On the fourth anniversary of Dr. Woodie Flowers' passing, we invite the entire FIRST^® community to celebrate and honor his life. Woodie collaborated with FIRST founder Dean Kamen on the development of the FIRST^® Robotics Competition. Woodie was also critical to establishing the ethos of FIRST by coining the term Gracious Professionalism^® and nurturing its meaning in his every action. 

Through his unwavering kindness and compassion, Woodie taught us how to be inspiring role models to all, a true friend, and a positive STEM champion. Together, we walk forward carrying his legacy by remembering and sharing his impact. 

Join us Thursday, October 12, on social media for Walk Like Woodie Day to share how you're following in Woodie's footsteps using #WalkLikeWoodie. 

A team faces many challenges in their first year, but no one on Team Belize was expecting those challenges to include a hurricane. So, when Hurricane Lisa hit Team Belize’s community in November of 2022, destroying large parts of their city including 75% of Belize High School, the team had a long road ahead of them to get to FIRST Championship in Houston, Texas.  

Read more about how Team Belize tackled every obstacle on their way to Houston >> 

As FIRST Robotics Competition teams are assembling around the world in anticipation of the upcoming season, NPR talked to teams, alumni, sponsors, and college scholarship providers to find out what makes FIRST Robotics Competition both a thrilling sport and a STEM-related industry talent pipeline. "FIRST Robotics Competition has evolved from a fascinating after-school activity to having a real impact on the tech and engineering world," wrote reporter Mark Leong. 

Read more about FIRST Robotics Competition at NPR.org >>

Through our mission-driven work and generous donations from our community, we have been able to reach and inspire more than 2.5 million youth around the world. We are proud to receive top rankings from Charity Navigator (four-star) and Candid. GuideStar (Platinum) for transparency, efficiency, and sustainability in our operations. But what is better than top industry ratings? The praise we receive from the students who benefit from the donations:  

“We appreciate all the time, money, and effort that you have put into this wonderful program. The new generation you are building will change the world. We are the future leaders.” – FIRST Robotics Competition Team 2468, Team Appreciate