Investing in STEM Innovation
In 1997, the university became the first in the world to create a scholarship for FIRST alumni. Dozens of colleges and universities have followed suit, but WPI’s FIRST Scholarships remain among the most generous.
Each year WPI offers two full-tuition, four-year undergraduate scholarships to a FIRST participant. One award recognizes design innovation; the other celebrates the leadership and vision of a student from a group that is traditionally underrepresented in STEM. Last year 141 students applied for the two scholarships.
In 2000, WPI began hosting BattleCry@WPI, an off-season FIRST competition that lets teams use the robots they created earlier in the year to face off one more time. The event draws more than 1,000 high school students to campus each year.
Many younger students first learn about WPI when they participate in the FIRST LEGO League…