Dematic scholarship applications open

FIRST Robotics and STEM students eligible for scholarship

April 9, 2026

2 min read

Since 2008, Dematic has partnered with For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a global nonprofit dedicated to advancing STEM education. In the past seven years, Dematic has invested nearly $500,000 in local FIRST teams, events and student scholarships. As part of this continued partnership, Dematic is awarding two $5,000 scholarships and 10 $1,000 scholarships.

Applications are open April 10 to May 31 and can be submitted online. Students need to upload a high school transcript for graduation verification or expected graduation date; a letter of recommendation from an adult mentor, FIRST team coach, teacher or guidance counselor (recommended, but not required); and an essay, maximum 1,000 words, addressing “Rebuilt—Reimagining Solutions in Our Community.”

The 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition theme, Rebuilt, challenges students to look at what already exists and imagine how it could be repurposed, improved or rebuilt to solve real problems. Engineering is not only about creating new machines; it is about understanding systems, resources and people and using STEM to create meaningful change.

Scholarship applicants are asked to identify a problem or challenge within their community. Community may be defined at any scale, including one’s school, neighborhood, town, state or even the nation. This problem should be something that needs to be fixed, improved or redesigned rather than completely replaced.

Applicant essays should explore how this challenge could be addressed by modernizing, rebuilding, or repurposing to extend the lifecycle of existing resources.

To be considered for this scholarship, students must meet the following criteria:

participated in a FIRST Robotics Competition or a FIRST Tech Challenge team during high school
applied or admitted to a postsecondary institution, including trade schools, as a full- or part-time student (applicants do not need to be admitted at the time of application)
pursuing a post-secondary degree or certification at a North American academic institution. STEM degrees and certifications are preferred
must not be a previous Dematic FIRST Scholarship winner as they are ineligible to win again.