Dr. Melissa Smith, a FIRST^® alum and FIRST Board of Directors member, began her STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) journey as a FIRST^® LEGO^® League participant and continues to apply her FIRST skills every day as a user experience research manager for Google. Her advice for current FIRST participants? “Don’t box yourself into one thing, especially out of fear of judgement from others,” she says. 

Read Melissa’s #PeopleofSTEAM story on the FIRST Community blog and share your own story >> 

Join 2023 FIRST Championship Presenting Sponsor BAE Systems for a live discussion with engineers and FIRST team volunteers and mentors as they explore what goes into making a winning championship team; how the competition can help prepare high school students for STEM careers; and more. The broadcast will be live on March 29 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Visit the BAE Systems, Inc. Facebook or LinkedIn pages for more information.  

Learn more about the BAE Systems and FIRST partnership>> 

Whether as a participant or volunteer, involvement in the FIRST community is a rewarding experience and an investment that will benefit you in many ways, including future career opportunities. “FIRST programs build and grow your skill sets and exponentially increase prospective job opportunities for your STEM career,” says Ilene Rein, job search strategist and executive recruiter. 

Read Ilene’s tips for ensuring that recruiters and companies can easily view your experience on the FIRST Community blog >> 

Join us April 17-18, 2023, during the 2023 FIRST Championship presented by BAE Systems for FIRST LEGO League (Discover, Explore and Challenge options) and FIRST^® Tech Challenge in-person professional development at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. Work with other teachers during this two-day learning experience to gather the tools needed to facilitate FIRST in your classroom.  

Learn more about FIRST Professional Development and upcoming dates >> 

Your Donor Advised Fund (DAF) donations can have an even bigger impact through the #HalfMyDAF movement. If you are a DAF holder and commit to spending down half of the money that was in your DAF on March 1 by September 29, 2023, all the grants you make to FIRST or other nonprofits are eligible for a matched grant from #HalfMyDAF. The more donors who commit to spending down at least half of their DAF and give to FIRST, the more likely we are to receive a match.   

Learn more about #HalfMyDAF and nominate FIRST for a chance at unrestricted matched dollars at halfmydaf.com >>  

With support all season from FIRST sponsors, we’ll soon welcome over 35,000 attendees to the 2023 FIRST Championship. Join in the fun and help recognize our sponsors by voting in our sponsor video contest. The video that receives the most votes by March 31 will be played during Closing Celebration at the 2023 FIRST Championship. 

Vote now in our sponsor video contest >>