The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is the premier engineering challenge for high school students.  Teams of students, working closely with teachers and volunteer mentors, have six weeks to conceptualize, design, build, program, modify and test a robot to participate in a competition that changes each year.

Every January, FIRST unveils the competition or “game” at an annual kick-off event that is simulcast to locations around the world.  Teams receive a “kit” of common parts that are used to build the core systems of the robot, but they won’t find an instruction manual!  Students work with hundreds of components, including engineering mainstays such as programmable radio controllers, motors, electrical circuitry and mechanical parts.  Following the six-week design and build phase, teams enter one of 40 regional competitions, including the NASA/VCU Regional held annually in Richmond, VA.

The season culminates with the FIRST Championship at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, a three-day event attended by more than 20,000 students, families and friends.

The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is a mid-level robotics competition for high school students.  It offers the same traditional challenges of a FIRST Robotics competition, but is generally more affordable and accessible.
Teams of up to 10 students, with their teachers and mentors, build a small remote-controlled robot using a custom robotic platform created specifically for FIRST.  During the season, teams document their progress and the process behind the creation and deployment of their robot.  Teams compete for several awards in areas that include engineering, design excellence, competitive play and sportsmanship. 

Learn more at Virginia FTC and FIRST Tech Challenge.

FIRST LEGO League (FLL), for students ages 9 to 14, challenges teams with a real-world scientific problem of global importance.  Using LEGO Mindstorms technology, teams of up to 10 students build a robot capable of completing multiple tasks on a three-dimensional playing field.

FLL encourages kids to think like scientists and engineers, while providing a fun, creative, hands-on and team-based learning experience.

Guided by a team coach and assisted by mentors, teams of up to 10 students:

  • Research and solve a real-world problem based on the Challenge theme
  • Present their research and solutions to judges at competition
  • Build an autonomous robot using engineering concepts

Learn more at Virginia/DC FIRST LEGO League.


Junior FIRST LEGO League (Jr.FLL), for students ages 6 to 8, presents a theme-based challenge based on a real-world scientific issue.  Children spend a month exploring, investigating, designing and building a model made with LEGO bricks and moving parts. 

 Teams celebrate and share their experiences with other teams, family and friends at local events or at an official Jr.FLL Expo.  The celebration includes time to enhance the teams' current models and show their poster, meet with friendly "Reviewers" to share their experiences, and receive recognition for their efforts.

 Jr.FLL introduces children to the concepts of teamwork and basic design skills, creating an initial interest and hands-on-approach to science and technology through the familiarity and fun of LEGO building. 

 The goal: Provide an experience that will begin to transform youngsters and open their eyes to possibilities possabilities of improving the world around them through acknowledgement, thought, planning and technology.

Learn more at Virginia/DC Junior FIRST LEGO League.