Community STEM Impact Target schools and districts in North Carolina with emphasis on expanding memory of FIRST North Carolina’s reach (over 2,000 students, 42 counties, 91 teams) to prospective sponsors and mentors. Position sponsorship as a pathway to local workforce development and branding opportunities for tech and manufacturing employers.

Mentor & Sponsorship Leverage the program’s need for professional mentors and event volunteers to create outreach campaigns for corporate volunteer programs, internships, and co-op opportunities. Offer tiered sponsorship packages tied to team funding, equipment, and STEM outreach events.

Funding Growth Highlight the modest revenue base (<$1M) as an opportunity to scale through partnerships with local universities, foundations, and industry players. Propose joint grant applications and donor matching programs to increase program capacity and impact.

Diversity & Inclusion Capitalize on the minority robotics program funded since 2022 by collaboration opportunities with mission-aligned ESG-focused funds and community centers. Promote partnerships that expand access to underrepresented groups and create measurable impact stories for corporate social responsibility efforts.

Technology & Infrastructure Offer technology partnerships using AWS, Google Workspace, and classroom tools to enhance remote mentorship, coding curricula, and competition logistics. Propose cloud-based student collaboration platforms and scaled digital marketing to attract sponsors and volunteers.