FIRST Prepares Youth for Life & Work
FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) offers a progressive series of team robotics challenges for students of all ages. Research shows FIRST is achieving its mission to increase the number of students interested in STEM...and that interest is influencing their educational and career choices.
NE FIRST brings these programs to students all throughout New England, providing STEM Education for EVERYONE.
The students of today will be entering an increasingly technical workforce before we know it. The skills they develop in their youth matter. FIRST programs help them dive in with meaningful contributions, using robots to build members of society that are capable of easily connecting with their peers and bringing great value to their chosen industries.
We have a number of options for partnering with NE FIRST and supporting these leaders and innovators of tomorrow. Build your preferred sponsorship package and enjoy additional benefits based on your total investment in premier FIRST programs and high-impact STEM education in New England.
Skills Gained By Students:
FIRST prepares students for a STEM future
Engagement in the FIRST Robotics programs changes students’ lives for the better. By finding a community that accepts them in all their differences and challenges them to push their understanding what they are capable of, students learn from each other, share ideas, and forming long-lasting relationships far beyond high school. Many alumni return to the program as team mentors, subject-matter experts and event volunteers.
Evidence from the completed FIRST Longitudinal Study, conducted via a 10-year partnership with Brandeis University, demonstrates that FIRST is meeting their mission and goals to increase the number of young people interested in STEM—and FIRST alums' interest extends beyond their participation in the program to their educational and career choices.
Positive impacts are evident for all FIRST students regardless of race, gender, income, or community type.
Sustained attitudes and interest in STEM
Positive impacts on STEM-related attitudes and interests are evident six years after entering a FIRST program. Those impacts are consistent regardless of race, gender, income or community type and persist into college. FIRST students are significantly more likely to show gains in STEM outcomes than comparison students:
Persistence in STEM
in college
FIRST alumni are significantly more likely to pursue college pathways into computer science and engineering than comparison students. Among the FIRST alumni in the study who had declared a major by the end of year 3 in college, most had chosen a STEM field and the majority selected engineering or computer science:
Sustained STEM career paths for FIRST alumni
FIRST alumni continue to show significant sustained impacts related to STEM interest and career pathways. In most cases, those gains for female FIRST alumni were significantly larger than those for male FIRST alumni. FIRST alumni declare majors in STEM at great rates than their comparison groups:
The opportunities for intentional expansion of the FIRST continuum of programs across school districts and community organizations in New England are endless, with a proactive and dedicated school engagement plan in place. Collaboration with youth-serving CBOs is critical to successfully reach underserved youth with FIRST programs. FIRST mentors and coaches who understand the students they serve and have access to resources for the team are better positioned to build strong teams.
You can help us by supporting the mission of
New England FIRST
Please reach out to us if you would like more information about this inspiring and life-changing program for students, teachers, mentors, coaches and volunteers.