FIRST ® Unveils New Season Challenge, REEFSCAPESM Presented by Haas, for FIRST ® Robotics Competition Teams as Part of FIRST DIVESM presented by Qualcomm Season
3,700 teams worldwide tuned in for the live broadcast of the 2025 FIRST® Robotics Competition Kickoff
Students competing in 30 countries will be supported by tens of thousands of STEM educators, professionals, and supporters
MANCHESTER, N.H., January 4, 2025 -- FIRST ®, a robotics community that prepares young people for the future, launched the 2025 FIRST ® Robotics Competition season today with the unveiling of a new challenge called REEFSCAPESM presented by Haas. The 2025 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff was broadcast on the FIRST Robotics Competition YouTube channel and was viewed by thousands of students, mentors, and FIRST supporters from 30 countries around the world. An estimated 92,525 students on more than 3,700 teams are expected to participate in this year’s program.
“We are thrilled to continue supporting FIRST as it kicks off this exciting 2025 FIRST Robotics Competition season,” said Kathy Looman, Director of Education, Gene Haas Foundation. “The impact of FIRST on today’s youth is unparalleled. By supporting FIRST and helping students prepare for whatever lies ahead in their lives and careers, Haas is proud to play a vital role in shaping the talent and character of tomorrow’s leaders.”
REEFSCAPE presented by Haas is part of the 2024-2025 FIRST® DIVESM presented by Qualcomm season. In REEFSCAPE, teams will use their engineering skills to strengthen one of the ocean’s most diverse habitats and make waves to build a better world. Two competing Alliances will score coral, harvest algae, and attach to the barge before time runs out, and Alliances earn additional rewards for meeting specific scoring thresholds and for cooperating with their opponents.
“FIRST students continue to amaze me year after year,” said Chris Moore, CEO, FIRST. “Every season brings new challenges, and I am eager to see how our students rise to meet them. With the support of the FIRST network, they will develop critical STEM skills while embodying our values of Coopertition® and Gracious Professionalism®. It is always exciting to see how students apply these values to solve real-world problems, collaborate with their peers, and make a lasting impact in their communities and beyond.”
At today’s FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff, teams were shown the REEFSCAPE game field and challenge details for the first time and received the Kickoff Kit, which is made up of motors, batteries, control system components, construction materials, and a mix of additional automation components. Each team receives a Kit of Parts that is supported by more than 65 FIRST suppliers and delivered by FedEx, a longtime FIRST supporter and Strategic Partner.
Working with adult mentors, students have limited time to design, build, program, and test their robots to meet the season’s challenge. Once these young inventors build a robot, their teams will participate in one or more of the global 185 Regional and District events that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration, and students’ determination. Events begin in late February and listings are available here.
By participating in FIRST, students gain confidence to explore the innovation process while learning valuable science, engineering, technology, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Students also learn and apply the FIRST ethos of Gracious Professionalism via a signature set of FIRST Core Values.
Participants and alumni of FIRST programs gain access to education and career discovery opportunities, connections to exclusive scholarships and employers, and a place in the FIRST community for life.
To learn more about the REEFSCAPE presented by Haas season and how to participate, visit the FIRST Robotics Competition Game & Season page.
About FIRST®
FIRST® is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18 (PreK-12) that can be facilitated in school or in structured after-school programs. Boosted by a global support system of volunteers, educators, and sponsors that include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, teams operate under a signature set of FIRST Core Values to conduct research, fundraise, design, build, and showcase their achievements during annual challenges.
An international not-for-profit organization founded by accomplished inventor Dean Kamen in 1989, FIRST has a proven impact on STEM learning, interest, and skill-building well beyond high school. Participants and alumni of FIRST programs gain access to education and career discovery opportunities, connections to exclusive scholarships and employers, and a place in the FIRST community for life. Learn more at firstinspires.org.
About Gene Haas Foundation
The Gene Haas Foundation was established in 1999, by Gene Haas, founder and owner of Haas Automation, Inc. to support the needs of the local community, through grants to local charities. Seeing a growing need for skilled manufacturing employees worldwide, the Foundation expanded its mission. By providing scholarship grants, sponsoring individual and team CNC competitions, and partnering with the very best CNC training programs in the world, the Foundation helps expand the availability of high-quality manufacturing technology training worldwide. The Gene Haas Foundation donates millions of dollars every year to manufacturing education and the community. In 2022, the Gene Haas Foundation provided more than $27 million in grants, bringing the total since inception to more than $152 million.
Haas' commitment to education is unsurpassed in the industry, with over 5,500 schools world-wide training with Haas CNC technology. Gene Haas is also the owner of the Haas F1 team, Formula One Racing Team, Windshear Rolling Road Wind tunnel and co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing NASCAR teams.