BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS

FIRST is all about partnerships. In fact, FIRST in itself is a partnership between “students and mentors, students and schools, students and universities, students and organizations, students and businesses, students and corporations, students and communities, and students and students.”

Therefore, it is extremely important for FIRST teams to build these relationships with their community – to get their community involved and to further spread the fervor of FIRST.

But who do we build partnerships with and how?

Local schools
FIRST exists on all levels. Start by contact local elementary, middle, and high schools to get them involved in FIRST by starting JFLL, FLL, FTC, and FRC programs at these schools. Also, build partnerships with schools that already have FIRST programs in place by extending support, mentorship, and guaranteed assistance.

Colleges and universities
The mission of FIRST is to build leaders in the math, science, and technology community. To truly do this, students must graduate from high school and attend college. Therefore, it would be advantageous to build partnerships with colleges and universities to provide students a pipeline for higher education. By getting colleges and universities involved in FIRST – as mentors, sponsors, or supporters – teams will not only provide students direct support from professionals, but also inspire them to continue their education.

Organizations
Identify organizations in the community that share the same mission of instilling a greater appreciation of math, science, and technology among students. By partnering with these organizations, teams would be able to further their own goals and assist the organizations in accomplishing theirs. Through such collaboration, teams will be able to provide students the means of achieving change on a greater level.

Businesses
Through building partnerships with businesses, teams will gain lifelong supporters who will assist the team through mentorship and financial backing.

Corporations
By getting corporations to become involved in FIRST, teams would be increasing support for FIRST within the community and, ultimately, acquire for themselves mentors and financial backing. Additional, more often than not, corporations who support FIRST teams open the door for students to earn scholarships for college and create job opportunities for students after college.

To find out how to do this, please refer to the resources provided under Financial Development and Community Outreach or contact us today!

"Through FIRST, I have been able to build friendships that I am sure will last my entire life."
KATRINA WONG, Midnight Mechanic

Katrina Wong (right) entered the magical world of the Midnight Mechanics as a freshmen in high school. She began her FIRST career as a member of the Community Partnerships department, organizing and facilitating community events. At the Los Angeles Regional, her first regional, she was excited to meet students, like Monica Fernandez (left), who were just as crazy about FIRST as she was. Today, although Monica is off at Purdue University, she still maintains contact with her fellow Midnight Mechanic.

A PROUD MEMBER OF