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title: Proof that FIRST makes an impact
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FIRST students are more likely to show gains in STEM interest and knowledge. Find out more from the latest Brandeis University study.

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| FIRST®, Inspire Gala celebrates STEM education The fifth annual FIRST®, Inspire Gala gathered the nation’s most passionate STEM education supporters to highlight the impact of FIRST over the past 30 years and look forward to further expanding students’ access to FIRST programs. This year, Soledad O’Brien, CEO of Starfish Media Group and host of “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien,” and Tia Singh, a FIRST alum, were honored for advancing STEM education and the mission of FIRST. Celebrate Woodie Flowers’ life and legacy on December 9 As part of our community-wide efforts to celebrate Woodie Flowers' life and honor his legacy, FIRST will host a Celebration of Life for Woodie on Monday, December 9, at 4:00 p.m. ET. We invite our entire global community to join us in the virtual event broadcast on FIRSTtv and to share your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #WoodieFlowers. We encourage local FIRST communities around the world to gather together to watch the broadcast, celebrate Woodie’s life, and reflect on how to keep his legacy living on. FIRST prepares young people for the future We’re proud to share strong evidence from a rigorous multi-year longitudinal study by Brandeis University that shows FIRST is advancing its mission to increase the number of students interested in STEM – and that interest is influencing their educational and career choices. The study provides strong evidence that FIRST programs have a positive impact on FIRST students, preparing them for success in school and the future workforce.     4 Droid Design Tips from Star Wars Galactic Builders In the four-part digital series Galactic Builders, powered by Star Wars: Force for Change, FIRST students met with engineers and designers who use technology and robotics to bring Star Wars experiences to life. Seeing the technology and engineering feats that go into droid design and animation helped FIRST teams draw parallels to their own robotics work and inspired them to build their robots differently. SHARE       |
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