The Inspire the Future: FIRST Recognition Schools program raises up U.S.-based K-12 schools based upon educator and student engagement in FIRST programs, the embodiment of FIRST Core Values, and demonstrating a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.  FIRST wants to help our community learn effective implementation strategies and share best practices to bring FIRST to more students. 

Recognized schools undergo an application process requiring detailed documentation that a panel of reviewers will review to select the schools whose applications embodied FIRST. 

Awards based on point system per section on the  application:

• FIRST Recognized school (200+ points)

Award Recipients will be recognized and receive a FIRST Inspire the Future banner for their school. 

Recognized schools and districts will be posted on the FIRST website with the school program, description, pictures, video links, etc.  To learn more about this program, please visit (insert website page)

The 2024-2025 school year application window is January 27 - February 21, 2025.

Thanks to the generous support of the DEKA Foundation, Bosch, and Jabil Cares Foundation, FIRST® is excited to offer a need-based FIRST® Tech Challenge New Team Hardship Grant for teams participating in the 2024-2025 FIRST® Tech Challenge Season!  

2024-2025 FIRST® Tech Challenge New Team Hardship Grant Details 

• Awarded new teams will receive a one-time $750 grant which can only be use towards FIRST® Tech Challenge season registration and products in the FIRST® Tech Challenge Storefront. 
• Teams must apply for the grant and meet all criteria to be eligible 
• Need-based funding is limited. Grants will be awarded until the funding is exhausted; please only apply with real need. 
• If you are expecting a grant, please do not check out of the storefront until that grant has been awarded. FIRST will not be able to make changes to orders after checkout.  
• View the complete payment terms here: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/payment-terms 

Grant Eligibility  

• Must be in the United States, Mexico, Canada or USA Military APO 
• 100% of student members are new to FIRST Tech Challenge (they may have participated in other FIRST programs) 
• Have a team number 25609 or higher, or have not participated in FIRST Tech Challenge in the last 3 seasons AND does not have access to a Control Hub, Expansion Hub or Driver Hub in good working order 
• If Lead Mentor 1 or Lead Mentor 2 (LM1/LM2) has a returning veteran team as well as a new team, the existing team must complete registration before the new team is eligible for this grant 

Grant Recipient Requirements  

• Must participate in the 2024-2025 FIRST® Tech Challenge competition season 
• Share your FIRST® Tech Challenge experiences with them if requested by the sponsor. They are very interested in your progress as a team and will be excited to hear more about your season. 
• Send a digital “sponsor thank you” to our generous sponsors the DEKA Foundation, Bosch, and Jabil Cares Foundation as an acknowledgement of their contributions. Digital thank you files including letters of thanks from the team, pictures, presentations and whatever else you can think of can be sent to the following email: ftcteams@firstinspires.org Please include "2024-2025 New Team Hardship Grant Sponsor Thank you" in the subject line 
• Failure to acknowledge this gift, complete reporting requirements, and participate in the competition season may result in ineligibility for future grants. 

Grant Review Schedule 

Applications will be reviewed on a periodic basis. Application cycles will close the third Tuesday of each month and funds will be awarded no later than the Friday the following week; the schedule can be found below. If awarded, teams will not receive their grant funding until the team's Lead Coach 1 and Lead Coach 2 are both successfully screened. Any applications sent after a cycle date will be reviewed in the following cycle. Applications which do not receive funding in the first cycle may be considered in future cycles.

Application Cycle End Dates:

• June 18, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET
• July 16, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET
• August 20, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET
• September 17, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET
• October 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET 
• November 19, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET
   

General questions about the grant can be sent to: ftcteams@firstinspires.org 

Teachers are a vital part of the FIRST community. They work in the classroom and afterschool to mentor and coach teams, help organize and volunteer for FIRST events in their schools and communities, and advocate for FIRST programs in their districts. This Recognition Program honors our commitment to recognizing the outstanding work of educators in the FIRST community and is inspired by the powerful ethos of “Teacher in Space” Christa McAuliffe, who famously said, “I touch the future. I teach.” Recognized educators will have the opportunity to participate in a Year of Inspiration. During this tenure, they will serve as a FIRST Educator Ambassador; their work and thought leadership will be shared prominently on FIRST digital properties, they will be presented with opportunities to participate in media interviews and key FIRST events, and more.
If chosen, the Year of Inspiration will occur throughout the year (May 2025 – April 2026); members in the cohort will have the opportunity to:
 

• Create new FIRST activities for FIRST at Home
• Guest author blog posts to be featured on the FIRST Inspires website
• Present at FIRST Championship Conference
• Meet virtually as a community of practice to network and learn from each other
• Media opportunities, for example, webinars or interviews
• Other activities chosen and designed by cohort teachers

Please complete all required information to submit your application successfully
Site: https://info.firstinspires.org/inspire-the-future

This team grant opportunity is available for FIRST teams who have a Boeing employee mentor.
   The grants are available for teams in FLL, FTC, and FRC.

Please complete this application as soon as possible. It will close on October 28th, 2024 at 11:59pm EST, or if funds are exhausted. We are unable to accept late submissions. 

Additional FIRST information can be found at the following links:

• FIRST® LEGO® League Explore
• FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge
• FIRST® Tech Challenge
• FIRST® Robotics Competition
• Payment Terms

Teams should apply for and receive approval for the Boeing Team Grant prior to paying for registration for the 2024-2025 FIRST season. Teams should register, however, please do not pay for registration that may forfeit your team's ability to use this grant. 

Teams will be notified of their grant status within 15 business days of submission. Please allow additional time for the grant to be applied to your team's account.

For questions related to Boeing Team Grants, please email the FIRST Operations at customerservice@firstinspires.org. For the quickest response time please include the name of the grant or grant application, team number and program in your email.