FIRST^Ⓡ (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Long Island kicked off the beginning of the 2025 robotics season with the distribution of Kits of Parts to participating local high school robotics teams on January 4. The kits were distributed at Schenck USA Corporation in Deer Park, which has been a long-standing sponsor of the FIRST Long Island Regional Robotics Competition (FRC). 

The FRC will take place on March 19-22 at the David S. Mack Sports & Expo Center at Hofstra University in Hempstead. 

“We are thrilled to kick off the 2025 robotics season with the distribution of the Kits of Parts,” said Bertram Dittmar, Executive Director, FIRST Long Island. “We look forward to witnessing the incredible creations that these talented students will bring to the competition and bring with them their solutions, teamwork and gracious professionalism.”

The event saw mentors and members of various high school robotics teams coming to receive their kits after being briefed on this year's game. 

The kits serve as a foundation for participating teams, providing an array of components donated by suppliers across multiple industries. These kits play a pivotal role in shaping the creative process for the teams as they prepare for this year’s challenge, “REEFSCAPE^SM presented by Haas.”

In REEFSCAPE^SM presented by Haas, two competing alliances are invited to score coral, harvest algae, and attach to the barge before time runs out. Alliances earn additional rewards for meeting specific scoring thresholds and for cooperating with their opponents. 

“Leading up to the regional events, FIRST Long Island students will work with coaches and mentors to apply concepts of math, science and engineering to build their robots to meet the game’s objectives,” Larry Toonkel, FIRST Robotics Competition Co-Director, said. “The FIRST Robotics Competition is not just about the design and build of sophisticated robots. Our students will also learn important concepts such as teamwork, problem solving and healthy competition. Over the years, FIRST students from Long Island received more than $8 million in scholarships for higher education, in areas of science, technology, engineering, business or math in college. These students also develop maturity, professionalism and teamwork skills that enrich their lives. Our graduates often pursue careers with sponsoring companies, meeting the businesses’ needs for well-rounded, technically skilled employees.”

FIRST isn’t limited to Long Island; nearly 3,900 teams from all over the world came together as a community to share in the excitement of seeing the new game unveiled and will draw on this enthusiasm during the build period. During this time, all FIRST students will be asked to design, build, test and update their robots before the start of the 2025 competition, which includes more than 170 Regional and District events beginning late February. These events measure the effectiveness of each robot’s design and control, the power of teamwork and the determination of participating students not only to win, but to learn and have fun.