FIRST History
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In 1989, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded by Dean Kamen.
In the 1980's, Dean realized children only dreamed of being sports and movie stars, not engineers or scientists. In 1989, he decided to create a televised sporting competition where scientists and engineers were the athletes. He thought FIRST should have engineers from large companies working hand in hand with teams of high school students to build competitive robots. He enlisted the help of Woodie Flowers, PhD and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT, as an adviser for FIRST.
Woodie Flowers and Dean Kamen
This exciting program Dean has created gives exciting opportunities for young students to develop qualities that help them become successful adults in life. Professionalism, confidence, and various skills help participants enter the engineering and technology fields competitive and prepared.
Together, Dean and Woodie created the FIRST Robotics Competition. The first competition was held in 1992 with 28 teams. It has grown to over 800 teams worldwide.