FIRST's Core Values

Most of you reading this are quite familiar with Gracious Professionalism� and Coopertition�. These are key ethos of the FIRST� experience across all programs and help guide us year round. You may not be as familiar with FIRST��s core values. I�d bet that most folks would not know that the individual programs publish their own core values� and while similar � they�ve been different in each program.

Since each program was created and developed on their own separate timelines, choices on format and content developed differently too. FIRST�Tech Challenge has had the wonderful benefit to look at FIRST� Robotics Competition, FIRST�LEGO League and FIRST�LEGO League Junior for inspiration and best practices.

About 12 months ago a cross functional team was pulled together with a plan to synthesize these values, pulling them all together and developing a unified list. What a great project, and I can say the team who contributed finished it fully inspired.

These core values will show up in all programs' documentation starting this coming season � but for those of you who want to see them now here you go. Feel free to share them far and wide!

FIRST� Core Values:

To further unify the mission of FIRST� and create consistency as students progress through our programs, we have created a cross-program set of values that represents the FIRST�experience and the FIRST community. We are pleased to share with you the FIRST Core Values.

We express the FIRST philosophies of Gracious Professionalism� and Coopertition� through our 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!

Ken Johnson

Director, FIRST� Tech Challenge