FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a global non-profit organization that runs several robotics programs for students aged 4-18, with the goal of inspiring young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Click here to watch a quick video about FIRST classes.

Think of this as a professional apprenticeship. Unlike a weekly club, our teams are preparing for regional and state-level competitions that require rigor, iteration, and high-quality materials. When you invest in this program, you aren’t just paying for a class—you are investing in your child’s first venture.

To support this level of play, your tuition covers all core robotics hardware and materials. We provide the robot kits, shared in-class computers, tools, and team shirts—all the specialized gear necessary to build and compete.

While we do provide shared computers during class, sharing one device per team can sometimes create a bottleneck. If your student has a laptop that you feel comfortable with them taking out of the home, we highly encourage them to bring it to class for a much smoother, hands-on experience. Furthermore, for our older FTC students, having access to a personal device outside of class is required so they can communicate with their team via Slack, attend virtual Zoom meetings, and collaborate on business documents.

Yes! Our classes are qualified educational expenses through all major school funding option in Utah.

Additionally, we offer fundraising opportunities throughout the year. While fundraising is entirely optional, it is highly encouraged because we treat it as a core entrepreneurial skill. When a student or team raises money—whether by pitching to local businesses for sponsorships or running an event—those funds stay directly with their team. Students can use these funds to offset their own tuition, buy premium upgraded parts for their robot, or fund team meals at competitions. It teaches them that they have the power to generate the resources they need to succeed, which is a major positive for the business side of the FTC competition.

Beyond access to a computer at home, nothing else is required that isn’t already supplied by the program. While we do provide shared computers during class, sharing one device per team can sometimes create a bottleneck. If your student has a laptop that you feel comfortable with them taking out of the home, we highly encourage them to bring it to class for a much smoother, hands-on experience. Furthermore, for our older FTC students, having access to a personal device outside of class is explicitly required so they can communicate with their team via Slack, attend virtual Zoom meetings, and collaborate on business documents.

We will also provide a list of optional tools and equipment that your student might appreciate having at home. We want to be abundantly clear: these are not at all necessary. We provide these ideas purely for kids who may want more opportunities for hands-on learning and tinkering outside of class to help parents who might not know where to start.

You can certainly buy a robot, but you can’t buy the “startup” experience. The IEProgram provides scale—access to industrial-grade tools, shared resources, and the institutional “know-how” to navigate the complex FIRST® season. More importantly, we provide a peer group. You cannot replicate the collaboration, leadership, and conflict resolution of a working engineering team in isolation.

Each team is guided by our dedicated coaching staff who act as project managers, setting firm timelines and expectations. To foster a strong program culture, our FLL coaches have the option to invite experienced high school FTC students to serve as volunteer Teen Mentors for the younger classes. This setup is a win-win: younger students benefit from learning from near-peer role models, while our older students gain valuable leadership, project management, and community service experience that stands out on college and job applications.

Yes. Our program operates on a family-supported experience model for all logistics and behind-the-scenes needs. To keep the program running smoothly and successfully, we require every family to actively participate and contribute by serving on a program support committee.

Parent involvement does more than just distribute the workload; it builds a true community. By helping to run the logistical side of the team, parents gain a firsthand appreciation for the complex challenges their kids are tackling, students are exposed to adults with diverse professional backgrounds, and shared experiences are created that strengthen family relationships during these critical adolescent years.

At the beginning of the season, we host a mandatory Parent Kickoff meeting. Here, parents will be asked to sign up for a team support committee.

Program Support Committees You can fulfill your hours by volunteering for an ongoing behind-the-scenes assignment within the robotics program. Options include:

• Professional Mentoring: (For adults with specific skills) Come in for a guest session to teach CAD, Java, marketing, graphic design, presentation skills—or anything that might be helpful for our team going forward.
• Fundraising & Sponsorships: Help the team secure sponsorships or run community fundraisers.
• Apparel: Coordinate the design, sizing, and/or ordering of team t-shirts.
• Field Trips: Organize tours of local engineering colleges or professional workspaces.
• Showcase Organization: Assist in planning and executing the mid-year robotics showcase.
• Outreach & Service Projects: Organize community service opportunities or outreach events.
• Event Outreach & Team Spirit: Organize our team’s outreach to other teams at competitions (e.g., designing team pins for trading, putting together small gifts or candy to hand out).
• Travel & Logistics: Help with carpooling to and from classes/events, or organize food or other logistics for long competition days.
• FIRST Event Volunteering: Judge, referee, or help run an official FIRST competition in our region.
• Competition Pit Set-Up: Help with the heavy lifting and organization of our pit area the night before our local qualifiers.

While it feels like play, the learning is deep and verifiable. Every design choice must be documented in an Engineering Notebook or Portfolio, and every move on the field is the result of hours of logic-based coding and mechanical testing. We prioritize the process of engineering over the trophy.

Absolutely! You can join the team and be a massive asset even if you never touch a single piece of metal or write a line of code. Because our FTC teams operate as fully functional small businesses, we have an urgent need for business-minded students. The business management aspect of the team is formally judged and wins actual awards that advance the team. If you want to develop real-world skills that translate directly into professional environments, you can be a vital part of the team by focusing on:

• Business Management & Budgeting
• Marketing, Graphic Design & Brand Promotion
• Fundraising & Corporate Sponsorship Pitches
• Public Speaking & Real-World Presentations
• Web Design & Portfolio Creation
• Outreach & Volunteerism

Bring what you have, be willing to learn and work, and come with a good attitude—we will teach you the rest!

Robotics is a vehicle for character development. Through FIRST’s core value of Gracious Professionalism®, students learn to compete intensely while treating opponents with respect. The curriculum is specifically designed to target limiting beliefs. Students learn how to overcome imposter syndrome, navigate conflict rather than fearing it, and discover that a highly-functioning team is infinitely more powerful than a single brilliant individual. They learn to fail forward, communicate complex ideas to judges, and work alongside peers with different skill sets—exactly what they will need in their future families, communities, and careers.

Success means more time on the field! If a team qualifies for the world championships or a premiere event it will involve some additional expenses for travel and registration. We will do everything we can to help students offset these costs through fundraising and sponsorships when that time comes. Advancing to these levels of competition is a huge booster for your students’ resumes for future careers and college applications!

Absolutely not! Robotics is a sport of the mind, and diversity of thought is its greatest strength. Some of our most successful lead engineers, head programmers, and team captains are girls. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every student has a voice.