FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an organization that aims to inspire young people to become leaders in scientific and technological fields. The founder, Dean Kamen (an American inventor who is responsible for many helpful inventions such as the segway and a wheelchair that is able to walk up and down stairs) was distraught that while many young people wanted to become figures such as pop stars and athletes, but were not interested in science and engineering in the slightest. Due to this disturbing fact, Dean Kamen set out to create FIRST, which in turn facilitated many robotics programs for young people. These programs and competitions fostered teamwork and interest in science and technology, as well as behaving like sporting events. These programs are FLL (First Lego League, a competition involving smaller Lego-based robots primarily on the middle school level), Jr.FLL (Junior First Lego League, for elementary school level competitors that focuses primarily on the teamwork, gracious professionalism, and cooperatition aspects of the program), FTC (First Tech Challenge, a high school competition that deals with robotics on a smaller scale), and FRC (First Robotics Competition), which our team participates in.

        
    Since it was founded in 1989, about 26,800 teams   have joined FIRST programs, which amounts to over 293,000 students who have been affected by FIRST programs. Around 20% of these teams alone are involved in FRC!  FIRST also offers numerous scholarships in both engineering-related and non engineering-related fields . Alumni of FIRST programs are more likely to pursue science and engineering in college, have jobs or internships in their freshman year of college, achieve a post-graduate degree, and volunteer in their communities. Being involved with a FIRST Robotics team is an unforgettable experience which increases interest in science, technology, and math, as well as leadership skills and teamwork skills that can be applied to jobs in all real-world fields. 

Dean Kamen, the founder of FIRST

FIRST promotes two basic tenets among its members (besides a love of science and technology): gracious professionalism and cooperitition.

Gracious Professionalism was an idea pioneered by Dr. Woodie Flowers, a professor at MIT. It is described by the FIRST website as, "a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community." In layman's terms, gracious professionalism is a way of competition that enourages the respect and help of rival teams, even in a fierce competition. Teams are enouraged to form comfortable, friendly relationships, with no gloating and no looking down on other teams. Everyone is an equal, and everyone acts with the integrity expected of a FIRST member.

Meanwhile, Coopertition is a principle that encourages the cooperation of teams, even as they compete. The FIRST website defines it as "a philosophy that teams can and should help and cooperate with each other, even as they compete." Coopertition is taken to a whole new level in this year's competition, Rebound Rumble. In the endgame of Rebound Rumble, teams are awarded extra points for cooperating with the opposite alliance by balancing on a ramp together.