Blue Lightning, team number 578, is one of many high school robotics teams in the FIRST program. FIRST(For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) is a program that hopes to encourage students to pursue math, science, and engineering careers as they learn from professional mentors and develop life skills such as self-confidence, communication, and leadership.

Students have six weeks to design, build, and program a robot. Others create 3D animations, build a website, and create thousands of buttons to trade with other teams at competitions. Regionals take place across the country, culminating in the international finals in Atlanta, Georgia. This year the Atlanta Championship takes place April 16-18.

Robotics fosters friendship, as well as confidence and technical skills. Inhabiting a high-stress environment for extended periods of time requires immense cooperation, patience, and forgiveness. FIRST also strives to encourage gracious professionalism- where fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate notions. In other words, even while trying extremely hard to win, team members treat their opponents with respect.

Blue Lightning is a team based at Fairport High School and for the past several years has been a large team of more than 50 students. They are noted for their blue hair, their enthusiasm that always puts them in as a contender for the Spirit Award, and for their consistently award-winning websites.