FIRST Announces Qualcomm’s Return as Presenting Sponsor for 2019 FIRST Championship Events in Houston and Detroit
Global Brands Unite in Support of Young Innovators, Creative Problem Solving, and Workforce Development at World’s Largest Celebration of STEM for Students
MANCHESTER, N.H., April 9, 2019 ― FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an international not-for-profit K-12 organization founded to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology, today announced that Qualcomm® Incorporated will return as Presenting Sponsor for the 2019 FIRST Championship, the world’s largest celebration of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for students, happening in Houston (April 17-20, 2019) and Detroit (April 24-27, 2019) this spring.
“Qualcomm’s support of the 2019 FIRST Championship is helping provide a life-changing experience for 30,000 young innovators and creative problem solvers from around the world,” said Donald E. Bossi, president of FIRST. “As supporters of FIRST for more than 13 years, Qualcomm and its employees are truly invested in expanding access to STEM inspiration and education and cultivating tomorrow’s workforce, including the people they’ll soon hire to bring future inventions to life. We’re grateful they’re part of our FIRST community.”
“Qualcomm believes in inspiring the next generation of inventors through STEM – whether it’s using LEGO® in kindergarten to learn engineering basics or programming Qualcomm Snapdragon devices to control a robot in the ring as a middle or high-schooler,” said Brian Modoff, executive vice president of strategy and M&A at Qualcomm. “As we enter a new 5G era of invention, these students will be the drivers of tomorrow’s breakthroughs.”
A culminating celebration of the 2018-19 space exploration-themed robotics season, more than 70,000 students, coaches, and supporters from 70+ countries will participate at the 2019 FIRST Championship events in Houston and Detroit. With the support of FIRST Sponsors, it promises participating robotics teams and spectators alike an inspiring and action-packed experience that has all the heart-pounding thrills and team spirit of a professional sporting event. Live robotics match coverage and behind-the-scenes highlights will stream on FIRSTtv.
2019 FIRST Championship Lead Sponsors include: Google Inc. and Magna International Inc.
2019 FIRST Championship Event Sponsors include: ABB; The Abbott Fund; Bechtel Corporation; Delta Air Lines; Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau; The Dow Chemical Company; DTE Energy; FCA Foundation; FedEx; Ford Motor Company; Houston CVB; Keysight Technologies; Lockheed Martin Corporation; National Instruments; Nokia Bell Labs; Rockwell Automation; TE Connectivity; Toyota USA Foundation; Two Sigma Investments; U.S. Air Force; and United Technologies.
2019 FIRST Championship Key Sponsors include: ARMI | BiofabUSA; Autodesk; BAE Systems; BOSCH; Central Michigan University; The Coca-Cola Company; Consumers Energy; Gene Haas Foundation; Hilton; Kettering University; Mouser Electronics; PwC US; Quicken Loans; Southwest Airlines; Texas Instruments; United Therapeutics Corporation; Walt Disney Imagineering; and ZF North America, Inc.
Other 2019 FIRST Championship Supporters include: Alta Resources LLC; Arm; H-E-B; J.R. Automation; and Jacobs.
FIRST Championship has an estimated collective economic impact of $30 million to each of the 2019 host cities. Events will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center and Minute Maid Park in Houston and at the Cobo Center and Ford Field in Detroit.
The international FIRST Championship is an annual event hosted by FIRST, a youth-serving nonprofit founded by inventor Dean Kamen, to showcase and celebrate mentor-guided student robotics teams from four programs: FIRST® Robotics Competition (grades 9-12); FIRST® Tech Challenge (grades 7-12); FIRST® LEGO® League (grades 4-8); and FIRST® LEGO® League Jr (grades K-4).
For more information on FIRST Championship, please visit firstchampionship.org. Media interested in attending FIRST Championship should register at firstchampionship.org/media.
Save the date! The 2020 FIRST Championship will be held in Houston April 15-18 and Detroit April 29-May 2.
About FIRST®
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $80 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League for Grades 4-8; and FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. for Grades K-4. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.firstinspires.org
About Qualcomm
Qualcomm invents breakthrough technologies that transform how the world connects and communicates. When we connected the phone to the Internet, the mobile revolution was born. Today, our inventions are the foundation for life-changing products, experiences, and industries. As we lead the world to 5G, we envision this next big change in cellular technology spurring a new era of intelligent, connected devices and enabling new opportunities in connected cars, remote delivery of health care services, and the IoT — including smart cities, smart homes, and wearables. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development functions, and all of our products and services businesses, including, the QCT semiconductor business. For more information, visit Qualcomm’s website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.
Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries.
Qualcomm Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.