Happy National Engineers Week! To showcase the 2022 theme #WhatEngineersDo and the diversity of job opportunities in engineering, we are highlighting FIRST^® alumni who now work as engineers for FIRST sponsors throughout the week. Check out the interviews on the FIRST Community blog follow FIRST on social media for more.

Looking for fun ways to engage students’ engineering skills this week? FIRST @ Home is full of activities that will put creative engineering minds to work!

“Inspired Youth, Inspire You: The FIRST Student Point of View” is a new, ongoing FIRST Community blog series dedicated to showcasing the unique perspectives of FIRST students about how to foster a more diverse STEM field, what they’ve learned from their FIRST experiences, and more.

Olu is a senior and team lead on FIRST^® Robotics Competition Team 2826 “Wave Robotics” in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he serves as a mentor to other students and encourages them to try new things and take chances.

Read more about Olu’s experience»

To honor the legacy of gifted and beloved professor and FIRST Distinguished Advisor Woodie Flowers, the Woodie Flowers Memorial Grant awards one initial, renewable grant of $10,000 to a FIRST student. This year’s recipient is six-year FIRST participant Megan Volkening, a Dean’s List winner from FIRST^® Tech Challenge Team 18367 “GRAFFITI” in Wisconsin.

Read more about Megan and the grant on the Inspire blog»

¿Tiene interés en una carrera profesional en el campo de STEM? Join our career event in Spanish, Orientación profesional con FIRST: Johnson & Johnson en español, on Wednesday, March 2, at 8 p.m. ET. This conversation between members of FIRST Robotics Competition Team 4400 “Cerbotics” from México and Johnson & Johnson employees will encompass their personal and technical journeys as Spanish speakers in the innovative world of healthcare and healthcare technology.

Save the date and register for the webinar»

FIRST Robotics Competition Team 3616 “Team Phenomena” from Lafayette, Louisiana is on a mission to be advocates for STEM across Louisiana, going across the state to host FIRST^® LEGO^® League tournaments in areas that traditionally lack access to robotics and speaking on the importance of STEM education at state-wide government and education events. With Disney and Lucasfilm, we’re sharing their story as part of our Build the Future powered by Star Wars: Force for Change initiative.

Read more about “Team Phenomena” and submit your team’s story of building a better, more inclusive future for everyone»

Premiering at the SXSW Film Festival next month and streaming on Disney+ starting March 18, “More Than Robots” captures the excitement, heart, and hope of the FIRST experience. FIRST founder Dean Kamen spoke about the documentary, the three-decade-long history of FIRST, and preparing young people for the workforce in a new interview. Read Dean’s interview in TechCrunch’s robotics newsletter.

Plus, we’re excited to share the newly released poster art for “More Than Robots” featuring FIRST Robotics Competition Team 6909 “SAKURA Tempesta” from Japan, one of the teams featured in the documentary: