Greetings, FIRST^® volunteers!

Tomorrow is the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service! We look forward to seeing all the incredible ways Americans will be engaging in community service tomorrow to honor the legacy of Dr. King.

January is also Mentoring Month, a time for us to celebrate FIRST mentors and coaches and reflect on the power of mentoring in our own lives. From the workshop or classroom to the living room or Zoom room, mentors and coaches empower millions of youth to embrace discovery, innovation, and collaboration. They work side by side with FIRST participants to create a path forward for the next generation. FIRST mentors deliver the future!

Join us in amplifying the impact of mentoring this month. Post a photo or video on social media to let us know how a mentor changed your life or what mentoring means to you. Use the hashtags #MentoringMonth and #FIRSTvolunteers to join the conversation. 

Read on to learn how we are celebrating and recognizing FIRST mentors and coaches this month and all season long!

Sincerely,

The FIRST Volunteer Resources Department

If you are a FIRST mentor or coach, we want to offer a special thank you for all you do to deliver the future. 

Grab a digital version of the 2021-2022 FIRST Coach Mentor pin here.

Pick up your social media headers and more digital swag to show the world you are a FIRST mentor.

And don't forget to download your FIRST Coach Mentor Certificate of Appreciation from your FIRST Dashboard. To download your certificate:

• Log in to your FIRST Dashboard
• Click on "Hello, Your Name"
• Select "Mentor/Coach Certificate" from the drop-down menu
• Download the certificate, fill in your name, and print or save digitally
• Certificates are available in both A4 and letter printing sizes

>>Download your digital swag today!

Enter the 2022 FIRST Mentoring Month raffle for a chance to win one of TEN 2021 Christa McAuliffe Silver Dollars, an exclusive item no longer available for purchase. This commemorative coin celebrates the life of Christa McAuliffe and the impact of educators everywhere. Tell all the FIRST mentors and coaches you know to enter now! The raffle ends at 11:59 PM EST on January 31, 2022, so get your entry in today. Winners will be notified via email.

>>Enter the Mentoring Month Raffle today!

You're going to want to hurry over to the FIRST Volunteer Recognition Store because all volunteer pins and patches are 20% off in celebration of Mentoring Month. Snag a 2021-2022 FIRST Coach Mentor pin for your favorite mentor or for yourself. Collect FIRST Volunteer Year of Service pins to proudly display how long you've been a FIRST volunteer. Recognize an alum with a FIRST Alumni Volunteer patch. Take a stroll down memory lane and peruse FIRST Coach Mentor pins from seasons past, while supplies last. Now through February 15, ALL pins and patches are 20% off. Use code !MENTOR20 to apply the discount.

>>Grab your volunteer pins and patches today!

FIRST volunteers come from diverse backgrounds and disciplines and often wear multiple hats. Judges, referees, volunteer coordinators, scorekeepers, and yes, mentors and coaches. FIRST mentors and coaches share their knowledge, time, and expertise with students in many ways. If you have a few hours to give or want to volunteer for a season, you can be a FIRST mentor or coach. We salute all the mentors and coaches who are making a positive impact on FIRST participants around the globe.

Like Adry, a FIRST alum from Mexico who now volunteers as a mentor, judge, translator, event coordinator, and more.

Or Kate and Cam who teamed up via the FIRST Mentor Network and came together across the miles to mentor the Botcats in Florida and created a win-win for the team and the volunteers.

>> Read more FIRST volunteer stories here

The FIRST Mentor Network is an interactive platform allowing teams and interested mentors to easily find each other for virtual or face-to-face mentorship. The community platform provides new and returning teams access to passionate, engaged mentors, while giving mentors the opportunity to use their unique skill sets and have meaningful involvement with one or more teams. Together, teams and mentors can make a positive impact on their community and around the world.

>>Create your team or mentor profile today!

Volunteer registration for the 2022 FIRST Championship is now open. We hope you’ll join us this season and deliver the future by volunteering!

FIRST Championship Houston – April 20 - April 23, 2022

To begin the registration process, create or log in to your FIRST Dashboard. Click on "Volunteer Registration," then click “Event Volunteering” to choose the program where you would like to volunteer. 

For more information about FIRST Championship, please visit www.firstchampionship.org.

We hope to see you there. We couldn’t do it without you!