Nearly 200 Providers Invest in the Future by Making Available Milestone Amount of College Scholarships to FIRST Participants and FIRST Alumni

MANCHESTER, N.H., February 28, 2017 – FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an international, K-12 not-for-profit organization founded to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology, today announced a milestone in its FIRST Scholarship Program: In 2017, $50 million in college scholarship opportunities are being made available by nearly 200 Scholarship Providers to FIRST participants and Alumni.

The FIRST Scholarship Program connects FIRST® Tech Challenge and FIRST® Robotics Competition participants and Alumni with colleges, universities, corporations, and associations making available nearly 2,000 scholarship opportunities exclusively set aside for FIRST participants.

“This is a tremendous milestone for the FIRST Scholarship program,” said Donald E. Bossi, President, FIRST. “Our commitment to these students does not stop once they have graduated from high school. By making the FIRST Scholarship Program available, we continue to put these kids on the path to success even after they have aged out of FIRST programs and become FIRST Alumni. This milestone amount of $50 million worth of college scholarships demonstrates that our Scholarship Providers are invested in the future of these students as well.”

One such Provider, Stevens Institute of Technology, continues to grow its support in developing these future leaders. Within the 2017 FIRST Scholarship Program, Stevens is making available up to 50 $6,000 renewable Scholarships (up to a total of $24,000 each).

“At Stevens Institute of Technology, hands-on learning opportunities are central to the development of leadership skills and innovative thinking among our students. Stevens’ collaborations with FIRST are a natural extension of this belief,” said Dr. Nariman Farvardin, President, Stevens Institute of Technology. “Many bright FIRST Alumni have become Stevens students that give back to the program through volunteerism and mentorship, or help to host FIRST competitions on campus. As a part of the 2017 FIRST Scholarship program, Stevens is proud to provide scholarships to FIRST Alumni to continue to cultivate these promising students into the STEM leaders of the future.”

FIRST Alumni make up:

36 percent of this past year’s incoming freshman class at Olin College of Engineering

30 percent of this past year’s freshman class at Capitol Technology Institute

~10 percent of this past year’s freshman class at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

“The FIRST Scholarship Program enabled me to attend the best engineering institution in the country; a feat that would have been a pipe dream otherwise,” said Adam Cyran, a FIRST Alumnus and scholarship recipient on track to graduate from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2018 with a degree in mechanical engineering. “I owe it to FIRST for affording me the opportunity to pursue my passion at such a high level. Being involved with this program has allowed me to enter the real world debt-free and set me on the path to continue growing as a leader in the STEM workforce.”

FIRST Scholarship Program opportunities are available to high-school participants and FIRST Alumni in the following programs:

In the FIRST Tech Challenge, teams of students design, build, and program their robots to compete head to head.

FIRST Robotics Competition combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Teams are given six weeks to build and program a robot to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors.

For more information about the FIRST Scholarship Program, visit www.firstinspires.org/scholarships.



About FIRST®

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $50 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League for Grades 4-8; and FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. for Grades K-4. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.firstinspires.org