FIRST^® offers students a safe space to fail and learn from the process. Participants gain the confidence - and community - to build their future and find pathways to success. Marvel Cinematic Universe star Xochitl Gomez is no stranger to leaving her comfort zone to accomplish her dreams: “You have to take risks and be willing to fail at first to learn something new. It can be scary, but in the end, it's worth it. Just stick with it, build confidence, and good things will come,” she told Teen Vogue.

Read more via Teen Vogue about Xochitl’s experience at FIRST Championship and the impact of the FIRST community >>

FIRST Vice President of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I), Dr. Janell Catlin, was invited to join a LinkedIn Live hosted by IF/THEN called “This Is What A Scientist Looks Like” to discuss ED&I in STEM fields. As a follow-up to this inspiring conversation, Dr. Catlin was asked a few rapid-fire questions about her experiences, and she touched on the importance of FIRST and STEM programming: “It’s our drive at FIRST to ensure that students are able to think globally and act locally so that the work that they do now and work that they will do as adults is well informed.”

Read and watch for Dr. Catlin’s thoughts and ideas across a variety of topics >>

Program registration for the 2023-2024 season, FIRST^® IN SHOW^SM presented by Qualcomm, is now open in the FIRST Dashboard. This season’s program challenges will celebrate how the arts bring people together and allow us to create the future:

🎬 FIRST^® LEGO^® League MASTERPIECE^SM Release: August 1, 2023

🎬 FIRST^® Tech Challenge CENTERSTAGE^SM presented by Raytheon Technologies Release: September 9, 2023

🎬 FIRST^® Robotics Competition CRESCENDO^SMpresented by Haas Release: January 6, 2024

Read more about our new season >>

More than 50,000 people came to cheer on hundreds of FIRST teams as they put their innovation, teamwork, and robotics skills to the test during the 2023 FIRST Championship presented by BAE Systems. On the FIRST Community blog, we’re taking a look back at all the stories that made the event so memorable this year.

View a round-up of FIRST Championship stories from social media >>

The More Than campaign from FIRST has been recognized as an Audience Honoree at the 15th Annual Shorty Awards. Thank you to the FIRST community for helping us earn this recognition, which is based solely on public voting. More Than was created with the mission of dismantling labels for students and promoting self-esteem through STEM. By understanding and addressing how today’s youth feel and encouraging them accordingly, we can foster a generation of inspired, empowered individuals ready to tackle the world's greatest challenges.

Know a Class of 2023 FIRST graduate? Shop the FIRST Store for gift ideas to remember their time in FIRST. 

Browse our FIRST Alumni & Grad Collection >>