Sample Questions

Engineering Inspiration Award

• How has your team advanced respect for engineering in your community?

• What programs or events do you run to promote STEM beyond your own team?

• How do you recruit new members, especially students who may not already see themselves as engineers?

• What partnerships have you built with local companies, schools, or organizations?

• How do those partnerships benefit both your team and the broader community?

• How has your outreach grown or evolved over time?

• How do you measure the impact of your outreach efforts?

• How do you ensure your team culture encourages appreciation for engineering, not just participation in robotics?

• What long-term impact do you hope your team has on your community?

Gracious Professionalism Award

• What does gracious professionalism mean to your team in practice?

• How do you handle conflict within the team?

• How do you divide work to ensure fairness and inclusion?

• Can you share an example of helping another team at an event?

• How do you respond when things do not go your way in a match?

• How do mentors and students collaborate respectfully?

• What expectations do you set for team conduct at competitions?

• How do you ensure every member feels valued and heard?

• Can you describe a challenging situation and how your team handled it positively?

Imagery Award in honor of Jack Kamen

• What is your team’s theme, and how did you choose it?

• How is your theme reflected in your robot design?

• How is your team branding consistent across uniforms, pit, robot, and media?

• What design choices were intentional, and why?

• How do aesthetics and function complement each other on your robot?

• How do new members learn and maintain your team’s visual identity?

• What story does your team’s imagery tell?

• How does your pit design reinforce your overall theme?

Judges Award

• What is something unique about your team that you are especially proud of?

• Is there a program, tradition, or initiative that sets your team apart?

• What challenge has your team overcome this season?

• What impact are you making that might not fit into a traditional award category?

• How has your team grown this year beyond just building a robot?

• What would you want judges to remember most about your team?

Rookie All-Star Award

• What does FIRST mean to your team?

• How are you building a strong foundation within your school or organization?

• How did you recruit your first members?

• What outreach have you completed in your rookie season?

• How are you building relationships with sponsors?

• What systems are you putting in place to ensure your team lasts beyond this year?

• How do students take ownership of the team?

• What have you learned about FIRST culture and values so far?

• How are you preparing to grow in future seasons?

Rookie Inspiration Award

• How are you inspiring respect for engineering in your community as a rookie team?

• What outreach have you completed in your first season?

• How did you attract new members who may not have prior STEM experience?

• How are you promoting science and technology education at your school?

• What feedback have you received from your community about your team?

• How are you building excitement about engineering among younger students?

• What goals do you have for expanding your impact next year?

Team Spirit Award

• How does your team show enthusiasm at competitions?

• How do you promote unity within your team?

• What traditions or cheers are unique to your team?

• How do you represent FIRST in your school and community?

• How do you balance competitive intensity with positive energy?

• How does your team maintain morale during a tough event?

• How do your appearance and branding reflect your team pride?

• How do you include all members in showing team spirit?

Team Sustainability Award

• How do you recruit and retain members year over year?

• What is your plan for leadership transition?

• How do you manage financial risk?

• What are your primary revenue sources?

• How do you ensure consistent funding?

• What is your long-term action plan for growth?

• How do you track and evaluate progress toward team goals?

• How do mentors support sustainability without limiting student leadership?

• What systems are in place to ensure the team thrives beyond current members?