FIRST, which stands for “For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,” is a nonprofit organization founded by Dean Kamen in 1989. Structured around a high-school robotics competition, the FIRST Robotics Competition is much more than just a competition, combining gracious professionalism with technology to create an environment that fosters a deeper appreciation for science and technology. Professional mentors as well as college students partner with teams to teach students valuable engineering and professional skills while helping the team succeed. Furthermore, FIRST teams are encouraged to spread the world to increase appreciation of Science, Technology, Engineering & Math in society as a whole. In addition to the FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST sponsors the FIRST Tech Challenge, designed for high school teams that may not have the resources to participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition. For younger students, FIRST has developed the FIRST Lego League.

Team 254 has competed in the FIRST robotics competition since 1999. In 2004, the team won the Chairman’s award, the highest award in the FIRST program, which recognizes a single team each year as the team which best demonstrated the ideals of the FIRST program. Since winning the Chairman’s award, Team 254 has been a member of the FIRST hall of fame and continues to work to spread the message of FIRST.