Wirecats is a team competing in FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics. The FIRST Robotics Competition is an international high school robotics competition that gives students from grades 9-12 real-world engineering experience. FIRST's mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build their science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
FIRST was founded in 1992 by Dean Kamen with the goal of getting youth involved and excited about technology and engineering. The program began in Manchester, New Hampshire and has grown to include teams from all across the globe. The teams compete on a district and/or regional level and hope to win themselves an opportunity to participate in the World Championship event in Saint Louis at the end of competition season. The mission of FIRST goes beyond just building robots. It aims to empower youth and give them the opportunities for real-world learning experiences. Students get the chance to work with mentors who share their knowledge not only in the field of engineering, but also in marketing, media, outreach and more. When they are not building and competing with their robot, students are actively involved in community service and working to spread science and technology in their community.
FIRST includes 4 different programs: Jr. FLL (K-3), FLL (4-8), FTC (7-12), and FRC (9-12). The Wirecats compete in FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition), which is a program for high school aged students. Each January FIRST releases a game in which FRC students have to build a robot to compete with. FRC emphasizes Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition. These two core values are aimed to get teams working together even while competing against each other. Coopertition means that in a match, opposing alliances can work together to score points. In addition to Coopertition, teams are also encouraged to demonstrate Gracious Professionalism, which means that students are encouraged to produce high-quality work while respecting the value of other individuals and the community.