FIRST, founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen and Woodie Flowers, is an organization that does exactly what it stands for. To that end, FIRST, an acronym of For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, has been inspiring students into engineering and technology related fields of study. FIRST emphasizes teamwork, collaboration, and gracious professionalism.
FIRST has since developed several programs for young students, starting with the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) in 1992, and adding the FIRST Lego League (FLL), Junior FIRST Lego League (JFLL), and FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC). All focus on engaging youth in the sciences through a mentor-based endeavor, teaching skills from engineering to communication, from innovation to leadership. FIRST also has college scholarship opportunities, with over $12 million from colleges and private corporations available for FRC participants this year.
The Riot Crew is an FRC team. Aimed towards high school aged students, the FRC is what FIRST calls “the varsity sport for the mind". Every January a new game-style competition is unveiled at a "Kickoff" to the FRC teams. Each team build a 120 lb-max robot in six weeks for the March competitions. The FIRST Robotics Competition has grown to over 3000 teams from all 50 states and 12 countries. Mentors in the program range from volunteer professional engineers and teachers to interested parents and alumni.
The FRC is, at it's core, about more than building a robot. It's about building life skills through teamwork and cooperative competition. It's about raising the next generation of minds. It's about changing the face of science and technology, and through that, the world.
For more information, please go to http://usfirst.org/.