Why FIRST?
Quick Links:
The FIRST Longitudinal Study: 10 Years of Follow-up Data, Final Report. Brandeis University. September 2024.
Transforming STEM Outcomes: Results from a seven-year follow-up study of an after-school robotics program’s impacts on freshman students School Science and Mathematics – November 1, 2022.
Impacts of After-School Robotics Programming on STEM Interests and Attitudes American Educational Research Association - April 13, 2018
Do After-school Robotics Programs Expand the Pipeline into STEM Majors in College? Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research 9:2 (2019) 1–13
Program Overview
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an international youth organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen in 1989 that operates robotics competitions across different age groups:
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC): Grades 9-12
FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC): Grades 7-12
FIRST LEGO League (FLL): Elementary and middle school students
FIRST LEGO League Jr.: K-4th grade
International Footprint
51,000+ teams worldwide with over 679,000 student participants annually
FIRST Robotics Competition: 3,900+ teams (2,600+ US, 1,300+ International)
FIRST Tech Challenge: 8,100+ teams (5,300+ US, 2,800+ International)
FIRST LEGO League: 39,000+ teams (15,000+ US, 24,000+ International)
Teams & events in 100+ countries leading to global collaboration
More from the FIRST Longitudinal Study
FIRST alumni are more than twice as likely to report an increase in STEM interest than the comparison group.
61% of FIRST participants majored in either Engineering or Computer Sciences, as compared to just 26% among comparison students.
FIRST alumni are significantly more likely to major in any STEM field (Biology, Computer Science, Engineering, Health Professions, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Vocational/Technical fields, Robotics).
FIRST alumni are at least twice as likely as comparison students to take Engineering or Computer Sciences courses and declare majors in either of these fields.
FIRST participants who built the robot, provided team support, and rated the quality of the program and quality of their mentor experience as high reported significantly higher outcomes on all five STEM attitude scales (STEM interest, STEM activity, STEM careers, STEM identity, STEM knowledge).
Female FIRST alumni are more than 3 times as likely to major in Engineering than the comparison group females.
Underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in FIRST are significantly and substantially more likely to major in Computer Science or Engineering.
Leadership, teamwork, effective problem solving, communication, and public presentations at an early age were mentioned most often as the skills and experiences that stuck with participants and have been used in their work lives 10 years after.
The Core Values of FIRST, Gracious Professionalism® (“encouragement of high-quality work, emphasis on valuing others, and respect for individuals and the community” ) and Coopertition® (“embodies the spirit of competing while assisting and enabling others whenever possible”), were central themes in the interviews with female FIRST alumni.
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