FIRST Robotics and ITT Technical Institutes
What is FIRST Robotics?
Vision
"To transform our culture by creating a world where science and
technology are celebrated and where young people dream of
becoming science and technology leaders.“ - Dean Kamen,
Founder
Mission
O mission
Our
i i iis tto iinspire
i young people
l tto b
be science
i
and
d
technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based
programs that build science, engineering and technology skills,
that inspire innovation
innovation, and that foster well-rounded
well rounded life
capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and
leadership.
What is FIRST Robotics?
For
Inspiration and
Recognition of
Science and
Technology
What is FIRST Robotics?
 Founded in 1989 by inventor and physicist Dean Kamen
 Headquartered in Manchester, NH
 501(c)(3) public charity
 Over 90,000 volunteers
 Supported
S
t d by
b over 3
3,500
500 corporations,
ti
educational
d
ti
l and
d
professional institutions, and individuals
What is FIRST Robotics?
Programs:
 FIRST Robotics Competition for Grades 9-12 (ages 14-18)
 FIRST Tech Challenge for Grades 9-12 (ages 14-18)
 FIRST LEGO League for Grades 4-8 (ages 9-16; 9-14 in the U.S.
and Canada)
 Junior FIRST LEGO League for Grades K-3 (ages 6-9)
 FIRST Place for ages 6 to adult
What is FIRST Robotics?
2011 Scholarship Program:
 More
M
than
th $14 million
illi iin college
ll
scholarships
h l hi
 888 individual offerings
 134 scholarship
pp
providers
FIRST Values
Gracious ProfessionalismTM
Dr. Woodie Flowers, FIRST National Advisor and Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of
Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, coined the term
“Gracious ProfessionalismTM.”
Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST
FIRST. It's
It s a way of doing things that
encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals
and the community.
With Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate
notions. Gracious professionals learn and compete like crazy, but treat one another with
respect and kindness in the process. They avoid treating anyone like losers. No chest
thumping tough talk,
talk but no sticky-sweet
sticky sweet platitudes either
either. Knowledge
Knowledge, competition
competition, and
empathy are comfortably blended.
FIRST Values
CoopertitionTM
CoopertitionTM produces innovation. At FIRST, Coopertition is displaying unqualified
kindness and respect in the face of fierce competition
competition. Coopertition is founded on the
concept and a philosophy that teams can and should help and cooperate with each
other even as they compete.
Coopertition involves learning from teammates. It is teaching teammates. It is learning
from mentors. And it is managing and being managed. Coopertition means competing
always, but assisting and enabling others when you can.
Impact
Recently, Brandeis University’s Center for Youth and Communities conducted
an independent, retrospective survey of FIRST Robotics Competition
participants and compared results to a group of non-FIRST students with
similar backgrounds and academic experiences, including math and
science. When compared with the comparison group, FIRST students are:
 More than 3 times as likely to major specifically in engineering
 Roughly 10 times as likely to have had an apprenticeship, internship, or
co-op job in their freshman year of college
 Significantly more likely to expect to achieve a post graduate degree
 More than twice as likely to expect to pursue a career in science and
t h l
technology
 Nearly 4 times as likely to expect to pursue a career specifically in
engineering
 More than twice
t ice as likely
likel to volunteer
ol nteer in their comm
communities
nities
Impact
Why we participate
FIRST is directly involved with key strategic audiences:
 High school students and their families
 High school centers of influence
 Employers
Why we participate
… AND it demonstrates we give back to our community!
How ITT Technical Institutes participate
The ITT Technical Institutes can participate in FIRST by matching
the strengths of the school with the FIRST situation in the
community.
Thi can be
This
b accomplished
li h d iin ffour diff
differentt ways:
 Team sponsorship
 Team mentoring
 Team/Sponsor recruiting
 Regional sponsorship/participation
How ITT Technical Institutes participate
 Team sponsorship: attending team meetings, supporting the team
socially as well as financially
f
 Team mentoring: working in-depth with the team on their robot,
providing
idi coaching
hi and
d iinstruction
t ti
 Team/Sponsor recruiting: calling on prospective high schools and
sponsors for financial and mentoring assistance; no actual team
involvement
 Regional sponsorship/participation: working only at the regional level
and calling on regional teams to promote the FIRST Scholarship at the ITT
Technical Institutes
Why ITT Technical Institutes participate
The more time we spend with a target
audience, such as prospective students or high
school centers of influence, the more we are
able to develop credibility and influence within
the relationship.
Why ITT Technical Institutes participate
The more time we spend with a target
audience, such as prospective students or high
school centers of influence, the more we are
able to develop credibility and influence within
the relationship.
Getting started
 Contact Communications at HQ
 Identify local opportunities
( p
(http://www.usfirst.org/whatsgoingon.aspx)
g
g g
p )
 Asses your community’s needs
Getting started
 Create your plan:
 Asses what resources you can make available
 Make a commitment
 Involve people in all areas of the school
FIRST Scholarship
To further the goals of FIRST, each participating ITT Technical
Institute intends to award one scholarship annually to a FIRST
Robotics Competition (FRC) or FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC)
participant in the FIRST Region.
The scholarship award will be in the amount of $18,000 ($9,000 per
yyear)) to be applied
pp
toward any
y associate degree
g
p
program
g
offered at
the school.