NYC FIRST inspires and empowers thousands of students from diverse communities across New York City each year to engage with STEM and robotics in meaningful and joyful ways. We create authentic learning experiences that encourage young people to think critically and creatively and to persevere. NYC FIRST is investing in New York City’s future by preparing the next generation of innovators and leaders, thinkers and doers.

For over 20 years, we NYC FIRST has engaged K-12 youth in a range of high-impact programs, encouraging productive participation in their communities, teaching them how to solve problems, and preparing them for success in their academic and professional lives. Robotics is an ideal vehicle for building a young person’s mindset and skillset, presenting a student with complex, technical challenges to build solutions to real world problems. Robotics gives young people the opportunity to take an idea and transform it into something creative and tangible.

NYC FIRST has a staff of 20, made up of 14 full-time employees, 3 part-time employees, and 3 AmeriCorps Vista members, and an annual operating budget of $3 million.