🤖 What Is FTC? A Beginner’s Guide for Parents and Students
- STREM HQ Team
- Jun 17
- 2 min read
Discover the Competitive World of Robotics — and How Your Child Can Be Part of It
Are you hearing about FTC and wondering what all the excitement is about? Maybe your child came home talking about robots, coding, and competitions — and you're curious if it’s just a hobby or something bigger.
Spoiler: It’s much, much bigger.
Welcome to the world of FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) — where STEM meets strategy, and students transform into engineers, coders, and future innovators.
🚀 So… What Exactly Is FTC?
FTC stands for FIRST Tech Challenge, a global robotics competition for middle and high school students. Each year, teams design, build, program, and drive robots to complete missions on a game field. But FTC is more than building bots — it’s about teamwork, critical thinking, leadership, and pushing boundaries in science and technology.
🔧 What Do Students Do in FTC?
FTC teams (usually made up of 5–15 students) are responsible for:
🛠️ Designing and building a robot from scratch
💻 Programming it to complete specific tasks
📊 Documenting their engineering process in a detailed notebook
🎤 Presenting their work to a panel of judges
🤝 Working together as a team to solve real-world challenges
Competitions are like sports events — filled with excitement, energy, and collaboration — but with robots instead of balls!
💡 Why FTC Is a Game-Changer for Students
Here’s why parents and educators love FTC:
✅ Hands-on Learning: Students apply real STEM concepts in a competitive setting
✅ 21st-Century Skills: Teamwork, communication, and time management are built-in
✅ Creativity Meets Coding: Design, test, and improve — all while learning Java, CAD, and more
✅ College & Career Advantage: Many alumni go on to pursue engineering, computer science, and tech careers — with a head start
✅ Scholarships & Recognition: FIRST offers millions in scholarships annually to FTC participants
🏆 See FTC in Action: STREM HQ Robotics Teams
Want to know what it’s really like being part of an FTC team?
Check out how STREM HQ’s Robotics Teams have been crushing competitions and leveling up their skills all year. Our student teams have won innovation, design, and team spirit awards — and they’re just getting started.
🎓 Is FTC Right for My Child?
Does your child enjoy building things?
Are they curious about technology, programming, or engineering?
Do they love working in teams or solving challenges?
If you answered yes to any of these, FTC could be an amazing fit.
Even if your child is just beginning — no coding or robotics experience? No problem. We’ll teach them everything they need to know in a fun, supportive environment.
🙌 How to Get Involved
Ready to help your child step into the world of robotics?
📩 Email us: learn@stremhq.com 📞 Call us: 508-507-8736 🌐 Learn more: www.stremhq.com
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