FIRST® Robotics
Inspiring Young People to be Science & Technology Leaders & Innovators
FIRST is more than robots. The robots are a vehicle for students to learn important life skills. Kids often come in not knowing what to expect—of the program nor of themselves. They leave, even after the first season, with a vision, with confidence, and with a sense that they can create their own future.
Dean Kamen, FIRST Founder
FIRST® Tech Challenge Robotics
AAI Grades 9 - 12, 10+ members
What is FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics? FIRST Tech Challenge students learn to think like engineers. Teams design, build, and code robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. Participants call it “the hardest fun you’ll ever have!”
Guided by adult coaches and mentors, students develop STEM skills and practice engineering principles while realizing the value of hard work, innovation, and sharing ideas. The robot kit is reusable from year-to-year and can be programmed using a variety of languages, including Java. Teams raise funds, design, and market their team brand, and engage in community outreach for awards. Each season concludes with Super-Regional Championships and an exciting FIRST Championship, and participants have access to tens of millions of dollars in college scholarships.
FIRST® LEGO Robotics League
AAI Grades 6 - 8
Tomorrow’s innovators practice imaginative thinking and teamwork. Guided by adult coaches, FIRST LEGO League teams research a real-world problem such as food safety, recycling, energy, etc., and are challenged to develop a solution. They also must design, build, and program a robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology that will compete with other teams on a table-top playing field.
It all adds up to tons of fun while students learn to apply science, technology, engineering, and math concepts (STEM) — plus a big dose of imagination — to solve a problem. Along their discovery journey, students develop critical thinking and team-building skills, basic STEM applications, and even presentation skills as they must present their solutions with a dash of creativity to judges. Teams are rewarded for practicing signature core values.
