FIRST Chesapeake

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FIRST Chesapeake Official FIRST® partner. FIRST Chesapeake operates under the umbrella of VirginiaFIRST, a registered 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1999.

We’re here to provide life-changing robotics programs that give young people in DC, Maryland, and Virginia the skills, confidence, and resilience to build a better world. FIRST Chesapeake is a non-profit organization that supports the mission and vision of FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Our mission is to:
- Inspire youth to become science & technology leaders by engaging them in robotics programs that build STEM skills
- Promote the spirit of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship
- Foster valuable life skills such as leadership, teamwork, and creative thinking
- Help young people acquire the knowledge and skills needed to compete in our technology-driven global economy
- Encourage students to pursue STEM-based academics and future careers. Our programs directly impact over 7,000 middle and high school students. Each year, 60,000+ individuals attend 20+ robotics competitions in the FIRST Chesapeake District. FIRST Chesapeake also works closely with our local FIRST partners to bring a seamless progression of K-12 STEM-based programs to youth in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.

10/16/2026

Every BIOBUZZ team is a small engineering firm for six months. Students design, build, code, document, fundraise, and present to judges. Then they graduate into your hiring pool.

Partners across our region fund teams, host events, and send engineers to mentor. Come see what your investment looks like at an event this winter.

➡️ firstchesapeake.org/support

10/15/2026

This is what one day of volunteering looks like from the inside.

The FIRST Tech Challenge Championship comes to Meadow Event Park on Feb 6-7, 2027, with nearly 100 teams in two divisions. It is the second largest FTC tournament in the world, and it runs on volunteers: judges, field crew, check-in, and queuing.

No robotics experience? No problem.

Sign up here ➡️ x.firstchs.org/volunteer

10/14/2026

🤖 Fewer than 1% of eligible students in DC, Maryland, and Virginia have access to hands-on robotics. The gap is widest in Title I and rural schools.

FIRST has a grant right now to start another FTC team in your community, and we have the coaches, kits, and know-how to get a new team to its first event. Schools, districts, and funders who want to open a team: talk to us.

➡️ firstchesapeake.org/ftc

10/13/2026

If you were looking for a sign, this is it. Volunteers keep the whole event running, and no robotics experience is needed.

Volunteer ➡️ x.firstchs.org/volunteer
⁠

10/13/2026

The second the code works and the robot finally moves the way they planned it. 🤖

Coach Lynn Nichols put it best: she loves seeing the kids light up when something clicks. At the FTC Championship this February, you get a front-row seat to that moment, over and over, all weekend.

Volunteers keep the whole event running, and no robotics experience is needed.

SIGN UP ➡️ x.firstchs.org/volunteer

A great start to the FTC season! 🐝 hosted an FTC social at the Academies of Loudoun, bringing together FIVE LCPS FTC te...
10/12/2026

A great start to the FTC season! 🐝 hosted an FTC social at the Academies of Loudoun, bringing together FIVE LCPS FTC teams they helped establish, along with two Loudoun County community teams, to watch the FTC season kickoff.

To help students get familiar with the new season’s game, RoboLoCo created a low-fidelity simulation where students could drive robots and get a better understanding of the game.

They also provided XRC simulators featuring last season’s game, shared helpful resources, and offered advice to prepare teams for the season ahead.

FTC teams: optional Third Play registration reopens Tuesday, October 13 at 12:00 p.m. ET.Plays are $275, credit card onl...
10/12/2026

FTC teams: optional Third Play registration reopens Tuesday, October 13 at 12:00 p.m. ET.

Plays are $275, credit card only, and first come, first served. Already purchased a Third Play? Your spot is secured and no action is needed.

Coaches, check your email or read the full update on our blog for open locations and step-by-step instructions. Link in the comments.



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Full details on the blog: firstchesapeake.org/post/reminder-third-plays-reopen-tuesday-oct-13

Third Plays Reopen Tuesday, October 13 Optional Third Play registration reopens Tuesday, October 13 at 12:00 p.m. ET. First come, first served. FTC · Qualifier Registration Update FIRST® Tech Challeng

10/10/2026

If you competed in FIRST, you know what a volunteer did for you. Collin Fultz put it well at kickoff: the people he competed against became the people he volunteered with, and some of them are now his colleagues.

Come back. Our teams need refs, judges, and mentors, and you already speak the language.

➡️ TO VOLUNTEER: firstchesapeake.org/volunteer
➡️ ALUMNI INFO: firstchesapeake.org/alumni

10/09/2026

Somebody has to build the hives! 🐝 Every event starts with a crew assembling two bi-stable hives, four flowers, and a full field before the first team arrives, and taking it all down after the last one leaves.

If you like hands-on work and a front-row seat, this is the volunteer role for you. No robotics experience required.

➡️ firstchesapeake.org/volunteer

Address

240 W Main Street Suite 100/V42
Charlottesville, VA
22902

Telephone

+18045728454

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