FIRST Mission
“The mission of FIRST® is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.”
FIRST Values
- Gracious Professionalism®: Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST. It’s a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. Through Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain coexist. Participants compete intensely while treating each other with respect and empathy. There is no trash talking, nor disingenuous platitudes. Knowledge, competition, and empathy are comfortably blended.
- Coopertition®: Coopertition fosters innovation by promoting unqualified kindness and respect in the face of intense competition. At FIRST, Coopertition means that teams help and cooperate with each other, even as they compete. It’s about learning from teammates, teaching others, collaborating with mentors, managing and being managed. Coopertition embodies the spirit of competing while assisting and enabling others whenever possible.
We express the FIRST philosophies of Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition through our Core Values:
- Discovery: We explore new skills and ideas.
- Innovation: We use creativity and persistence to solve problems.
- Impact: We apply what we learn to improve our world.
- Inclusion: We respect each other and embrace our differences.
- Teamwork: We are stronger when we work together.
- Fun: We enjoy and celebrate what we do!
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
FIRST® is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future. A vital part of our strategic intent is to serve an inclusive and diverse audience, reflecting the population of the communities we serve—and even going beyond through targeted, new community outreach.
FIRST understands the broader societal context of economic, educational, and social factors historically leading to disproportionate access and outcomes. Leveraging cross-sector and industry collaborations, FIRST is actively engaged in developing and delivering strategies that remove barriers and ensure greater access to FIRST programs so that all youth can participate.
Source – First Robotics Canada
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