The 2023 FIRST Championship is one of the most anticipated events in the world of robotics, where student innovators from around the world come together to showcase their skills and compete as teams in a series of challenges. This year’s championship, held in Houston, Texas, was no exception and brought together more than 18,000 of the brightest students in the field of robotics.

FIRST^® is the world’s leading student-serving nonprofit organization that inspires students to gain a greater appreciation for STEM and to pursue STEM career opportunities. The FIRST Championship is an annual event that brings together K-12 students from around the world to compete in various competitions, including the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), and the FIRST LEGO League (FLL). These competitions challenge students to design, build, and program robots that can perform various tasks, ranging from picking up and moving objects to navigating complex obstacles.

The 2023-2023 season theme, FIRST ENERGIZE presented by Qualcomm Incorporated, was aligned with United Nations Sustainable Goal #7 and inspired teams to innovate engineering solutions for the effective storage and delivery of renewable energy to combat climate change and other environmental issues.

The game challenges required teams to design and build robots that could collect and store “power cells” and deliver them to a series a of goals to generate “energy” points. The robots had to navigate around various obstacles and interact with other game elements, such as power switches and energy towers, to earn additional points. The challenges encouraged teams to think creatively and strategically to design robots that can complete the tasks efficiently and effectively, while promoting teamwork and innovation.

Teams brought a range of unique designs and approaches to the competition, from swerve drives that allow for precision control, to unique intake systems using suction and conveyor belts. The student-developed solutions showcased the vast potential of robotics in a range of industries.

FIRST^® is a strategic partner of the Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC), which is supported by DoD STEM. DSEC's mission is to inspire young innovators, leaders, and changemakers; celebrate their STEM achievements; and provide support for pursuing STEM education and careers. During the 2023-2023 season, DoD STEM supported more than 1,500 teams through team grants and class packs.

During the Dean’s List Award Ceremony, DoD STEM Director Louie Lopez congratulated FIRST teams on a successful season and emphasized that participating in programs like FIRST^® is an excellent pathway to a STEM career. “The Department of Defense needs talented folks like you to solve complex problems that our scientists and engineers are faced with every day to ensure that our nation remains safe.”

FIRST Robotics Competition

Fifty-two FRC teams sponsored by DoD STEM competed at FIRST Championship this year. Team 321, RoboLancers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, won the FIRST Impact Award which recognizes a model team that embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST. Six DoD STEM-sponsored teams finished as finalists and division winners, and two DoD STEM-sponsored teams competed in the FRC Winning Alliance: Team 1323, MadTown Robotics, from Madera, California, Team 4414, HighTide, from Ventura, California. The Championship Finalist Alliance included Team 2590, Nemesis, from Robbinsville, New Jersey.

FIRST Technical Challenge

Nine DoD STEM-sponsored FTC teams competed at Championship. Team 14374, Dark Matter from St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, won the Design Award. Team 16091, TWCA (Team Without a Cool Acronym), Hurricane, Utah, won the Think Award.

FIRST LEGO League

Three DoD STEM-sponsored FLL teams competed in the FLL Challenge and one DoD STEM-sponsored FLL team participated in FLL Explore at Championship.

In addition to the game challenge, FLL teams developed impact projects that address problems related to FIRST ENERGIZE. The impact project allows FLL teams to explore real-world problems and develop solutions that have a positive impact on their communities.