FIRST® Robotics Competition is a highly competitive national-level event designed for high school students. It provides opportunities for students to test their skills in engineering, business, programming, and leadership as they build large and complex robots to compete with teams across the nation. The robot’s dimensions are 28″ x 38″ x 60″ and can weigh up to 120 pounds (as of last year). The components of the robots can include different advanced motors, metals, electronic controllers, power distribution panels, batteries equivalent to those found in cars, steel frames, pneumatics, hydraulics, and more. Programmers participating in FIRST® Robotics Competition utilize advanced applications of Java for software/firmware programming.

The non-technical side of the competition is equally as important, as helping the team's community and incorporating diversity and inclusion is essential to a team's success. Teams may also run outreach programs such as mentoring smaller robotics teams for younger kids and hosting STEM events at schools.