FIRST Senior Mentor Program
A most important key to FIRST’s success is the work of more than 40,000 volunteer mentors— professional engineers, teachers, and other adults working with youth across the country through our FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST Tech Challenge, FIRST LEGO League and Junior FIRST LEGO League programs.
Demand for FIRST has increased so rapidly and organically that FIRST continues to face a growing challenge to recruit and support new volunteers. The Senior Mentor program has been a critical addition to FIRST’s volunteer resource management infrastructure, with Senior Mentors serving on average 10-15 hours per week for a 12-month term, working to recruit and support FIRST Team Mentors and FIRST Event Volunteers in their service areas.
The FIRST Senior Mentor Program operates currently in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and Washington DC.
Senior Mentors strengthen and expand FIRST’s partnerships with businesses, educational institutions, and communities. In doing so, the Senior Mentor program has moved us closer to achieving the goal of FIRST—to change society by providing youth with experiences that give them not just the skills, but also the desire to solve problems through scientific and technological innovation. Read more about becoming a FIRST Senior Mentor.