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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEM careers are one of the fastest growing fields in the United States. However, American students are in the minority in STEM grad programs. FIRST was created to encourage students in elementary, middle and high school to embrace STEM experiences through competitive robotics.
MECO Robotics is an East Orlando-based high school FIRST robotics team that formed in January 2020. We created a 125-pound robot that can pick up, carry, and throw balls while defending our side of the field in the FIRST Robotics Competition. Our team consists of enthusiastic middle and high school students and ultra-supportive mentors (some who are FIRST robotics team alum themselves). We were all set to compete at the Orlando regional when Covid-19 unfortunately canceled our first competition! During the 2021 competition year, we switched to online and outdoor meetings to keep MECO up and running, and we won multiple awards for our virtual Game Design and Innovation Design! We are hosted by and working with Orange County Academy in Bithlo, Florida.
What is FIRST?
What is FIRST?
FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18 (PreK-12) that can be facilitated in school or in structured afterschool programs. Boosted by a global support system of volunteers, educators, and sponsors that include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, teams operate under a signature set of FIRST Core Values to conduct research, fundraise, design, build, and showcase their achievements during annual challenges.
An international not-for-profit organization (501(c)(3)) founded by accomplished inventor Dean Kamen in 1989, FIRST has a proven impact on STEM learning, interest, and skill-building well beyond high school. Alumni of FIRST programs gain access to exclusive scholarships, internships, and other opportunities that create connections and open pathways to a wide variety of careers.
Read more about the impact of FIRST or download our FAQs.
What is FRC?
What is FRC?
FIRST Robotics Competition combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. It is the ultimate Sport for the Mind. High-school student participants call it “the hardest fun you’ll ever have.”
Under strict rules and limited time and resources, teams of students are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game against like-minded competitors. It’s as close to real-world engineering as a student can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team. Each season ends with an exciting FIRST Championship.
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