Inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen founded FIRST nearly 30 years ago, creating a school-to-career pipeline through which young people are inspired to explore opportunities in science and technology. He believed that culture could be positively transformed by inspiring young people and encouraging their schools and communities to appreciate science and technology. FIRST has successfully formed coalitions with corporations, universities, and public schools to become the premier after-school engineering and robotics competition programs in the nation.

FIRST offers accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people from the time they start school through high school graduation and offers opportunities for learning both inside and outside of the classroom. Through its continued success, FIRST is determined to make Dean Kamen’s hope a reality, “to create a world where science and technology are celebrated . . . where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes.” FIRST programs include:

• FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Discover for grades PreK-1,
• FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Explore for grades 2-4,
• FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Challenge for grades 4-8,
• FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) for grades 9-12, and
• FIRST Robotics Challenge (FRC) also for grades 9-12.

You can learn more about the FIRST organization at www.firstinspires.org. For more information about FIRST in Alaska, please contact us at firstak@jedc.org or 907-523-2334.