Triangle is excited to announce a new National Affinity Partnership with FIRST – one of the world’s largest organizations dedicated to STEM education. Over 450,000 K-12 students are involved worldwide in FIRST LEGO League/LEGO League Jr., FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Robotics Competitions.
We’ll be connecting chapters with their regional FIRST coordinators and encouraging our students to volunteer as coaches, referees, mentors and in any other area where FIRST can use our help.
If you are a FIRST program alumnus or volunteer, let us know at first@triangle.org. We’ll add that note to your member record and keep you informed.
Five years ago my sophomore daughter came home very excited from school told me, “I joined the robotics team. I told them you were an engineer so you’d help.” I wasn’t happy about being volunteered to do something that I knew nothing about with a bunch of people I didn’t know. Well, I quickly fell in love with the whole FIRST culture. The mentors and students took me in and taught me about robots, gracious professionalism, and coopertition. While she was on FRC Team 31 “The Prime Movers”, my daughter had many leadership and educational opportunities that most kids don’t get until they’re older. That daughter graduated and is now in college studying engineering. Last year, I stayed on the team as a mentor even though I didn’t have a student on the team because I am so addicted. This year, my youngest daughter is on the team. I am excited to teach her and the whole team about all the cool robot stuff I’ve learned. I know her time in FIRST will be very rewarding. Triangle Fraternity partnering with FIRST is a natural fit. I am proud to be a part of both organizations. I would recommend that Triangle Fraternity produce a button or pin that can be worn at FIRST events by Triangles so that we can easily identify each other. The networking opportunities are huge. If there is anything I can do to promote this new partnership, please let me know. Sincerely, Todd A. Langley Local #59OK90, National # 19763.
Hi Todd! Thanks for your kind comment and a great idea! We’ll definitely look into a button or other ID we can wear at FIRST events. We’re working now to hire a FIRST intern to help us build the partnership within our chapters and begin to participate in regional events. If you know of anyone we should talk with, contact Tom@triangle.org. Info on the position is here: https://www.triangle.org/employment/ We agree, it’s a natural fit and we look forward to a long relationship with FIRST! Would you be interested to be considered for a FIRST Advisory Group to work with us? If so, contact Drew Hopson at Drew@triangle.org. He’s gathering a group of Triangle/FIRST alumni to help us implement the new program.