Hi ,

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

In this week's blast:

👉 Dean's List Award name update.

🏠 Housing for Registered Teams Attending FIRST^® Championship.

Dean's List Award name update
Effective at FIRST^® events starting February 18, the FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST^® Robotics Competition Dean’s List Award will be known as the FIRST Leadership Award for the 2025-2026 season.

The award’s purpose, criteria, and significance remain unchanged. It will continue to recognize exceptional student leaders who demonstrate technical expertise, further the mission of FIRST, and exemplify our core values.

We remain deeply committed to recognizing outstanding student leadership across our programs.

Housing for Registered Teams Attending FIRST^® Championship
FIRST is once again partnering with travel experts ConferenceDirect to bring you more than 175 FIRST-reviewed hotel locations for registered teams to choose from for the 2026 FIRST Championship presented by BAE Systems in Houston.  

All teams traveling to FIRST Championship will be required to book their housing accommodations within the designated hotel blocks.

The partnership enables FIRST to ensure that all hotels are pre-approved for safety and accessibility and that enough hotel rooms are available for qualifying teams.   

Visit event housing details for booking questions, instructions, area maps, and hotel details.