At FIRST^®, recognition is not only part of our name, it's core to our ethos. In this spirit, we are proud to launch our third year of the Inspire the Future: FIRST Educators Recognition Program. NEW this year, you may nominate outstanding schools as part of the first annual Inspire the Future: FIRST School Recognition Program. Help us celebrate the FIRST educators and schools who inspire their learning communities and advance the mission of FIRST by submitting a nomination. 

Learn more about Inspire the Future and nominate a school or educator by December 8 >>

In honor of its 25th birthday, Google.org is providing $6.5 million in grants to FIRST to further its work inspiring future science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) leaders to tackle pressing issues facing society. Thanks to their ongoing dedication to the FIRST mission, we are able to introduce students to the latest technology, like AI, and prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.

Learn more about Google’s commitment to FIRST >>

FIRST and i.am/Angel foundation announced their collaboration to prepare young people for a brighter future will be on display at a spectacular fundraising gala co-hosted by the organizations’ founders, Dean Kamen and will.i.am. The event will take place on Wednesday, December 6, in Miami Beach, Florida, and honor FIRST board member Ursula Burns for her unwavering commitment to the FIRST mission.

Tickets for the FIRST Inspire Gala are on sale now at firstinspires.org/gala. Those who can’t attend can register for our online auction and bid on special FIRST items.

Learn more about the fundraising gala and our honorees and special guests in the FIRST Press Room >>

Heidi Lagares is an engineer at Hewlett-Packard (HP) and a Season 44 "Survivor" finalist. As an engineer and an inventor, she credits her background in STEAM to her success and discussed it frequently throughout her time on the show.  

When asked what advice she’d like to share with students who are participating in FIRST, she said, “Do not compare yourself to other people. Find your own voice and your own path and enjoy the journey because that is what life is all about!" 

Read more on Heidi’s journey with STEAM and what it means to her >> 

FIRST^® Robotics Competition team G-Force Robotics is on a mission to inspire young girls to explore STEM. Using books to share the real-life stories and fictitious journeys of famous women in STEM, and hosting events in collaboration with FIRST sponsors like Lockheed Martin, Collins Aerospace, and Caterpillar to demonstrate how those stories take place in real life, the team has created a dynamic atmosphere for girls to learn about STEM.

Read more about G-Force Robotics in The Johnston Country Report >>