FIRST Global

International First Committee Association, dba FIRST Global
Founded 2016
Founder Dean Kamen
Type Nonprofit organization promoting STEM in the developing world
Location
Key people

Dean Kamen, Founder

Joe Sestak, President
Website www.first.global

FIRST Global (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a trade name for a nonprofit organization, the International First Committee Association. It promotes STEM education and careers in the developing world through Olympics-style robotics competitions called the FIRST Global Challenge. It was founded by Dean Kamen in 2016 as an expansion of FIRST, an organization with similar objectives.

History

FIRST Global is a trade name for the International First Committee Association,[1] a nonprofit corporation based in Manchester, New Hampshire, with a 501(c)3 designation from the IRS.[2]

It was founded by the co-founder of FIRST, Dean Kamen, with the objective of promoting STEM education and careers in the developing world through Olympics-style robotics competitions. Kamen has said he first thought of it in 1989 and later discussed it with Joe Sestak, who became the president of the organization.[3]

The 2017 FIRST Global Challenge was held in Washington, D.C., from July 17–19, and the challenge was the use of robots to separate different colored balls, representing clean water and impurities in water, symbolizing the Engineering Grand Challenge (based on the Millennium Development Goal)[4] of improving access to clean water in the developing world.[5][6] Around 160 teams composed of 15- to 18-year-olds from 157 countries participated,[7] and around 60% of teams were created or led by young women.[8] Six continental teams also participated.[9]

Afghanistan's team of six Muslim girls was denied twice for visas by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul by the administration of Donald Trump, which garnered international attention and outrage.[10] The team had traveled twice to the unsafe diplomatic neighborhood in the Afghani capital for visa interviews.[11] The girls were allowed in, after Trump intervened.[12] Afghanistan's delegation won a silver medal for Courageous Achievement.[10]

Members of the other team initially denied visas, Team Gambia, were also granted visas at the last minute after being given a second interview.[5]

Six students representing Burundi at the inaugural FIRST Global Challenge were reported as missing, shortly after the closing ceremony on July 19. Two of the team members were seen crossing the border illegally into Canada, while the four others appeared to be in the U.S. Quebec media reported that the two Burundians have applied for asylum in Canada.[13]

During the closing ceremony of the 2017 FIRST Global Challenge, entrepreneur Ricardo Salinas, a founding member of FIRST Global, announced that Mexico City would host the 2018 FIRST Global Challenge.[14]

Global STEM Corps

The Global STEM Corps is a FIRST Global initiative that connects qualified volunteer mentors with students in developing countries to prepare them for competitions.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Haiti Students Compete in First Global Robot Olympics in DC". L'union Suite. July 18, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Unrated Profile for International First Committee Association". Charity Navigator. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  3. ↑ Zietlow, Alex (July 9, 2017). "Robot challenge promotes STEM education around the world, even in least-developed countries". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on July 19, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Provide Access to Clean Water". Engineering Grand Challenges. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Chokshi, Niraj (July 13, 2017). "After Visa Denials, Afghan Girls Can Attend Robotics Contest in U.S.". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ Pilapitiya, Tarini (July 23, 2017). "Elizabeth Moir students represent Sri Lanka at FIRST Global Challenge". The Sunday Times Sri Lanka.
  7. ↑ "What Really Happened at That Robotics Competition You've Heard So Much About". NPR.org. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  8. ↑ Galvin, Gaby (July 19, 2017). "Afghan Girls Celebrated at Global Robotics Event". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on July 19, 2017.
  9. ↑ "National Teams Attending – FIRST Global". first.global. Archived from the original on July 21, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  10. 1 2 Gambino, Lauren (July 21, 2017). "For Afghanistan's all-girl team, robotics contest represents many victories". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 22, 2017.
  11. ↑ Cochrane, Emily (July 18, 2017). "Afghan Girls' Robotics Team Wins Limelight at Competition". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 20, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Donald Trump is being praised for helping an all-girl robotics team from Afghanistan – who he barred from US". The Independent. July 16, 2017. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Deux jeunes Burundais demandent l'asile au Canada | Sylvain Larocque | Actualités". La Presse (in French). July 21, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Students from 160 Nations to Reconvene a Year from Now in Mexico City for the Second Iteration of the FIRST Global Challenge – FIRST Global". first.global. Retrieved 2017-07-25.
  15. ↑ "FIRST Global Challenge 2017 – FIRST Global". first.global. Archived from the original on July 19, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
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