Partner Benefits

The Benefits of Sponsoring a FIRST Team

Engineers are needed in the US – You Can Help!

• There is a dramatic need for engineers to lead this country and the world into new technologies and innovations
• FIRST plays a large role in increasing the number of students entering a career in engineering or technology by exposing them to the excitement of their real-world applications
• The number of high school seniors planning on entering careers in engineering has dropped more than 35 percent in the past 10 years*
• The U.S. Bureau of Labor estimates the number of jobs to be filled in engineering and science will grow at more than 3 times the rate of other professions
• Over 99% of the teachers that have participated in FIRST indicate that this program has influenced students to pursue a scientific or technical career*

Prepare future work force – Inspiring young minds

• Companies can contribute to the community while they prepare and create their future workforce
• Many companies say that FIRST has enhanced their community image far more than they had imagined by exposing their company to national and global audiences
• FIRST helps develop problem solving, technical, and “soft” skills which will improve the quality of future employees
• In a very hands-on way, the students learn skills such as designing, manufacturing, critical thinking, teamwork, communication, leadership, computer programming, animation, managing a budget, community service, documentation, and much more

Publicity and visibility – Locally to internationally:

• Company Recognition – see the enclosed Partnership Program information for details
• Worldwide Company Exposure – Exposure to over 25,000 high school students on teams from Canada, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Great Britain, Israel, and almost every U.S. state
• Television Coverage - ESPN, NBC, ABC, CBS, and many other national and local stations have shown the competition in whole and in part
• Newspapers and Magazines - Many news stories (both newspaper and magazines) have been written regarding FIRST and Team RUSH
• Local Outreach – Team RUSH requires 15 hours of community service, including presentations to local organizations and schools (where team uniforms and robot will be displaying your company). 

Company Morale Enhancer

• Involved engineers experience again many of the reasons they chose engineering as a profession
• Involved mentors are seen as “HEROES” to many young people
• Involved mentors have been quoted as stating, “it feels good to make a difference … to do something for our future – for America”.

*Based on a recent study