Team 2944

Mission and Values

 

"To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders."

Dean Kamen, Founder

Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, 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.

About FIRST

 

FIRST was founded to inspire interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, NH, the not-for-profit public charity designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, all while building self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills. 

 

Since its humble beginnings in 1989, FIRST has grown from just 28 teams to a staggering reach of over 400,000 students, 38,700 teams, 34,000 robots, 90,000 mentors, and 90,000 volunteers in the 2014-15 season. That's amazing! 

 

Gracious Professionalism is a founding tenet of FIRST. Dr. Woodie Flowers coined the term Gracious Professionalism - it's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. With Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate notions. Gracious professionals learn and compete like crazy, but treat one another with respect and kindness in the process; knowledge, competition, and empathy are perfectly blended.

 

Another important principle at FIRST is Coopertition. 
At FIRST, Coopertition means displaying unqualified kindness and respect in the face of fierce competition. Coopertition is based on the philosophy that teams can and should help and cooperate with each other even as they compete. Coopertition means competing always, but assisting and enabling others whenever you can.

 

These amazing ideals are helping kids all around the world grow in every sense of the word, and they are taking those lessons out into the STEM fields with them. What a great thing to be a part of!