For Inspiration And Recognition Of Science And Technology First

FIRST LEGO League (FLL), for which there are three divisions, Discover, Explore and Challenge, reached 651,000 youths aged 4-16, on approximately 73,600 teams worldwide. This year's challenge was called "SUBMERGED." Participants used creative thinking and LEGO technology to explore the layers of the ocean and bring their learnings and ideas to the surface. Discover and Explore students built a LEGO model and tracked what they learned in an Engineering Notebook. Explore teams used code to bring their model to life. Challenge teams also built and programmed an autonomous LEGO robot to play the themed SUBMERGED Robot Game. In addition to participating in local events, teams from around the world met in Houston in April 2025 as part of the FIRST Championship competition (Narrative continued on Schedule O, pg. 146). and celebration.Participation in Discover, Explore and Challenge has engaged students in a comprehensive experience developing confidence in their ability to address real world issues facing their communities, builds their STEM literacy and social-emotional learning, and exposes them to STEM careers. By progressing through each division and on to high-school level FIRST programs, students gain a full suite of technical skills and ongoing encouragement, making it more likely that they will pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.

FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) served 110,000 youths from ages 12-18 on 8,800 teams. Like FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST Tech Challenge teams design and build a robot to compete on a themed playing field but using a smaller robot kit and game challenge field. In this year's ocean-themed game, "INTO THE DEEP," each team built a robot and participated in local events. This program provides an experience for a broad audience of educators and students at a low cost. The experience simulates the excitement as well as the pressure of a real-life engineering project, developing not only the students' technical know-how, but also leadership, cooperation, ability to plan, patience, and teamwork. (Narrative continued on Schedule O, pg. 146).FIRST Tech Challenge enriches the participating students' ability to deal with the satisfactions and disappointments of a real engineering project. The experience expands students' interest and skills in STEM and inspires many to go on to higher education and careers in those fields. Students and alumni of the program gain access to education and career discovery opportunities, connections to exclusive scholarships and employers, and a place in the FIRST community for life.