ABOUT FIRST
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen, and celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. Currently the organization is based in Manchester, New Hampshire and affects more than 400,000 people, of all ages, worldwide. The FIRST program is specifically aimed toward those in grades K to 12 in an effort to get them interested in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. Through these programs, children and teens are able to learn knowledge about the STEM fields and essential life skills like time management, team work, and leadership that allow them to become a more successful individual.
For more information on the FIRST program and competitions you can visit www.usfirst.org.
Every year FIRST runs one of their programs called FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition), which is the competition Gear It Forward participates in. This usually starts around the first weekend of January (Kickoff) and runs until May (Championships). On Kickoff, all FIRST FRC teams tune in to a live NASA feed to find out what the new competition is (the game changes yearly). After that every FRC team has exactly 6 weeks to go from a blank piece of paper to a fully built and functioning robot! After the teams cease work on their robots they compete in regionals against other tems from around the world. Each regional contains approximately 50 teams, and runs 3 days in length. If a team finishes as part of the winning alliance, a regional Chairman's winner or a regional Rookie of the Year Award winner, then the team advances to the Championships! The Championships is a combined event for 3 of the FIRST competitions (FLL, FTC, and FRC). In the end all teams return to their home towns to prepare for the next season and spread FIRST's word through out their community.
**DID I MENTION THAT THESE ROBOTS ARE DESIGNED BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS? With the help of mentors, teachers and community helpers, theses students design, build, and test a fully functioning robot in six weeks time (while still managing their schooling, jobs, etc.). Though it is a challange to them, they love to do it and keep the ever expanding FIRST growing and reaching other people. **