FRC is operated by the US First organization, established in 1989 to encourage more young people to participate in science and technology programs. US First aims to enhance young people's science and engineering skills while improving life skills including teamwork, communication and leadership.
By competing in the FRC program, young people gain real-world experience in establishing an engineering project. Teams of 25 or more students participate in every step of the design process, from raising money to designing the branding and the robot itself.
FRC allows young people to learn about science and engineering through mentoring by professional engineers as they build a robot that must perform specific tasks. Participants also compete for the right to appear in the world championships. They can obtain college scholarships from a fund of over $12 million.