Captures young curiosity by exploring real-world scientific challenges, learning teamwork, and working with motorized LEGO® elements. USRA is the operational partner for FLLJr.
FIRST LEGO League teams research a real-world problem and design, build, program a robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS®. UMBC is the operational partner for FLL.
Teams of middle and high school-aged students are challenged to design, build, and program a robot to play a floor game against other teams’ creations. USRA is the operational partner for FTC.
Combining the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology we call FIRST Robotics Competition the ultimate Sport for the Mind. FIRST Chesapeake is the operational partner for FRC.
Welcome to FIRST in Maryland!
The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) family of robotics programs represent a continuum of education and competition opportunites for students from grades K-12. FIRST offers four programs: FIRST LEGO League Junior (grades K-4), FIRST LEGO League (grades 4-8), FIRST Tech Challenge (grades 7-12), FIRST Robotics Competition (grades 9-12).
The USRA STEMaction Center is the program delivery partner for two FIRST Robotics programs in the state of Maryland:
- FIRST Tech Challenge in Maryland (and Washington, DC)
- FIRST LEGO League Junior in Maryland
Delviering these programs helps the USRA STEMaction Center achieve our mission of strengthening the STEM workforce of the future by providing educational opportunities for students, teachers, and the general public. We operate out of the USRA Headquarters (https://www.usra.edu) in Columbia, Maryland.
We have fields available as a practice space for FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Robotics Competition teams. If your team is interested in using this space, free of charge - you can make a request here!
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County is the program delivery partner for FIRST LEGO League in Maryland.
FIRST Chesapeake is the program delivery partner for FIRST Robotics Competition in Maryland (as well as Washington, DC and Virginia).
For more information on a specific FIRST program in Maryland, please visit the program pages in the menu.