What is FIRST?

FLL Student using Mindstorms

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a program created by Dean Kamen, a very well known inventor (he invented the Segway, and a ton of other neat stuff that I won't get into right now). His mission in creating FIRST was to, "inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership." Why am I telling you all this? Because I'm sure that anyone who is interested in Mindstorms would have a great time and benefit so much from being on a FIRST team. There are four branches of FIRST, each for a different age range...


Jr.FLL (Junior FIRST LEGO League)- The newest program in FIRST introduces the youngest (ages 6-9) students to the exciting worlds of science and technology. Just like FLL, this program features a real-world challenge, to be solved by research, critical thinking and imagination.
FLL (FIRST LEGO League)- Introduces younger students (ages 9-14) to real-world engineering challenges by building LEGO-based robots (Mindstorms!) to complete tasks on a thematic playing surface
FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge)- FTC is designed for those (ages 14-18) who want to compete head-to-head, using a sports model. Using Tetrix components, teams of up to 10 students are responsible for designing, building, and programming their robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams.
FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition)- “The varsity sport for the mind,” FRC combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of 25 students or more (ages 14-18) are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors.

I am currently in FRC, and we're on our third week of building a robot we only have 6 weeks to build. It is a ton of fun, and I look forward to our competition in March. If you're interested in FRC, perhaps you would like to check out the video that explains what the robot we're building needs to do in this years challenge? The video is embedded below... enjoy, and make sure to turn the sound on. ;) Also, to learn more about FIRST, go to their official website!