Training Resources

Preparing to coach or mentor a FIRST team can be intimidating, but there are many resources available to help.

Skill Builders

To prepare for the upcoming season, FIRST Education prepared a series of Skill Builder lessons. This content is designed to guide teams as they experiment with the new scoring element and learn about the robot challenges unveiled in the Game Preview. These Skill Builders include learning content, challenges, and fun robot mini-games that are directly applicable to the upcoming season. Teams can build driving skills, refine intake systems, and tackle autonomous challenges to level up their learning.

FIRST Training

In addition to Skill Builders, FIRST Training offers courses for mentors and volunteers. The Mentor Ready path is a great way to get started. Browse the full catalog for more.

If you're preparing to attend an event, you can also take the Robot Inspector volunteer training to better understand the inspection process. Later in the season, consider taking the Judge volunteer training to understand the judging process better.

Curriculum

REV Robotics offers an Intro to Robotics curriculum: an adaptable, ready-to-teach semester-long course (50+ hours) designed for high school classrooms (9th-12th) and aligned with ISTE and ITEEA standards. Even if you don't intend to use the material in a classroom setting — and even if you intend to use a different manufacturer's kit for competition — it can provide valuable preparation for a FIRST team.

FIRST also publishes free education resources and standards alignments on their website.

Professional Development

FIRST offers Certified Professional Development with both in-person and remote seating. This includes a two-day course and a weeklong Academy option.

Learn more about the options and find a session near you on FIRST's website: