For FTC teams
Run outreach like a veteran team, even in your rookie year.
Free roadmaps, supplies, and mentor support for FTC teams that want to bring robotics to their community.
Why outreach matters
It's good for your team, too.
It counts
Outreach is a core part of FIRST. It shows up in judged awards and in your engineering portfolio.
It builds your network
Running events in your community builds the local connections that lead to sponsors, recruits, and mentors.
Rookies come first
Rookie teams usually have the least time and money to do outreach. That's who we prioritize.
The roadmap
Five steps to event day.
You don't have to figure it out alone. A Spark Gears mentor walks through every step with your team.
Pick your event
Library STEM station, school demo, intro robotics camp, or an Arduino workshop.
Plan it with a mentor
Have a Spark Gears mentor assigned to your team and have multiple meetings to plan, market, and set timelines for your event!
Get the kit
Supplies, slides, activity sheets, and a run-of-show for the day.
Run it
A mentor is on call during your event (in person when we can reach you in the DMV area).
Log the impact
We verify volunteer hours and help you capture photos and numbers for your portfolio.
Event formats
Pick a format.
Four events we can help you run, from a single afternoon to a multi-day camp.
Library STEM station
A drop-in robotics station at a public library event. Families come and go, and anyone can try driving a robot or building something small.
- 2–4 hours
- Drop-in
- All ages
School robotics demo
A short robot demo and talk about FIRST for a classroom or a school assembly.
- 1 hour
- Classroom or assembly
Intro robotics camp
Students form mini teams, then build, program, and present a robot together over several days.
- Multi-day
- Mini teams
- Final presentation
Arduino workshop
A beginner-friendly session on lights, sensors, motion, and combining hardware with code.
- 2–3 hours
- Beginner friendly
- No experience needed
Supply kits
What's in the kit.
Kits are limited each season. We prioritize rookie teams and Title I schools.
In the kit
- Electronics, hardware, and parts for students at the event
- Flyers, posters, and custom stickers for your team and event
- Anything else you think should be in the kit
Who gets one first
- Rookie FTC teams
- Title I schools
- Teams running their first outreach event
Free downloads
Take what you need.
Lesson plans, planning guides, and printable forms. Free for any team, whether or not you request a kit.
Arduino workshop series
Three standalone sessions for grades 5–8, with parts lists, timing, and starter code for each.
Preview & downloadFTC intro robotics camp
A five-day camp where middle schoolers build and program an FTC robot in mini teams.
Preview & downloadRobotics & automation course
A nine-week course for grades 6–9. Students finish with a maze-solving robot they keep.
Preview & downloadOutreach event roadmap
A checklist for each step of a first event, from finding a host to logging hours.
Preview & downloadEvent run-of-show
An event-day timeline with roles, stations, and a packing list. Print it and fill it in.
Preview & downloadVolunteer hour log
Track your team's hours at the event so we can verify them afterward.
Preview & downloadRequest support
Tell us about your team.
Fill out a short form and a mentor will get back to you. The form asks for:
- Team number
- Rookie or veteran team
- Location
- Event type
- Target date
Contact