As we look toward the 2024-2025 FIRST^® season, FIRST Leadership is sharing some important updates pertaining to FIRST Championship, including dates, host cities, team lodging policies, advancement, and qualification. 

Read about the updates on the FIRST Community Blog >>

Program registration for the 2024-2025 season, FIRST^® DIVE^SM presented by Qualcomm, is now open in the FIRST Dashboard*. This season’s ocean theme challenges students to be curious and creative problem-solvers as they work together to develop bold technological innovations and powerful solutions to support aquatic life and further discovery under the sea: 

🐠 FIRST^® LEGO^® League SUBMERGED^SM Release: August 6, 2024

🐠 FIRST^® Tech Challenge INTO THE DEEP^SM presented by RTX Release: September 7, 2024

🐠 FIRST^® Robotics Competition REEFSCAPE^SM presented by Haas Release: January 4, 2025

Read more about our new ocean-themed season >> 

*If you are a FIRST^® LEGO^® League or FIRST^® Tech Challenge team or Class Pack customer outside North America, contact your local partner for registration details.

FIRST is thrilled to announce the promotion and elections of three visionary women in STEM to the FIRST Board of Directors. Dr. Laurie Leshin, Director of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and FIRST Board of Directors member since 2015, will serve as the new Chair of the Board, and Dr. Emily Van Dunk, Executive Director, Argosy Foundation, and Dantaya William, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, RTX, will serve as new Board of Directors members.

Learn more >>  

FIRST recently relaunched the FIRST Community Blog as your source for inspiration and updates about FIRST programs and our global robotics community from FIRST headquarters. 

Going forward, Community will host all Program blog content as well as cross-program updates, FIRST organization announcements, #PeopleofSTEAM Q&As, alumni career tips, volunteer stories, educator content, and much more. 

Read more about the updates on FIRST Community >>  

The future economy will have jobs and entire industries that don’t yet exist, but it’s clear many will touch artificial intelligence and computer science in some way. FIRST CEO Chris Moore discusses the importance of providing all students the opportunity to learn computer science and its role in creating qualified STEM talent who are up for the challenge of building the future and keeping up with the speed of tech evolution. 

Read more via Forbes >>

Be a part of the #HalfMyDAF movement. Commit to spending down your Donor Advised Fund (DAF) by June 28, 2024, and all the grants you make to FIRST or other nonprofits are eligible for a match from #HalfMyDAF.

#HalfMyDAF will make dollar-for-dollar matches for up to $10,000. Two lucky nonprofits will also have the chance of receiving a match of up to $25,000. 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 at halfmydaf.com >>