The Computer Science field is one of the fastest growing fields of study, and participation in FIRST^® ensures that students are exposed to the field and can explore related career paths for the future. Ahead of Computer Science Education Week (Dec 5-11), educator Dave Tomko, a 2022 Inspire the Future: FIRST Educators Recognition Program cohort member, shares ways to incorporate Computer Science-based learning into the classroom and set students up for success.

Read “Why Computer Science is Essential Education for Today’s Students” on the FIRST Community blog >>

We were thrilled to be joined by guest of honor Tim Cook, CEO of FIRST Strategic Partner Apple, at the FIRST Inspire Gala on November 15, where he met with students from several Californian FIRST teams and spoke about the importance of FIRST in building a world where students everywhere can chase their passions and achieve their dreams.

Read more on AppleInsider >>

We are proud to announce longtime FIRST sponsor Novelis as a FIRST Strategic Partner. For the past 10 years, Novelis has supported FIRST globally through a variety of meaningful initiatives, financial support, and in-kind donations of Novelis aluminum. Novelis is now expanding its support with a goal to work with FIRST to inspire youth around the world to be environmental stewards and champion sustainability in their communities.

Learn more about the FIRST and Novelis strategic partnership >>

As a youth-serving organization, our commitment to inclusion is in service of ensuring that all young people feel belonging and thrive as part of our global robotics community. We are proud to partner with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) to further our mission of reaching more youth, removing barriers, and increasing STEM engagement for all students across the United States.

Read more about our joint efforts to bring robotics programs to Native-serving schools >>

FIRST alum David Nguyen and his Northeastern University robotics team placed third out of 850 teams in the global ANA Avatar XPrize robotics competition, which challenged teams to develop physical, human-operated robotic “avatar” systems. The team began its run in the competition over a year ago, and culminated earlier this month as the top United States team and third overall with a $1 million prize. Team Northeastern was among several top-performing teams to feature FIRST alumni.

Learn more about David and Team Northeastern >>

To build a better future, it’s important we encourage the kids in our lives to explore their passions, pursue their dreams, and recognize their worth. Together, we can inspire kids everywhere to take pride in being exactly who they are while experiencing the benefits of STEM learning. This week, the FIRST community is coming together to give through donations and sharing our mission in honor of global day of philanthropy #GivingTuesday. Will you join us in empowering the next generation by making a donation* to FIRST?

Give a gift to FIRST >>

*Donations will support the FIRST mission worldwide; to find local FIRST affiliates to support, check out firstinspires.org/find-local-support.