We really enjoyed our day at the Orlando area event. It is fasinating to see the creations designed and built by high-school students.
The competition was aggressive. The students were very polite to the adults. The robots performed some amazing tasks.
The following is taken from the organization’s Website: http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/vision
“To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders.”
Dean Kamen, Founder
Mission
Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
One of the Robots:
Robots in action:
Everything Engines 
FIRST should be all uppercase – “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology”