Design, build, program, and learn to drive a 120 lb robot in six weeks that can stack crates and recycling bins.

This is the challenge that thousands of high school students around the world received on January 3rd.

A program that encourages kids to pursue a career in engineering, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology), has four branches. FLL and Jr. FLL–First Lego League for middle and elementary school children who build small robots with Legos. FTC–First Tech Challenge for high school students who build smaller robots

FRC- First Robotics Competition the most intense branch of FIRST, where students learn all types of abilities that will prepare them for jobs and real- life scenarios. They learn skills that range from TIG Welding to grant writing, programming to website design, machining to working as a team- this program has a place for everyone.

FRC team Code Orange is located in Irvine, CA and has two students who attend San Juan Hills. Code Orange had a successful season this year. They were finalists at both their regional events, and they won their division at the world championships in St. Louis, MO at by the end of the tournament they were ranked 7th out of the 600 teams that participated in the event.

There are a variety of awards that are presented at events as well, excluding technical awards. Code Orange was presented with the Chairmans award at the regional level for the second year in a row. The Chairmans award is the most prestigious award in the FIRST program, teams win the award based on their outreach, sustainability, and how they set an example for other FIRST teams.

Being apart of a FIRST team provides endless opportunities for students, separate from the skills they are learning. Teams obtain sponsorships to fund their team, which results in many students obtaining internships from major companies. FRC alumni are highly seeked for jobs in large companies such as Boeing, NASA, and Space-X, to name a few.

There are also various opportunities for high schoolers applying to college. Through FIRST, juniors and seniors are offered roughly $20 million a year for scholarships. Many schools also know the impact of FIRST on students, and the value of the hands-on education experience that being on a robotics team provides.

“When a student indicates that they were on a FIRST robotics team, their application is put in a special pile” says Jonathan Holloway, Dean of Yale University.

Encouraging students to pursue careers in engineering, opening a variety of opportunities to a diverse range of students, FIRST and teams like Code Orange have changed the paths of students across the world. Team captain of Code Orange, Ravi Ponmali says, “Being apart of Code Orange has changed my life in more ways than I could have ever imagined. I don’t know what I would be doing if it wasn’t for joining the team four years ago.”