Introducing FIRST Tech Challenge Skill Builders!

Introducing FIRST^® Tech Challenge Skill Builders!

For the first time ever, FIRST^® revealed the new scoring element at FIRST^® Championship! Pollen will be utilized in the 2026-2027 FIRST Tech Challenge game, BIOBUZZ^TM presented by RTX! But don’t worry, there are still plenty of surprises that will stay top secret until Kickoff.

What are Skill Builders?

Skill Builders are seven different mini-games that allow teams to turn their early access to Pollen into action! Each challenge focuses on a specific area of FIRST Tech Challenge: precision driving, intake and outtake design, scoring cycles, and autonomous routines. Through Skill Builders, teams can use Pollen to start practicing, experimenting, and preparing for the season before Kickoff. 

We know FIRST students don't limit their preparations to the official season. Many teams cite their pre-season activities as key to their learning process, both in educating new members and in preparing their veteran members for success. FIRST Tech Challenge wants to enable the sort of independent projects that teams are already doing, while ensuring the resulting skill growth is directly applicable to the upcoming season.

Skill Builders are specifically structured to be limited, relating to only a few of the challenges teams will face in BIOBUZZ. This should enable teams to get an optional head-start on exploration and skill growth, but NOT a head-start on building a high-level competition robot.

FIRST Tech Challenge serves teams and students across a wide spectrum of capabilities. The Game Preview and Skill Builders are built around the types of foundational skills that inexperienced teams and inexperienced members of veteran teams will benefit from learning.

What’s Included?

Skill Builders are built to be easy to play, fun to learn, and flexible enough to adapt to your team’s needs, time, and resources. Each Skill Builders challenge comes with:

• Built-in lessons on drive systems, intakes, and programming resources through the FIRST Training Platform.
• Links to instructions from AndyMark, goBILDA, REV Robotics, and Studica for building the StarterBot Base for the 2026-27 game, BIOBUZZ.
• Editable, printable slides to guide teams through each Challenge, including QR codes and resource links.
• A scoring spreadsheet with built-in rankings and adjustable point values.
• Challenge setup guidance using simple materials (tape, cups, bins, etc.).
• A Facilitator Guide with tips for running challenges, as well as editable certificates to present to team members who participate.

How to Access It

Use this link to access Skill Builders through the FIRST Training platform, which can be accessed by all registered users over the age of 13 in the FIRST Dashboard.

Everything is organized in one place, including lessons, challenge materials, and supporting resources.

How to Use It

Skill Builders are designed to be flexible, so you can use the challenges in any way that fits your team.

You can:

• Get a jump start on building a portion of next season’s StarterBot.
• Hone driving, programming, and robot construction skills using the official Pollen scoring element before Kickoff!
• Work through the challenges in order as a multi-week program, OR pick and choose specific challenges based on your team’s needs

Sessions can be structured as short practices, full meetings, camps, or classroom activities. Teams build, test, compete, and make improvements, just like a real FIRST Tech Challenge season, but in a lower-pressure environment.

Whether you’re a brand-new team, a veteran team that is onboarding new members, or helping experienced teams sharpen their skills, Skill Builders gives you a practical way to build a solid foundation for success for next season! Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Kickoff on Saturday, September 12th, 2026.