Expanding FIRST Robotics Opportunities in Western Pennsylvania
Please view a video our team made on our advocacy!
Download/View our 1-pager on our advocacy.
The Challenge in Western Pennsylvania
While FIRST programs continue to grow across the United States, Western Pennsylvania has significantly fewer FIRST Tech Challenge teams than other regions.
At nearly every outreach event, families ask if their student can join our team. We often must respond: “That depends—what school district are you from?”
Too often, the answer is: “Our school doesnʼt have a team.”
Most families lack the knowledge, resources, or support to start a team. Many teachers and mentors would participate, but they need structured training and a reasonable stipend to take on the time commitment required to coach a robotics team.
Without support, students lose access to life-changing STEM opportunities.
Proposed Solution
Pittsburgh-Area FIRST Robotics Grant Program: Modeled after programs already active in Eastern Pennsylvania.
This grant program would:
- Provide startup support and training for new FIRST Tech Challenge teams
- Assist with registration fees and initial equipment costs
- Offer coach and mentor stipends so educators can sustainably lead teams
Why This Matters
Supporting FIRST Robotics in Western Pennsylvania will:
- Expand access to high-quality STEM education
- Empower students as innovators, engineers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders
- Strengthen our regional workforce pipeline in advanced manufacturing, AI, robotics, healthcare, energy, and technology
- Level the playing field between Western and Eastern Pennsylvania in youth STEM access
FIRST participants show increased interest in STEM careers, improved problem-solving and communication skills, greater leadership initiative, and long-term engagement in innovation-driven fields.
Our Commitment
We are ready to:
- Assist new teams in getting started
- Share training resources and a support network
- Continue outreach across Western PA to grow FIRST participation region-wide
We simply need the infrastructure to make this expansion possible.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss this initiative and move forward together. Please contact us today!