HOW CAN WE CHANGE THE WORLD? ONE CHILD, ONE ROBOT KIT, AND ONE NATION AT A TIME.
Changing lives starts with changing minds. The first step to inspiring a changemaker is letting them see the potential they have to make change. Beyond the robot kit and competition field, we equip students with a variety of skills, not only empowering each of them to reach their full potential, but to also extend that impact to others and be part of the generation that will change the world. Hand in hand, we can forge a stronger, more unified world that works better together.
196 NATIONS
reached since 2017.
561 ROBOT KITS
distributed since 2017.
450+ MENTORS
involved since 2017.
1,000+ VOLUNTEERS
involved since 2017.
4,200+ STUDENTS
directly impacted since 2017.
42% FEMALE
participation in 2020.
57% FIRST-TIME
participants in 2020.
33% NO EXPERIENCE
with technology and robotics prior to participating in 2020.
93% MORE INTERESTED
in pursuing a STEM career in the future after participating in 2020.
88% MORE PREPARED
to pursue STEM study or a STEM career after participating in 2020.
90% IMPROVED SKILLS
including teamwork, communication, time management, and more.
88% INSPIRED
to give back to their community through participating in 2020.
196 NATIONS
reached since 2017.
561 ROBOT KITS
distributed since 2017.
450+ MENTORS
involved since 2017.
1,000+ VOLUNTEERS
involved since 2017.
4,200+ STUDENTS
directly impacted since 2017.
33% NO EXPERIENCE
with technology and robotics prior to participating in 2020.
57% FIRST-TIME
participants in 2020.
42% FEMALE
participation in 2020.
93% MORE INTERESTED
in pursuing a STEM career in the future after participating in 2020.
88% MORE PREPARED
to pursue STEM study or a STEM career after participating in 2020.
90% IMPROVED SKILLS
including teamwork, communication, time management, and more.
88% INSPIRED
to give back to their community through participating in 2020.
“The FIRST Global Challenge has been nothing short of a life-changing experience for me.”
–Ronav, Team India 2020
“Through FIRST Global, we have learned so much more about STEM and have acquired significant life skills. We recognize that our world is constantly filled with challenges, and we want to thank FIRST Global for providing us with the tools needed for us to use to overcome them.”
–Team Albania 2020
“FIRST Global is necessary to prove to young people that STEM is not a boring area, but a path to the future. FIRST Global has impacted me to the point I could say I’m a different person now, a better version.”
–Carlota, Team Venezuela 2019
“To me, FIRST Global means more than just a STEM challenge, it means an opportunity. Not only an opportunity to learn more about STEM and robotics, but an opportunity to develop and prepare myself for the future.”
–Ruth, Team Nigeria 2020
“This competition has made me aware of my potential, and I hope to extend my knowledge and inspire other students like me.”
–Sonam, Team Bhutan 2019
“The most important thing we learned from the event was through the help we were given unselfishly; the kindness and the way the teams communicated showed us that the key to this event is not how we are pitted against each other, but how much we are here for each other.”
–Team North Macedonia 2019
“We’re not using kids to build robots. We’re using robots to build kids who have self-confidence, skill sets, imagination, courage, and vision to do important things.”
—Dean Kamen, FIRST Global Founder
IMPACT REPORTS
2020 FIRST Global Challenge
2019 FIRST Global Challenge
2018 FIRST Global Challenge
STORIES
For Team Madagascar, the 2020 FIRST Global Challenge was a chance for the students to broaden their horizons. They spoke about their dreams, highlighted their talents, built a paper airplane launcher, created a homemade water filtration system, constructed part of a global machine, and more….
Each year, many teams face obstacles to their participation in the FIRST Global Challenge. But civil conflict and unrest? This is the challenge that Team Ethiopia faced in 2020. The FIRST Global partner in Ethiopia was excited to assemble students for the 2020 FIRST Global…
Sometimes the greatest sources of inspiration come about through the unlikeliest of places. This is one such story, brought to the world by a handful of teenagers determined to let their light shine. Although the lives of refugees are commonly shaped by difficulty, the true…
FIRST Global is a testament to the power of STEM in transforming lives. STEM education can lift people up, providing opportunities for them to realize their full potential regardless of age, perceived ability, gender, socio-economic status, or country of origin. Abdelrahman’s story is one such…
Tristan is a young man passionate about robotics. He also happens to have autism. For Tristan, autism isn’t something that holds him back. Instead, it’s an opportunity to be uniquely himself while making a difference in his own way. And that’s a message he wants…
Before joining the FIRST Global Guinea-Bissau team, José would normally go to the Port of Bandim, the biggest fishing port in the country, to buy fish with his family. However, after joining the team and learning about the year’s Ocean Opportunities theme, he was inspired…
For Team Bahrain, attending the FIRST Global Challenge wasn’t even on their radar until just four days prior to the event, leaving them with no time to build a robot. The team made the trek to Dubai and proceeded to open a FIRST Global robotics…
When students Barbara and Mikhaeel returned to South Africa after their participation in the 2017 FIRST Global Challenge, they knew that their journey had only just begun. They saw that a lot of youth in South Africa didn’t have access to robotics, and wanted to…
Nabil Dabouz is a busy man. He’s a former FIRST Global participant, a software engineering student at the Polytechnic Montréal, and a volunteer with the FIRST LEGO® League in Canada. However, during the summer of 2018, he took on one more role – that of…
In early 2017, FIRST Global partnered with an organization called Shoulder to Shoulder, a nonprofit supporting health and education initiatives in Honduras, to send a team of Honduran youth to participate in the inaugural FIRST Global Challenge. “We’re introducing something down here that’s pretty novel,” said…
Rachael’s journey began when she started studying to be a software engineer. Out of a class of 43, she was one of just three women. It was then that she decided to make it her mission to engage more girls in technology fields. Rachael started…
The all-girl Afghan robotics team — the Afghan Dreamers — made headlines in the summer of 2017 for being denied, then eventually waived, visas to attend the 2017 FIRST Global Challenge in Washington, D.C. This wasn’t the first challenge they had faced. Some girls’ families…
As the programmer for his robotics team, Nathan is responsible for making sure the robot’s code is top-notch. Looking at the enthusiasm and excellence he brings to his work, it may be surprising to hear that Nathan hasn’t always been recognized as the smart and…
Team Iran signed on to compete in the 2017 FIRST Global Challenge. The only problem? They couldn’t get a robot kit due to sanctions. Team Iran instead paired up with a robotics team from a Virgina high school who worked with them to build the…
“I can build a robot, you can build a robot; together, we can build a robot. Robotics is not just for boys, but for girls, boys, and everyone.” Meet Larissa, the only female member of Team Cameroon 2017. Larissa gets up at 3 a.m. to…
Team Liberia faced many challenges on their way to participating in the 2017 FIRST Global Challenge. Yet despite a lack of electricity, an abundance of flooding, and no previous experience with robotics, they pushed forward.
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