You're Invited to the 2012 FIRST Championship

Making a Quiet Idea Loud Two decades ago, FIRST® began as an idea in the mind of Founder Dean Kamen. It was a big idea, but it was a quiet idea. Since then, that idea has grown not only in scope but also in volume, and has exploded into one that is loud enough for all the world to hear. Indeed, they are listening. Although that idea and its message have increased in volume, it is still the same: to help young people transform our culture by discovering the wonders of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and apply what they learn as future science and technology leaders.  Thanks to a diverse group of dignitaries and luminaries in the arenas of government, media, entertainment, literature, and business, this important message is now being heard around the world. Among those making sure the message is loud and clear are music mogul, tech entrepreneur, and The Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am; Academy Award-winning actor, director, and narrator Morgan Freeman; respected CNN journalist Soledad O’Brien; Neal Bascomb, author of “The New Cool” — an inspiring book about FIRST; and U.S. President Barack Obama, who recognized our efforts at the annual White House Science Fair. In addition, three out of every five of America’s Fortune 500 corporations now support or sponsor FIRST teams and events.  While we deeply appreciate all that these folks have done on behalf of FIRST, our goals would not be attainable without the help of the hundreds of thousands of participants, Mentors, Coaches, Sponsors, parents, teachers, and Volunteers who have helped our organization grow from its original 28 teams in 1992, to the more than 26,000 teams from over 60 countries around the world today. Indeed, they are our loudest advocates and we encourage them to keep talking. Because of their tireless efforts, nearly 300,000 kids have an opportunity to transform their ideas — big or small — into reality. We are extremely proud of all that has been accomplished and, in fact, surpassed in the past twenty-plus years and invite you to celebrate with us at the annualFIRST Championship, which will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, April 25 - 28, 2012. More than 12,000 team members will participate in the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®) Championship (400 teams); FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®) World Championship (128 teams); FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®) World Festival(78 teams); and the Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL®) World Festival Expo(40 teams). As always, our teams are invigorated, energized, and inspired to meet the challenges of this year’s games.              FRC teams will take to the field to compete in Rebound Rumble℠, where fast robots score basketballs in hoops and balance on bridges in the grand finale of the match. In the FTC BOWLED OVER!℠ game, robots must be robust enough to push a bowling ball uphill, yet sophisticated enough to pick up racquetballs and place them into crates, and stack the crates to score points. In the FOOD FACTOR®Challenge, FLL teams build, test, and program an autonomous robot to solve a set of food safety missions and improve the quality of food by finding ways to prevent food contamination. Our youngest scientists explore where food comes from and what it takes to keep our food safe, fresh, and healthy in the Jr.FLL SNACK ATTACK℠ Challenge. As we head into our 23rd year, we know there will always be more work to do, but we are heartened by the groundswell of support we continue to receive. While we welcome the competitive challenges ahead, we know that FIRST is about more than just competitions. It is also about the critical life skills our team members learn — such as creative problem solving, collaboration, and teamwork — that will guide them in their mission to transform the world through innovation, science, and technology.  Please join us as we listen to what they have to say — and discover what all the noise is about. Click on Championship links to the left for additional event details.See you there! The FIRST Staff THANK YOU! To our 2012 FIRST Championship Sponsors...  Official Championship Sponsor: Qualcomm Foundation; Lead Championship Sponsors: Abbott, Autodesk, The Boeing Company, SAIC, Saint Louis Science Center, Siemens, U.S. Air Force, and United Technologies; FIRST Championship Sponsors: Coca-Cola and National Defense Education Program (NDEP); FIRST Shipping Sponsor: FedEx; Machine Shop & Satellite Broadcast Sponsor: NASA; FIRST Safety Partner: UL; FIRST LEGO League World Festival Pit Sponsor: Intel; FIRST Event Sponsor: Google Inc.; FIRST Robotics Conference Sponsor: Rolls-Royce; Championship Supporters: Army’s Rapid Equipment Force, Avnet, Central Intelligence Agency, and International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE)Our Founding Sponsors... Boston Scientific Corporation, Baxter International Inc., The Chrysler Foundation, DEKA Research & Development, Delphi, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Motorola, Inc., and Xerox Corporation And our Strategic Partners... BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, DEKA Research & Development, FedEx Corporation, General Motors Corporation, jcpenney, Johnson & Johnson, Motorola Solutions Foundation, NASA, National Instruments, PTC, Rockwell Automation, Rockwell Collins, and Time Warner Cable FIRST • 200 Bedford St., Manchester, NH 03101 • (800) 871-8326 • www.usfirst.org Our Vision: "...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.

