This year we received over 6,000 applications from underrepresented groups in STEM that we can’t currently fund. The UK faces significant STEM skills gaps, estimated to cost the UK economy £1.5 billion every year. Accessibility, diversity, and gender disparity are particular issues, especially among young people. Only 16.5% of eventual working engineers are women, and 11.1% are disabled, for example. Awareness gaps early on across STEM education fosters negative stereotypes. FIRST® LEGO® League bridges some of this gap for young people to try to re-address the estimated shortfall of 173,000 workers in STEM sectors.

Your donation will directly enable children aged 6-16 years to explore their interest in engineering and technology. We provide schools/groups with high-quality, educational resources and guidance to integrate FIRST® LEGO® League into their curriculums and activities, ensuring they receive the right equipment and training. Our goal in doing this is to close the STEM education gap. We also work with a range of partners including local government to offer additional assistance to foster a quality, unique STEM experience for all participants taking part in FIRST® LEGO® League. By laying this important foundation, we aim to inspire engineers and technicians of the future.