The Worlds-level competition is the final event in the youth robotics season. It's also an annual celebration of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), since STEM workforce skills are a major focus of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).
In Vermont, FIRST programming is co-facilitated by the University of Vermont College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, 4-H at UVM Extension, and the nonprofit FIRST in Vermont. Over 1,000 youth statewide participated this past season, including the five teams competing in the following categories at Worlds this week:
FIRST Lego League (FLL, grades pre-K-8):
- Team #63124 Camel’s Hump Coders from Huntington
FIRST Technical Challenge (FTC, grades 7-12):
- Team #8304 Wired Cats from Saxtons River, competing in the Ross Division
- Team #18650 Cookie Clickers from Bennington, competing in the Edison Division
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC, grades 9-12):
- Team #2370 IBOTS from Rutland, competing in the Newton Division
- Team #11269 Batteries Not Included from South Burlington, competing in the Johnson Division
All livestreams for the 2026 FIRST Championship can be found here.
