Among several programs designed to engage a variety of individuals and institutions in support of the FIRST Global mission, the FIRST Global Higher Education Network (the Network) presents a unique opportunity to leading national and international colleges and universities. The Network is a connected and collaborative global community of leaders in post-secondary STEM learning, teaching and career preparation. Active engagement with the Network will partner you with your national FIRST Global Challenge team, as well as with the worldwide FIRST Global community of young people, mentors, volunteers, and an advocacy community of business and government leaders from 190 countries around the world.
We invite you to get involved with the Network. The gift of your participation will empower thousands of young people with the inspiration, motivation, access, and educational opportunities they need to become our future leaders, innovators, and changemakers. Your participation is not a “one-way street”; you will get back so much more than you give. Your institution will be sharing the spotlight, as well as best STEM thinking, practices and programs, with known academic leaders worldwide – together uniting the world through collective influence and actions. Join now!
PROVIDE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO TEAMS ENGAGED IN THE FIRST GLOBAL CHALLENGE.
COMMUNICATE WITH THE FIRST GLOBAL STUDENT COMMUNITY WITHIN YOUR NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD.
MAGNIFY YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE NETWORK THROUGH USE OF THE FIRST GLOBAL HIGHER EDUCATION NETWORK WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS.
ENRICH AND EXTEND YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE NETWORK THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN OTHER FIRST GLOBAL PROGRAMS, PROJECTS AND EVENTS.
You and your post-secondary education team will love both the “give back” and the “pay it forward” satisfaction that comes from participating in the Network. Our world needs the tested talent, innovative thinking, and passionate commitment to a healthy, working and sustainable society and planet you can instill in the FIRST Global student community. There are thousands of young people from 190 nations ready and eager to meet you, and engage with you.
There’s so much you can do to help. Join the Network now! To do so, please fill out this short form and someone will get back to you soon.
FIRST Global is a nonprofit organization that promotes science, technology, engineering, and math education and career development by involving students from around the world in a robotics competition modeled after the Olympic Games. One team from each nation is invited to participate in the FIRST Global Competition where they design, construct, and program a robot for a sports-like competition using a standard kit of components. The teams of high school youth, mentored by adults, design and build their robots between March and the summer, convening for the competition.
The world faces many challenges that can only be solved through the applications of science and technology. Science and technology do not have national borders. FIRST Global is an important program to empower youth with knowledge and help them understand that cooperation and collaboration can solve the world’s grand challenges and improve the future.
O FIRST Global Higher Education Network is an affiliation of institutions of higher education that support their nation’s FIRST Global team. FIRST Global Higher Education Network institutions primarily provide technical mentorship to their national team in the areas of robot design, mechanical and electrical systems integration, and programming.
Each participating institution in the FIRST Global Higher Education Network can develop a level of support that best serves the institution and their national team. While some institutions may host the national team on their campus and provide technical mentors, other institutions may simply elect to periodically send mentors to the local team’s off-campus work site. The level of involvement is a decision made by each institution.
FIRST Global Higher Education Network institutions are important collaborators in a new global movement to inspire and unite students and prepare them for their futures. The inaugural FIRST Global Competition was held in 2017 and attracted 157 nations. Participating institutions are united in their focus to bring together individuals and organizations who can then solve the world’s most pressing technology problems. In addition to the prestige associated with this endeavor, FIRST Global Higher Education Network participants have an opportunity to use this program to attract their nation’s top students to their institution.
A kit of components is provided to the national team. On-line text and video resources on robot design, fabrication, and programming are provided to FIRST Global Higher Education Network institutions. In addition, technical assistance on robot design, fabrication, and programming is provided to FIRST Global Higher Education Network institutions from experienced volunteers. This assistance is commonly provided using internet-based technologies, including email and live-streaming services.
It is advised that a faculty member lead an institution’s involvement in the FIRST Global Higher Education Network, supported by student mentors who could work with the national team members.
The institutional lead can fill out the form at the top of this page and we will be in touch.
It is not expected that the FIRST Global Higher Education Network participants provide financial support to their national FIRST Global team.
The cost for participating in the FIRST Global Competition is the responsibility of each nation. Most participating teams receive funding from a combination of government, industry, philanthropic and personal support.
A list of participants is available at https://first.global/fgc/attending/.
FIRST Global Higher Education Network institutions can immediately begin to become familiar with the FIRST Global Competition and robot resources. Each institution will be introduced to your national FIRST Global team as soon as they are identified, thereby allowing local connections to follow. For the 2019 cycle, this is likely to begin in late winter or early spring of 2019.
FIRST Global will inform FIRST Global Higher Education Network institutions of existing supporters of the national team. FIRST Global is not positioned to assist FIRST Global Higher Education Network identify additional potential supporters.