Suffern, N.Y. — Students from New York and several other regions are gathering at Rockland Community College this week for the Hudson Valley Regional of the FIRST Robotics Competition, a three-day event that could send top teams to an international championship in Texas.
The competition, running March 19 through March 21 at the Eugene Levy Fieldhouse, brings together 49 teams made up of high school students, along with engineering and technical mentors, according to organizers. Participating teams come from New York, Hawaii, Chinese Taipei, the Dominican Republic and Türkiye. Among them are 13 teams from lower Hudson Valley schools and 18 from New York City.
Organizers said more than 1,000 students are expected to take part in the regional event, where teams will present robots they designed and built over a nine-week period. The competition is part of FIRST, which stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, a nonprofit program focused on science, technology, engineering and math education.
The regional competition serves as a qualifying event for the 2026 FIRST Championship, scheduled for April 29 through May 2 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.
Local schools represented in the lower Hudson Valley group include teams from Brewster, Chappaqua, Clarkstown, Irvington, Hastings-on-Hudson, Nanuet, Orangeburg at Tappan Zee High School, Ossining, Pelham, North Rockland, Tarrytown and Yonkers.
At the event, teams will compete for awards that go beyond match results. Organizers said recognition will also be given for design excellence, sportsmanship and partnerships between schools, businesses and communities.
According to FIRST, students in the program work under a limited deadline with professional mentors to design a robot using a kit of parts and a standard set of rules. The process is intended to test not only engineering ability, but also teamwork, time management and problem-solving skills.
Collin Fultz, senior program director of FIRST Robotics Competition, said the event reflects months of work by students, coaches and mentors.
“Our events are the culmination of countless hours of preparation by our teams of students, coaches, and mentors,” Fultz said in a statement. “The event is part competition and part celebration of what our teams have achieved this year. While only a few teams at the event will be crowned champions, all our participants leave the season as better problem-solvers, more gracious professionals, and more prepared to tackle the challenges of the future.”
This season’s game is titled REBUILT presented by Haas and is part of the 2025-2026 FIRST AGE season presented by Qualcomm. Organizers said the theme asks students to use engineering skills to “re-imagine the past” and explore how discoveries, inventions and artifacts connect modern communities to earlier generations.
In the game, two alliances compete to score points by completing a series of assigned tasks before time runs out. Organizers said alliances can also earn extra rewards by reaching specific scoring thresholds.
The regional event is supported by sponsors and volunteers from several businesses and organizations, including Haas, Pfizer, Con Edison, Orange & Rockland and Optimum. Organizers said sponsors contribute through financial support, equipment, services, volunteer work and professional mentoring. Additional thanks were given in the release to Larry Cohen for sponsorship and to Goosetown Communications for in-kind support.
Programs such as FIRST have become a prominent part of STEM education by combining classroom concepts with hands-on competition. Supporters say the events help students develop practical technical experience while also building communication and collaboration skills that can carry into college and future careers.
For local families and schools, the Hudson Valley Regional also provides a chance to see area students compete alongside teams from outside the region and abroad. For the students themselves, the event marks the end of an intensive build season and a chance to qualify for one of the best-known robotics championships in the world. For more information about FIRST in New York State, please contact Janice Martino, Senior Regional Director at jmartino@firstinspires.org.
