#PeopleofSTEAM: Meet Kenny
April 30, 2024
Our suite of FIRST® programs align with numerous national educational standards from kindergarten through high school. These standards are set by the federal government to ensure that students are meeting learning objectives through connected learning principles.
Educators and educational settings can utilize FIRST programming to reach these standards in a way that inspires students through project-based learning and creative problem solving. Providing relevant and real-world opportunities can increase student interest which results in greater motivation to work through challenging concepts and gives students a growth mindset, and greater retention of content due to the connection of rigorous and relevant activities during learning.
Hands-on FIRST programs introduce students to engineering and coding in an engaging, inclusive, and creative learning environment in schools and local communities. Participants work collaboratively to solve an annual, themed robotics challenge.
During the 2024-2025 FIRST® DIVE℠ presented by Qualcomm season, teams will use their STEM and collaboration skills to explore life beneath the surface of the ocean. FIRST has aligned this season’s ocean theme with the national education standards so educators can provide a new and relevant approach to reaching those standards.
Here’s a few examples of the standards we cover in this season’s ocean theme.
- Environmental Literacy: Understand and analyze environmental issues and develop solutions.
- Habitats: Use models to show how different plants and animals live in specific places.
- Human Impact: Suggest ways to reduce the impact of humans on the environment.
- Design Solutions: Create solutions to human problems inspired by how plants and animals use their features to survive.
- Technology Solutions: Assess or improve technological solutions to lessen human impact on natural systems.
Along with the educational standards, FIRST provides so educators can give their students a more diverse learning experience. These additional resources such as books, videos and webpages can be added into lesson plans depending on the individual learning needs of students.
Explore ocean-themed education standards. Free education resources, including all FIRST standards alignments, are also available on the FIRST website. For more information on FIRST standards alignments please email firsteducation@firstinspires.org.