Learn about FIRST
For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) is a world-wide organization that promotes STEM through robotics for students in elementary school, middle school, and high school. Watch these short videos to learn more about their mission and how it works. ​
Fill out this form
By registering your interest, you will be put on a low-volume mailing list to receive information about robotics opportunities in Brookline. 
Know the Team Basics
To start a FTC team, you'll need...
  • A team of up to 15 kids in 9th - 12th grade ~ all skills levels are welcome!
  • At least 2 adults to be coaches (technical experience is not required)
  • A space to work and store parts (could be as small as a box and a table or as big as a garage or spare room)
Hear from 10-year coach, Adam Rizika, about his experience heading elementary school, middle school, and high school teams. 
​Learn more about FTC here. ​
Create a FIRST Account
As a coach, you will need to make a FIRST account to register your team, access coaching resources, purchase parts, and more. Create your account here. 
Register Your Team
FTC season registration costs $275. This includes the 2020-2021 team participation fee, access to resources for team management and career readiness, and team member access to the FIRST Scholarship Program. Using your FIRST account, register your team! Congrats! :) 
​Once you register, you will receive information about competitions, scrimmages, and buying parts and gain access to coaching guides and resources. 
Buy Materials and Parts
In order to get your team rolling, there are a few more parts you need to purchase.
Here are those parts:
  •  a reusable robotics kit - there are many options for parts, some of which can be found here. In FTC robotics, you can also use approved parts from AndyMark, Actobotics, and ServoCity. Refer to this document for rules about using specific parts. ​ For more information about pricing and parts go here. 

​Below are what some of the FTC robotics kits look like. 
  • It is also recommended that teams have a computer or tablet for researching and coding

Yes, this is a lot to buy, and we definitely understand that. As part of the competition, teams are judged on their fundraising efforts. Here are some fundraising ideas for your team: 

  • Have a virtual movie night with a donation as the entrance fee
  • Ask your family members if they would consider supporting your team
  • Host a car wash
  • Shovel your neighbors' driveway when it snows
  • Babysit or tutor for free with a donation
  • Email companies in your area to see if they would consider supporting your team
  • Or something else! - think about what is unique to your team and why people should donate. You got this!

Additionally, there are often grants teams can apply for if costs become an issue. Check out the FIRST website to see if there are any grants available for your team.  
Congratulations! You've got a team! 
What are you waiting for? Organize a team meeting and get going! A great place to start is by watching the challenge video for this year and brainstorming some possible designs and strategies. FIRST also has some great tutorial videos on Youtube that you could check out to get ideas. Don't be afraid to make mistakes and have a blast! You got this!
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​Check out our resources for coaches page below to see the supports we've compiled.