FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, NH, the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills. ORTOP has been the FIRST Program Delivery Partner in Oregon since 2001.

FIRST is far more than robots. FIRST participation is proven to build STEM skills, interest, and identity, but it also inspires them to become leaders and innovators in their community.

The primary distinction between FIRST programs is by age range. Starting with our youngest engineers, FIRST LEGO League programs are designed for elementary school students. Pre-school and young elementary school students start with FIRST LEGO League Discover, early elementary school students can participate in Explore, and finally, FIRST LEGO League Challenge is available for grades four through eight. Middle grades have a choice between FIRST LEGO League Challenge and FIRST Tech Challenge, which is available to seventh through twelfth graders. FIRST Robotics Challenge is a high school-only program for ninth through twelfth graders. The programs are designed to be sequential, with students moving through the FIRST LEGO League programs and into FIRST Tech Challenge and/or FIRST Robotics Challenge, depending on availability. Students can enter into FIRST programs at any level, however– no previous experience in robotics or programming is required.

As students get older, an additional consideration is the size of the team, which also correlates to the size of the robot. FTC teams are smaller, with smaller robots; FRC teams are larger with larger robots. Along with team and robot size, there is a cost differential in participating in the two programs. While some students do find the time to do both FTC and FRC, most schools choose one to offer based on student interest and funding.

FIRST Lego League

FLL Explore: Grades 2-3

FLL Challenge: Grades 4-8

Students are introduced to science, technology, engineering, and math through fun, exciting hands-on learning.

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FIRST Tech Challenge

Students in grades 7-12

Students design, build, program, and operate robots while competing in a head-to-head challenge.

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FIRST Robotics Competition

Students in grades 9-12

Teams of students build industrial-sized robots with limited resources and time in order to compete in the competition.

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Reasons to Choose FIRST

Inclusion

FIRST has invested millions in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in its programs. These efforts have led to continued growth in participation by disadvantaged and marginalized students.

Scholarships

More than $80M in college scholarships were made available to FIRST students last year. Many of the world’s premier engineering schools, such as MIT and WPI have begun asking about FIRST participation on their applications.

Values

FIRST places great emphasis on the elements of competition beyond the robot, such as teamwork, Gracious Professionalism®, and Coopertition®. Students gain more than technical skills; they learn how to be a part of the 21st-century workplace.

Careers

Oregon’s top employers such as Intel, Hewlett-Packard, and Bonneville Power Administration support FIRST year after year because they know students who participate in FIRST come away with these valuable career skills.

Trusted Partner

FIRST programs are implemented globally by a non-profit organization with a platinum rating on Guidestar.org, a four-star rating on Charity Navigator, and a 2018 Top Rated Non-Profit from GreatNonprofits.org. Some other programs were created by for-profit companies selling robot parts, and have created non-profit entities to run the competitions.

Continuum

FIRST programs offer a true K-12 continuum through four programs. Students can move through the programs as they age, progressively building their skills, confidence, and STEM identity.

Mentorship

Employees from these local businesses provide thousands of hours of practical mentorship and coaching for participants, acting as career role models from their community.

Authenticity

FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge give Middle and High School students a real iterative engineering experience, allowing students to fabricate their own parts from scratch, requiring documentation in engineering notebooks and, in the case of FIRST Robotics Competition, intensive seasons that force teams to make tough design decisions to meet deadlines.