Answers to your Frequently Asked Questions …

Q–Which program is right for my students or child?

It depends on their age and grade…

■ First State Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL®) – grades k to 3

■ First State FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®) – grades 4 to 8

■ Diamond state FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®) – grades 7 to 12

■ MOE Robotics- FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®) – high school

Learn about our programs– click here.

Q- What is the difference between FTC and FRC?

FRC is strictly for high schoolers while FTC allows for mature 7-8^th grade students to participate. The robots that FRC teams build are much larger and more complex. To make up for this size difference, FRC teams are usually larger and usually cost more to operate than FTC teams.

Because of robot and team size differences, the competitions run differently and students have different periods of time to build their robots. In general, FRC requires access to larger work space and more hands on time within a constrained build period.

Q- Is FIRST like Battle bots?

No, it is not like Battle bots at all. We do our best to practice gracious professionalism and to NOT destroy our opponent’s robots. At the FLL level, the teams compete against the clock to gain the most points. At FTC and FRC levels, teams unite as allies in head to head competition, however an opponent in one match may become an ally in the next. In this model, students learn to work together and also to compete graciously.  It is often said, FIRST is not about the robot.

Q- Do I have to be a teacher or an engineer to start a team?

It depends. JFLL and FLL teams are run by volunteer teens, young adults, parents and volunteers who may or may not have any technical training.

FTC  and FRC may need someone to serve as technical advisors and mentors. This is due to the nature of the FIRST organization’s mission to inspire youth to respect science, engineering, and technology. However there are many resources available and FIRST advisors to support “rookie” teams in Delaware and the mid-Atlantic region. FSR is here to help!

Q- How do I find a team near me?

Click here to begin your search.

Q- What is the First State FLL Rookie team Sponsorship program?

FSR offers partial sponsorships for 1st and 2nd year FLL teams. Learn more here.