Hi ,

Here's some updates and news from FIRST^® Tech Challenge.

In this week's blast:

🎉 Happy Mentor Month!

💼 National Advocacy Conference by the Student Association for STEM Advocacy

💻 FIRST^® Tech Challenge Software Development Kit (SDK) 11.1 Released

❤️ 10+ Creative Ways to Appreciate FIRST Mentors During Mentoring Month 

🤖 Trainings available including Role of a Lead Coach Training

✅ Deadline Approaching – Request for Proposals – Conferences at FIRST Championship presented by BAE Systems

Happy Mentor Month!
In celebration of our dedicated mentors, all mentor items on the FIRST^® Store will be 20% off during January 2026 (no code required). Purchase a new FIRST mentor backpack customized with your team name for a deserving mentor this year! You can also purchase a NEW 1-year mentor year of service pin for your all-star rookie mentors this season.  

Year of Service Pins for years 1-9 will be available for purchase on the FIRST Store. This month, they will be 20% off to celebrate our recognition of Mentors in January (no code required)! 

Year of Service Pins for years 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 will be available for FREE via a new Mentor Recognition Portal. This portal will be available to anyone to request a pin for themselves or for another mentor as a gift. Soon, you will be able to access the Mentor Recognition Portal from the FIRST Store.  The Mentor Portal will launch in early January. 

Learn more about the Mentor Year of Service Program here!

Mentor items on sale:
👉 NEW FIRST mentor backpacks with optional customization
👉 NEW FIRST mentor Year of Service Pins
👉 Mentor sweatshirt
👉 Mentor hat
👉 FIRST AGE™ presented by Qualcomm coach mentor pin 

Get your discounted mentor merch here! 

National Advocacy Conference by the Student Association for STEM Advocacy
For 13 years, FIRST teams from across the United States have attended the Student Association for STEM Advocacy’s (SASA) National Advocacy Conference (NAC) in Washington, DC to learn federal advocacy skills and promote STEM and robotics education. Each June, students participate in training, practice advocacy with experienced mentors, network with teams nationwide, and meet with Members of Congress to build confidence and public speaking skills.

Join SASA at NAC from June 21–June 23, 2026; learn more and register at mysasa.org/national-advocacy-conference or email staff@mysasa.org.

By registering for the event through the SASA site, you will be asked to supply personal data to SASA. This data will be subject to SASA’s privacy policy.  You should review SASA’s privacy policy and understand how your data will be used before sharing your information. 

FIRST Tech Challenge Software Development Kit (SDK) 11.1 Released
This week the 11.1 version of the FIRST Tech Challenge SDK was released. This update can be found on the FTCRobotController GitHub repository, or downloaded through the REV Hardware Client. Release 11.1 fixes several bugs and adds new device and behavior support, check out the version 11.1 release notes for more details. As a reminder, there is no requirement to update/upgrade to version 11.1 this season.

10+ Creative Ways to Appreciate FIRST^® Mentors During Mentoring Month 
Mentors are a critical part of every FIRST team. They guide, teach, cheer, and sometimes even troubleshoot at midnight before competition day! Mentoring Month is the perfect time for teams to show their mentors how much they mean to them.  

Check out 10+ creative ways to celebrate and appreciate the mentors on your team here! 

Trainings available including Role of a Lead Coach Training
Looking to improve your skills or explore what it means to volunteer in other roles at FIRST? Our training platform, FIRST Training, has several options for volunteers to better interact with students, learn career skills, and more!

A new cross-program training is also now available to help equip current and future volunteers to be a Lead Coach in a FIRST program. Explore this and other trainings in our new FIRST training platform accessible from the FIRST Dashboard. 

Deadline Approaching – Request for Proposals – Conferences at FIRST Championship presented by BAE Systems
FIRST is currently accepting proposals for conference sessions that will be running Wednesday, April 29, through Friday, May 1, at the 2026 FIRST Championship presented by BAE Systems. Students, mentors, educators, coaches, volunteers, staff, and sponsors are welcome to submit a proposal before the January 31 deadline. Presenters will be notified in late February if they have been selected. Apply now!   

If you have questions, please reach out to the Conferences team.