FIRST Technology Challenge

We know you are hankering for more information about World Championship in St. Louis in 2015 . We're hard at work on the details and eagerly planning to ensure our Teams have the best experience possible, so we can't give out too much at this time. Of course, we all know that FIRST Tech Challenge World Championships will be held at the St. Louis Union Station , so we can tell you a little bit more about that. In case you haven't been to Union Station, here's a peek at the venue. Opened in 1894, Union Station was originally a train station to bring under one roof all the various entryways via train into St. Louis. The exterior of the building (top picture) is historic, with beautiful architecture modeled after a walled medieval French city - turrets and stained glass and bricks and fountains and statues, oh my! The interior is equally as majestic, carefully restored and renovated to honor the building's history as a train station while making it accommodate the 21s...

All I can say is "Wow!"  I've been to St. Louis for the World Championship three times now, but this year was far and away the most amazing experience I've had since joining the FIRST community.  From incredible robots to awesome people, this year's FTC World Championship was a showcase for all the best of what FIRST has to offer. Volunteer Judges For starters, let talk about our Volunteers.  The week began long before teams arrived, with an amazing crew of Volunteers coming in to organize, setup playing fields and put all the pieces in place for a successful week.  I'm convinced FTC has the most fun, energetic and dedicated Volunteers out there.  These men and women take time away from their jobs and families and use their personal vacation time and finances to ensure our students have the best experience possible.  The amount of attention they pay to every detail is incredible and the concern on their faces when something isn't quite right shows just...

By Stacey DelVecchio Stacey DelVecchio, President, Society of Women Engineers In my many years in engineering, one of my career highlights has been propping open the door for more women to enter the industry. I love my job and the many benefits a creative, collaborative career in engineering gives me. It’s an honor to pay it forward and encourage more women to be that engineer and shape the future, as well as our landscape. That’s why it’s a pleasure to deliver the closing remarks at the FTC Closing Ceremonies. It’s inspiring to see so many young people experiencing engineering in a fun, hands-on scenario that highlights all the amazing way our profession brings people together. As the president of the Society of Women Engineers , I represent our 27,000 global members committed to showing girls why engineering is an amazing career choice for everyone, as well as supporting women at every juncture of their careers . I’m happy to deliver the closing remarks because as this inspiring eve...