Plus, a farewell to Dr. William Murphy Jr. and a FIRST employee and volunteer helping students drive change in rural South Carolina
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Save the Date: FIRST® Robotics Competition Kickoff

CRESCENDOSM presented by Haas takes the stage January 6 at 12:00 p.m. ET during the 2024 FIRST® Robotics Competition season kickoff celebration and game reveal. Tune in to FIRSTtv for appearances from your FIRST® faves and unforgettable mic-drop moments.  

But first, NASA engineer turned YouTube creator, Mark Rober from CrunchLabs, shares his excitement for FIRST and the 2024 FIRST Robotics Competition season. Watch now

Sign up now for a tune-in reminder. >>

A Farewell to Dr. William Murphy Jr.

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Dr. William Murphy Jr., a longtime supporter of FIRST who founded the prestigious Woodie Flowers Award for mentorship in 1996, has passed away. We extend our deepest condolences to Dr. Murphy’s family and all his loved ones. He will be greatly missed by the FIRST community. 

Read more on Dr. William Murphy Jr. and his many achievements. >>

Give the Gift of Life-Changing STEM Programs

Help us reach an ambitious goal of making STEM available for everyone by giving students in every community access to FIRST programs. Together we can prepare students for success in the classroom and workforce. 

Make a tax-deductible donation today. >>

#PeopleofSTEAM: Meet Faith, a FIRST Employee and Volunteer

As a FIRST employee and a volunteer for FIRST in South Carolina, Faith is steadfastly committed to spreading her love of STEAM as far as she can. In her volunteer role as vice president for FIRST South Carolina, she is able to support a variety of programs throughout the state and specifically advocate for FIRST and STEAM at the state government level.    

Read more about Faith and the impact she's making in South Carolina. >>

Celebrating STEM in the Arts at the Annual Gala

The 2023 FIRST Inspire Gala was an inspiring night celebrating the vital role that STEM plays in developing today’s youth. In a special tribute, Ursula Burns was recognized for her unwavering commitment to FIRST. There’s still time to contribute to the evening’s success by making a gift at firstinspires.org/give. Your support will help make FIRST programs more accessible to students all over the world, especially those from underrepresented STEM communities. 

Read more about the 2023 FIRST Inspire Gala. >> 

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