The FIRST Robotics competition is a great way for high school students all around the world to become involved in the engineering and robotics fields. The competition is stretched across the world and teams come from many different countries. Right now, FIRST has teams registered in Canada, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Great Britain, etc and almost every U.S. state. This program offers high school students a hands on experience like never before. Every year, the FIRST Robotics Competition comes out with a new game, and all of the registered teams build a robot based on that game. The game is issued at the beginning of January in an event known as the "Kickoff." This is where the teams FIRST hear about what they will have to do in this year's competition. Over the course of the next six weeks, teams rush to build their robots to be the best. After the "Build Period" is finished, the teams ship their robots off to different regional events. These events have teams from everywhere competing against each other and striving for perfection, but through all of this, FIRST does not forget how important good sportsmanship and teamwork are. The robotics competition, however, is not the only competition.
FIRST has always promoted good sportsmanship, safety, and teamwork throughout all of their programs. They also make sure that there are a variety of things to do in this competition to get everybody involved. At each regional event, they present the "Best Website Award" to the team that they think creates and maintains the best website. They also present the "Chairman's Award," one of the most prestigious awards a team can receive. This award celebrates the team and how they spread the FIRST message throughout their community. Other awards are presented as well: flash animation, team spirit, best sportsmanship, and numerous engineering awards that go out to the best designed robot for that year's specific game.
Thanks to FIRST, thousands of teenagers are seeing the world in a way they never thought possible. They are seeing opportunities that have never presented themselves before, new experiences that they will surely never forget, new skills that could be of great benefit later on in life, and, most importantly, being a part of the future. Every year, colleges, universities, corporations, businesses, and individuals provide scholarships to many of the high school students participating in the FIRST Robotics Competition. This competition shows everyone that technology fields hold vast opportunity and that math, science, engineering, and invention are not just school subjects, but pursuits that shape the future of technology and even the world. FIRST has created a program that glows with fun while at the same time breeding the future of engineering and technology.
Interested in FIRST Robotics ? Click here for a list of FIRST Robotics teams