April 2012 FIRST Notes FIRST Championship April 25-28, 2012 St. Louis, Missouri Join us! Free event Spectators welcome Spectator schedule St. Louis visitors' info FIRST on social media Mobile resources coming soon... watch for details on the Web, Twitter,  Facebook, and blogs Can't Attend? * View NASA Webcast via link from FIRST homepage Championship Highlights * FLL Friendship Day, hosted by the Saint Louis Science Center... teams from 30+ countries  to be greeted by St. Louis  FLL teams * Scholarship Row featuring 40+ schools  and organizations * FIRST Sponsor &  Alliance exhibits * Supplier Showcase exhibits by 15+ FRC Kit of Parts Suppliers * Hall of Fame display of FRC Chairman's Award teams * Dozens of workshops at the  FIRST Robotics  Conference * FIRST Event at the Ballpark* FIRST Night Out in St. Louis * Commemorative  merchandise Volunteer Opportunities Are Still Available! Sign up today Volunteer Orientation * Virtual/Webinars Tuesday, April 10  at 7:00PM EST Wednesday, April 18  at 8:30PM EST * Onsite Wednesday, April 25  at 6:00PM CDT More info and recordings of Virtual Orientation Webinars Making a Quiet Idea Loud Two decades ago, FIRST® began as an idea in the mind of Founder Dean Kamen. It was a big idea, but it was a quiet idea. Since then, that idea has grown not only in scope but also in volume, and has exploded into one that is loud enough for all the world to hear. Indeed, they are listening. Although that idea and its message have increased in volume, it is still the same: to help young people transform our culture by discovering the wonders of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and apply what they learn as future science and technology leaders.  Thanks to a diverse group of dignitaries and luminaries in the arenas of government, media, entertainment, literature, and business, this important message is now being heard around the world. Among those making sure the message is loud and clear are music mogul, tech entrepreneur, and The Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am; Academy Award-winning actor, director, and narrator Morgan Freeman; respected CNN journalist Soledad O’Brien; Neal Bascomb, author of “The New Cool” — an inspiring book about FIRST; and U.S. President Barack Obama, who recognized our efforts at the annual White House Science Fair. In addition, three out of every five of America’s Fortune 500 corporations now support or sponsor FIRST teams and events.  While we deeply appreciate all that these folks have done on behalf of FIRST, our goals would not be attainable without the help of the hundreds of thousands of participants, Mentors, Coaches, Sponsors, parents, teachers, and Volunteers who have helped our organization grow from its original 28 teams in 1992, to the more than 26,000 teams from over 60 countries around the world today. Indeed, they are our loudest advocates and we encourage them to keep talking. Because of their tireless efforts, nearly 300,000 kids have an opportunity to transform their ideas — big or small — into reality. We are extremely proud of all that has been accomplished and, in fact, surpassed in the past twenty-plus years and invite you to celebrate with us at the annualFIRST Championship, which will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, April 25 - 28, 2012. More than 12,000 team members will participate in the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®) Championship (400 teams); FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®) World Championship (128 teams); FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®) World Festival(78 teams); and the Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL®) World Festival Expo(40 teams). As always, our teams are invigorated, energized, and inspired to meet the challenges of this year’s games.              FRC teams will take to the field to compete in Rebound Rumble℠, where fast robots score basketballs in hoops and balance on bridges in the grand finale of the match. In the FTC BOWLED OVER!℠ game, robots must be robust enough to push a bowling ball uphill, yet sophisticated enough to pick up racquetballs and place them into crates, and stack the crates to score points. In the FOOD FACTOR® Challenge, FLL teams build, test, and program an autonomous robot to solve a set of food safety missions and improve the quality of food by finding ways to prevent food contamination. Our youngest scientists explore where food comes from and what it takes to keep our food safe, fresh, and healthy in the Jr.FLLSNACK ATTACK℠ Challenge. As we head into our 23rd year, we know there will always be more work to do, but we are heartened by the groundswell of support we continue to receive. While we welcome the competitive challenges ahead, we know that FIRST is about more than just competitions. It is also about the critical life skills our team members learn — such as creative problem solving, collaboration, and teamwork — that will guide them in their mission to transform the world through innovation, science, and technology.  Please join us as we listen to what they have to say — and discover what all the noise is about. Click on Championship links to the left for additional event details.See you there! The FIRST Staff THANK YOU! To our 2012 FIRST Championship Sponsors...  Official Championship Sponsor: Qualcomm Foundation; Lead Championship Sponsors: Abbott, Autodesk, The Boeing Company, SAIC, Saint Louis Science Center, Siemens, U.S. Air Force, and United Technologies; FIRST Championship Sponsors: Coca-Cola and National Defense Education Program (NDEP); FIRST Shipping Sponsor: FedEx; Machine Shop & Satellite Broadcast Sponsor: NASA; FIRST Safety Partner: UL; FIRST LEGO League World Festival Pit Sponsor: Intel; FIRST Event Sponsor: Google Inc.; FIRST Robotics Conference Sponsor: Rolls-Royce; Championship Supporters: Army’s Rapid Equipment Force, Avnet, Central Intelligence Agency, and International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE)Our Founding Sponsors... Boston Scientific Corporation, Baxter International Inc., The Chrysler Foundation, DEKA Research & Development, Delphi, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Motorola, Inc., and Xerox Corporation And our Strategic Partners... BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, DEKA Research & Development, FedEx Corporation, General Motors Corporation, jcpenney, Johnson & Johnson, Motorola Solutions Foundation, NASA, National Instruments, PTC, Rockwell Automation, Rockwell Collins, and Time Warner Cable FIRST • 200 Bedford St., Manchester, NH 03101 • (800) 871-8326 • www.usfirst.org Our Vision: "...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.