly probe this.
- Why you deserve the award (~1 min) — directly answer the question judges ask: "Why do you deserve the Impact Award?"
- Close on the theme (~30s) — restate the message you want remembered.
Presentation craft#
- Practice timing strictly. Going over 7 minutes eats into your own set-up time or gets stopped. Rehearse with a stopwatch including walking in and starting slides.
- Make slides visual. Big numbers, photos of real outreach, simple charts of growth. Avoid walls of text the judges have to read.
- Everyone speaks with purpose. With only three presenters, each should own a clear section and hand off cleanly.
- Be gracious and professional. Eye contact, names, and genuine enthusiasm. Judges explicitly assess whether you are gracious and professional.
- Consistency is everything. Do not claim anything the essay didn't support, and don't contradict your own numbers.
The worksheet's prep questions#
Before building slides, the team should answer: "What makes your team unique?" and "What message about your team do you most want to impress upon the judges?" If three random students give the same two answers, your presentation has focus. If they don't, keep refining until the theme is shared across the whole team.
the part worth keeping
Key takeaways
- The interview is 12 minutes: up to a 7-minute student presentation (max 3 pre-college presenters, set-up included) and up to 5 minutes of Q&A, with no mentor help allowed; an interpreter adds up to 5 minutes.
- The presentation should enhance, not repeat, the essay, built around a single theme with flagship programs, sustainability, and a clear 'why we deserve it.'
- Rehearse strictly to time, use visual slides with big numbers, and ensure every claim is consistent with the written submission.
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where this came from
Sources and corrections
This lesson is AI-assisted: drafted from primary sources, then reviewed and edited by hand. Errors still get through. When one is reported we fix it and write down what changed, in public, in the corrections log.
sources and further reading
- firstinspires.orgFIRST Impact Award Resources (interview timing)
- firstinspires.orgFIRST Impact Award Worksheet (presentation section)
clipped to this lesson
Articles that go further on this
The lesson gets you through the topic. These go wider on it, and they read in one sitting.
- 7 min readFIRST Impact Award Executive Summary: Questions + Fill-In WorksheetThe current FIRST Impact Award (formerly Chairman's) executive summary questions, character limits, a fill-in worksheet with per-question guidance, and what strong answers look like./blogread it
- 19 min readGracious Professionalism and Coopertition: FIRST's Core ValuesGracious Professionalism and Coopertition are FIRST's core values, coined by Woodie Flowers. What they mean in FRC, and why judges weigh them heavily./blogread it
- 7 min readHow to Win the FIRST Impact Award (FRC's Most Prestigious Award)What the FIRST Impact Award is, how it's judged, and how to write the essay, executive summaries, and pitch that win it — the most prestigious award in FRC./blogread it
answer sheet
Lesson quiz
All 3 right completes the lesson. Miss one and only that question comes back, anything you already answered correctly stays banked.
0 of 3 answered
01In the FIRST Impact Award interview, how long does a team have for its presentation, and what must that time include?
02What is the maximum number of pre-college team members allowed to deliver the Impact Award presentation?
03The judging guidelines ask whether the presentation 'enhances' the essay. What does that mean for how a team should present?
Answer every question to submit.
All 30 lessons in The Impact Awardopenclose
01 / prerequisites
02 / understanding-the-impact-award
03 / building-the-written-submission
04 / presentation-interview-and-video
05 / building-a-program-worth-recognizing
06 / worked-examples-and-mini-projects
- Not read yet:Build a Living Impact Tracker (Spreadsheet Mini-Project)
- Not read yet:Automate Outreach Data with The Blue Alliance API
- Not read yet:Worked Example: Rewriting a 500-Character Executive Summary
- Not read yet:Mini-Project: An Outreach Event Playbook You Can Reuse
- Not read yet:Mini-Project: Assemble a Bulletproof Documentation Form
07 / common-mistakes-and-troubleshooting
08 / advanced-techniques-and-case-studies