COLORADO FIRST ● START A TEAM
4 programs available for K-12
Learn about the resources needed
Join the Community
Founded in 1989, FIRST is a global nonprofit organization
that prepares young people for the future through a suite of life-changing youth
robotics programs that build skills, confidence, and resilience.
The mission of Colorado FIRST is to deliver high quality FIRST robotics programs to students in Colorado by hosting tournaments and supporting coaches, mentors and teams with training, coordination and financial assistance. The long term goal is to develop the business and technology leaders of tomorrow.
STARTING A FIRST LEGO® LEAGUE EXPLORE TEAM
FIRST LEGO League Explore introduces younger students to engineering, coding, teamwork, and creative problem-solving. A team can begin with two adult coaches, a small group of students, a SPIKE Essential set, and a table where everyone can build together.
Explore is designed for younger students who are ready to build, create stories, solve simple problems, and begin learning how coding controls a model.
Traditional Explore teams need two dedicated adult coaches. Coaches guide the activities, encourage participation, and help students work through challenges without building for them.
Explore does not require a workshop. A classroom, library, community room, after-school space, or home can work well.
Founders Edition teams use LEGO Education SPIKE Essential to create and code a team model related to the annual season theme.
Students create a motorized team model, explore a real-world topic, practice the FIRST Core Values, and develop a team poster that explains what they learned.
Explore teams may attend a local Festival where students share their model, poster, teamwork, and discoveries. The emphasis is on celebration, encouragement, and recognizing every team.
Future Edition is a new option using LEGO Education Computer Science & AI kits. Availability and local event formats may vary during the 2026–2027 season.
A consistent meeting schedule, organized materials, and coaches who let students make decisions are more important than having a large budget or advanced technical knowledge.
![FIRST Tech Challenge](/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ftc_logo.png"){kind=logo}