How Judges Evaluate Submissions

The three impact areas

The official Judging the FIRST Impact Award document organizes everything into three columns. Knowing them tells you exactly what to write about:

1. Spreading the FIRST Mission — Starting FLL/FTC/FRC teams, local volunteerism, demos and presentations about FIRST, and Reaching people unfamiliar with FIRST.
2. Impact on the FIRST community — Mentoring other teams, Hosting or Supporting FIRST and off-season events, Providing Published Resources, and running workshops for other teams.
3. Inspiring the STEM Future — measurable impact on participants (interest in STEM, college-bound students, life skills like time management and problem-solving), helping build technology curriculum, creating STEM awareness, engaging in Advocacy, and helping non-FIRST STEM programs.

A strong submission shows real activity in all three areas, but the guidelines also remind judges that teams should not be penalized for choosing not to discuss every topic on the list. Depth beats checking boxes.

How judges narrow the field

The document gives judges an explicit shortlisting process:

• Use the essays to distinguish outstanding teams, comparing data carefully across teams of different sizes and resources.
• Evaluate impact on the total number of people engaged through the team's efforts.
• Demand recency: "Team success stories should be within the past 2-3 years." Old glory does not count.
• Evaluate the sustainability of each activity; year-over-year programs that keep working are valued.
• Be cautious of hard-luck stories: challenges are fine, but the team must articulate how it overcame them and what it learned.
• If teams have equal impact, those who work with FIRST programs rise to the top.

A crucial fairness rule

The guidelines tell judges to "avoid evaluation of teams based on 'social objectives'" and not to recognize teams simply because they may be from underserved communities; teams "should be evaluated based on the award criteria" and the effectiveness of their outreach given available resources. Translation: don't write your submission as a sympathy pitch. Write it as evidence of effective, measurable impact.

The presentation must match the writing

When judges meet you in person, they ask: "Does the presentation enhance the data provided in their essays? Is the presentation consistent with statements made in the essay? Is it compelling? Do you feel inspired?" Inconsistency between your essay and your live answers is a red flag.

Documentation as verification

After judges build a shortlist, they can use the FIRST Impact Award Documentation Form (now submitted with the team's entry) to verify the team's claims. The form is not required, but it shows you use the official terminology correctly and offers proof. The guidelines stress the award "is not a checklist of did they do everything, but did they do their impact well."