We are dedicated to nurturing the spark of curiosity in young minds. We provide a dynamic platform for students of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to dive into the fascinating world of STEM. Through a wide array of programs, competitions, and hands-on experiences, we empower our participants to:

Learn: Our educational programs engage students in practical learning, helping them acquire essential STEM skills, from coding and robotics to engineering and physics.
Innovate: We foster a culture of innovation, encouraging participants to think critically, solve real-world problems, and design solutions that can change lives.
Collaborate: Teamwork is at the heart of everything we do. FIRST Chesapeake brings together students, mentors, volunteers, and sponsors to create a supportive and inclusive community that thrives on collaboration and diversity.
Inspire: Through our events and challenges, we aim to inspire a lifelong passion for STEM, fueling the aspirations of young dreamers who dare to reach for the stars.

INSPIRING
TOMORROW'S
INNOVATORS

OUR GOAL

Empowering Youth through STEM

Our Story

Founded on the belief that every child has the potential to change the world, FIRST Chesapeake has been a cornerstone of STEM education since 1999. We are part of the global FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) network, and our roots run deep within the vibrant communities of the Chesapeake region.

FIRST Tech Challenge Students working on their FTC robot in FIRST Chesapeake

Join Us in Shaping the Future

FIRST Chesapeake has made a lasting impact on thousands of lives. We’ve seen students blossom into confident leaders, engineers, and scientists. Our alumni have gone on to pursue careers in STEM fields, shaping the future of innovation and discovery. We take immense pride in knowing that we’ve played a part in their journeys.

Whether you’re a student eager to explore the world of robotics, a mentor looking to share your expertise, or a sponsor passionate about investing in tomorrow’s innovators, FIRST Chesapeake welcomes you with open arms. Together, we can inspire, educate, and shape the future.

Are you ready to be part of the FIRST Chesapeake journey? Let’s inspire tomorrow’s innovators, together.

FIRST Chesapeake students, mentors, and volunteers representing at the World Championship

WHO WE ARE

Meet the Team

FIRST Chesapeake is powered first and foremost by a dedicated community of volunteers. This network of passionate folks play an important role in shaping young minds and inspiring students to achieve. The team below are the only employees of the foundation who partner with our community to inspire the next generation.

Alex Bryant

President

Shelly Stoddard

Vice President

Anne Shade

Director of Operations

PRESS

FIRST in the News

Amber Driesman

FLL Program Manager

Screenshot 2025-08-11 at 12.49.15 PM.png

Matt Sanders

FTC and FRC Program Coordinator

Bonnie Crites

FTC and FRC Program Coordinator

Matthew Glennon

Technology

Manager

Explore our 2024 Impact Report

Our Board

Cristie Neller

Vice President Administrative Services

BHE GT&S

Dr. Cedric Sims

Senior Vice President, Enterprise Innovation And Integration

MITRE

Bettina Garcia Welsh

Retired Chief Financial Officer

ICF International

David Greenberg

Global Vice President, Deal Pursuit and Contract Operations

Sailpoint

Robert Franceschini

Senior Vice President, Deputy Chief Technology Officer

Leidos

Prasad Karunakaran

Partner

Coal Forge Tactical

James Kresge

Chief Technology Officer

West Creek Financial

Doug Lawrence

Site Vice President, Surry Power Station

Dominion Energy

Dr. Latitia McCane

Director of Education

The Apprentice School

Scott McKay

Retired Chief Information Officer And Executive Vice President, Operations And Quality

Genworth Financial

Joe Shepherd

Partner

Guidehouse

Tom Poole

Senior Vice President of Digital Payments And Identity

 Capital One

Sam Von Paris

Vice President and Treasurer

Von Paris Moving & Storage

FIRST Chesapeake students, mentors and volunteers at the FIRST Championship

DC · MARYLAND · VIRGINIA

About FIRST Chesapeake

We’re the nonprofit that runs FIRST robotics programs in DC, Maryland and Virginia. That means the competitions, the mentor training and a lot of behind-the-scenes work to help schools and community groups start teams and keep them going.

Read the FY26 Impact Report

LAST SEASON

10,235

Students

493

Teams

18,912

Volunteer hours

Jurisdictions: DC, Maryland and Virginia

From the FY26 Impact Report.

HOW IT WORKS

Students do the work

They design, build and program the robot themselves, with adults coaching from the side.

Mentors keep teams going

Most teams exist because one adult said yes. We train and support those mentors through Mentor Training, GEARED UP and our annual Mentor Conference.

Volunteers run the events

Judges, referees, field crews and plenty of first-timers gave 18,912 hours to our events last season.

PROGRAMS

Three programs, elementary through high school.

GRADES 2-8

FIRST LEGO League

Robotics and research projects for younger students. FIRST K-8 replaces it starting in 2027-28.

Explore LEGO League →

GRADES 7-12

FIRST Tech Challenge

Teams design, build and code classroom-scale robots and compete at qualifiers across the district.

Explore Tech Challenge →

GRADES 9-12

FIRST Robotics Competition

Larger teams build industrial-scale robots alongside professional mentors.

Explore Robotics Competition →

We also run BRIDGES, Near Peer Mentoring, Women in STEM and an Alumni network that cut across all three.

WHY WE DO THIS

Most students in our region never get the chance to join a robotics team.

Fewer than 1% of eligible students here have access to hands-on robotics, and the gap is widest in Title I and rural schools. We want that to change.

On a team, students learn to design, build, wire, code and present their work. Those skills lead to jobs in the trades and technical fields as much as to engineering degrees, and we think every student should get a shot at them.

Read about BRIDGES, our work on access →

FIRST Tech Challenge students working on their robot

HISTORY

We started in 1999 as VirginiaFIRST and became FIRST Chesapeake in 2017.

Today we’re an independent 501(c)(3) and FIRST’s official District Partner for DC, Maryland and Virginia.

1999

VirginiaFIRST is founded.

2017

VirginiaFIRST becomes FIRST Chesapeake.

2026

BRIDGES launches to help more teams start and stay running.

[Approved quote from a student or alum, in their own words, two lines at most.]

[FIRST NAME] · [PROGRAM] · [CITY, STATE]

Want the full picture of last season?

Our FY26 Impact Report covers the students, teams, events and partners in more detail.

Read the FY26 Impact Report

You can also volunteer, partner with us or donate.

ORGANIZATION DETAILS

LEGAL

VirginiaFIRST, Inc. dba FIRST Chesapeake

501(c)(3) nonprofit

EIN 20-8081778

Official FIRST District Partner

REPORTS

FY26 Impact Report

2025 Impact Report

2024 Impact Report

Form 990 and audited financials on Candid

CANDID

Platinum Seal of Transparency, 2026

CONTACT

240 West Main Street, Suite 100-V42

Charlottesville, VA 22902

Ask a question

Press kit

OUR TEAM

We’re six full-time staff working remotely across the district, plus contractors who help run our events, operations and communications. Thousands of volunteers do the rest.

STAFF