MRES FIRST FLL Program is coming!

MRES FIRST

Open to all Mill Road Elementary Students grades K-5.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PARENTS

Registration will be available soon on ParentsSquare. Watch for annoucements and a parents inforation night before the program begins.

RHCSD STEM Initiative

By introducing FIRST programs at the elementary level, the district can create a clear STEM pathway that allows students to develop foundational skills and interest in engineering, robotics, and problem-solving. Students who participate in these programs will be well prepared to continue into middle school and high school FIRST robotics programs, strengthening the district’s long-term STEM ecosystem.

More Than Robots®

All FIRST programs are built upon a framework of collaborative learning and positive competition. Students learn through the organization’s core values, which include:

Gracious Professionalism
Discovery
Innovation
Impact
Inclusion
Teamwork
Fun

These values emphasize not only technical learning, but also character development, collaboration, creativity, and leadership.

A Full FIRST Track

Expanding FIRST robotics opportunities across the district will strengthen STEM education, build mentorship connections between high school and elementary students, and foster a culture of curiosity, creativity, and innovation throughout the school community.

Students will learn STEM skills through exploration, instruction, friendly competitions, engaging in research, problem solve, coding, and engineering while gaining productive learning habits, confidence and teamwork skills.

See the Proposal

FIRST's Impact

4,000,000+ youth participants since 1989.
114 Countries with a FIRST presence.
650,000 students from 77 countries participate in FLL.
109,000 students from 81 countries participate in FTC.
93,000 students from 35 countries participate in FRC.
83% of FIRST alumni pursuing STEM majors by year four of college.
51% of female FIRST alumni declare a major in engineering or computer science by year four of college.
63% of FIRST alumni are currently employed in a STEM field.

Q&A

What is FIRST?

For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology is a global nonprofit organization that prepares young people for the future through a suite of welcoming, team-based robotics programs for ages 5-18 (K-12).

Consists of 3 programs:

FIRST Lego League (FLL) – Grades K-8: Guides elementary and middle school students through STEM learning and exploration at an early age. For 2026/2027 season students utilize Lego Education SPIKE kits designed for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Starting with the 2027/2028 season students will utilize a new, yet to be determined/announced kit.
FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) – Grades 7-12: Engages middle and high school students in robot design, coding and competition. Students compete head-to-head by designing, building, and programming a robot to compete in an alliance format against other teams.
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) – Grades 9-12: Empowers high school students to engineer industrial-sized robots for large-scale competition. Students use their robot to play an action-packed game where they compete on a themed field as part of a three-team alliance in the spirit of Coopertition®.

What are FIRST’s Core Values?

The FIRST Core Values are fundamental to FIRST and unique to its programs. They emphasize friendly sportsmanship, respect for others’ contributions, teamwork, learning, and community involvement and are part of our commitment to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of unity.

FIRST’s Core Values:

Discovery – We explore new skills and ideas
Innovation – We use creativity and persistence to solve problems
Impact – We apply what we learn to improve our world
Inclusion – We respect each other and embrace our differences
Teamwork – We are stronger when we work together
Fun – We enjoy and celebrate what we do

What is Gracious Professionalism?

Dr. Woodie Flowers, (1943 - 2019) EAB Chair Emeritus & Distinguished Advisor, coined the term "Gracious Professionalism®."

Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST. It's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community.

With Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate notions. Gracious professionals learn and compete like crazy but treat one another with respect and kindness in the process. They avoid treating anyone like losers. No chest thumping tough talk, but no sticky-sweet platitudes either. Knowledge, competition, and empathy are comfortably blended.

In the long run, Gracious Professionalism is part of pursuing a meaningful life. One can add to society and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing one has acted with integrity and sensitivity.

“Through Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain coexist. Participants compete intensely while treating each other with respect and empathy. There is no trash talking, nor disingenuous platitudes. Knowledge, competition, and empathy blend comfortably” .

What is Coopertition?

Coopertition® produces innovation. At FIRST, Coopertition® is displaying unqualified kindness and respect in the face of fierce competition. Coopertition® is founded on the concept and a philosophy that teams can and should help and cooperate with each other even as they compete.

Coopertition involves learning from teammates. It is teaching teammates. It is learning from Mentors. And it is managing and being managed. Coopertition means competing always, but assisting and enabling others when you can.