FIRST® is a nonprofit organization meaning "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology." The FIRST Robotics Competition is a high school robotics competition featuring teams from all over the world. Students work to build a robot in a six weeks and compete in competitions of about 60 teams. Each year, teams are challenged to "raise funds, design a team brand, hone teamwork skills, and build and program industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game against like-minded competitors." Volunteer mentors guide teams of students to compete in regional competitions and attempt to qualify for the world championships in Detroit, MI and Houston, TX.

"FIRST is more than robots. The robots are a vehicle for students to learn important life skills. Kids often come in not knowing what to expect—of the program nor of themselves. They leave, even after the first season, with a vision, with confidence, and with a sense that they can create their own future." -Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST

The mission of FIRST is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills; that inspire innovation; and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.