2026 FIRST Global Challenge Event Volunteer Application

Thank you so much for your interest in becoming a FIRST Global volunteer! The event is not possible without your support. There are a wide variety of roles available so there is something for everyone! Find position description information here.

Volunteer positions are highly competitive, so you are encouraged to apply early. Unfortunately, positions are not guaranteed as the interest in volunteering for FIRST Global exceeds the needed number of volunteers. Please read through all of the information in this application and make sure you hit the submit button at the end. You will receive a confirmation email. The application should take 20-30 minutes total depending on your answers.

For 2026, there are three categories of volunteer roles:

Virtual: Judging for some Awards and the New Technology Experience are virtual opportunities. Volunteers can serve in both of these virtual and in person opportunities simultaneously.
Onsite: These positions are onsite at the Songdo ConvensiA and the volunteer must be available for the duration of the event starting the evening of October 5 all the way through the evening of October 10.
- Pit Admin, Practice Field Supervisors, Field Resetters, and Office Assistants are all eligible for single (or multi-day) shifts for those who cannot be a volunteer for the duration of the event. Volunteers can select October 6, 7, 8, 9, and/or 10 for the single or multi-day shift options.
- Robot Inspectors who are qualified and not available for the whole event may volunteer on October 6, 7, and/or 8.

Unless indicated, there are not shifts. Onsite volunteers can expect to arrive by around 4:30 PM (TENTATIVE time) to the event venue on the October 5 for volunteer training, and are generally onsite from 8 AM to 6 PM the following event days.

All volunteers must be 18 years of age or older as of the start of the competition. Background checks are also mandatory and information will be sent to confirmed volunteers only. Volunteers who are 16 or 17 years of age by the competition start date may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Email volunteer@first.global with your request.

Financial aid will be available for 2026 through a separate application process for confirmed volunteers only. To be considered, there are financial aid questions within this application that you must answer and are at the end of this application. Financial aid applications will be sent in April and you will have 1 week to submit the application.

The deadline to submit your application and be eligible for financial aid is Friday 10 April. Volunteers can still submit an application after this date, but they will not be eligible for financial aid.

Volunteers are encouraged to find their own accommodations. If we are able to secure a volunteer hotel block that information will be sent to volunteers at a later date, but volunteers should plan on finding their own accommodations. There are many great hotels in Incheon to choose from! Volunteers can take an Uber to the venue, use the great public transportation options, or even rent a car. There is ample parking at the convention center!

All Volunteers who complete their duties as a volunteer will receive a digital certificate of completion after the event ends by the end of the year.

Questions may be sent to: volunteer@first.global

All information collected is used for internal FIRST Global purposes, will remain confidential, and will not be shared outside of associated Staff or Key Volunteer managers.

Information sessions will be held on Saturday 28 March and Wednesday 1 April. Visit https://www.first.global/volunteer for additional information.

First Name (Given Name)*

Last Name (Surname)*

Email Address*

Phone Number*

Country CodeArea CodePhone Number

Date of Birth*

Date

Occupation*

What volunteer position(s) did you previously hold at the FIRST Global Challenge? *

YesNo

What team are you an alumni of? Please list the country and year you participated in the FGC.

Street Address 1*

Street Address 2

City*

State/Province/Region

Postal Code

Country*

YesNoNo - I am only applying for the Virtual Judge positionNo - I am only applying for a position with shifts

If you selected no above, please explain in detail why you cannot attend for the full duration, and include dates you can attend.

YesNo

Virtual Judging - FIRST Global AwardsVirtual Judging - New Technology ExperienceFIRST Global Challenge - In person 5 - 10 October at the Songdo Convention CenterFIRST Global Challenge - In person - day shift(s) for eligible positions

Of the eligible day shifts, Pit Admin, Field Resetter, Practice Field Supervisor, and Office Assistant all qualify for single day or multiple day shifts. For Robot Inspectors, the biggest days for this position are October 6, 7, and 8. No shifts for Robot Inspectors are needed for October 9 or 10 so please keep this in mind. You can select your positions in the following sections, but please indicate below which day(s) you are committing to volunteering in one of these positions.

Select your First Choice position*

Please describe your qualifications for and interest in the roles for which you are applying. You can include information such as your technical qualifications if you are applying for Flying Squad, if you have been a volunteer at FIRST Global in this position before, and/or any other information that helps us understand your interest and qualifications for your selected role*

0/250

Select your Second Choice position*

Please describe your qualifications for and interest in the roles for which you are applying. You can include information such as your technical qualifications if you are applying for Flying Squad, if you have been a volunteer at FIRST Global in this position before, and/or any other information that helps us understand your interest and qualifications for your selected role.*

0/250

Select your Third Choice position*

Please describe your qualifications for and interest in the roles for which you are applying. You can include information such as your technical qualifications if you are applying for Flying Squad, if you have been a volunteer at FIRST Global in this position before, and/or any other information that helps us understand your interest and qualifications for your selected role*

0/250

Additional Position-specific Questions

Based on your position selections, additional questions may be required. If they are required they will appear below. If you do not see any questions below, just continue on to the next section!

What is your Game Announcing style? If you are new to Game Announcing, what other Game Announcers or Sportscasters do you like? *

Please submit an unlisted (or listed -- your choice!) YouTube video of you being a Game Announcer. This can be at a FIRST competition or, if you are new, you can record yourself over a previous FIRST Global Match as long as the audio is clear. We want to get a feel for your personality and your Announcer style! If you have not been a Game Announcer before, training options may be available to help you develop your talent. Put the link of the video below. *

Please provide us with your portfolio or other work to demonstrate your style. *

FIRST Global Representatives are mostly comprised of FIRST Global student alumni. While others can apply, please keep this in mind. What makes you a good candidate for being a FG Representative? *

Thinking about talking to someone, in 30 seconds or less, how would you tell a guest about your experience with FIRST Global and its impact on you? *

Yes I want to be considered as a candidate for Head RefereeNo I do not want to be considered as a candidate for Head Referee

Why are you interested in being a volunteer at the 2026 FIRST Global Challenge?*

0/500

What are you most looking forward to about being a volunteer for FIRST Global? *

0/500

Describe a time you had to problem-solve quickly in a high-stress situation. What did you do and what was the outcome?*

0/500

Reliability is one of the most important qualities we look for in our volunteers! What does being a reliable volunteer mean to you, and what would you do if an unexpected situation arose that might prevent you from completing your duties as a volunteer? *

Describe the experience you have with robotics competitions. Include the type of experience (volunteer, mentor, competitor), along with the type of competition (FTC, FRC, etc.)*

0/500

Are you affiliated with a current, participating FIRST Global team? Please list which team and how you are affiliated. If, for example, you were a student on a team, please list that team and if you are still in contact with the students and/or mentors. If you are applying for a Judge role and you are a student alumni, please note that you must be 2 years removed from a team. *

What languages do you speak? Please note if you are fluent or conversational for each language. *

Financial Aid

The deadline to submit this application and be eligible for financial aid is Friday 10 April.

Applications will remain open until late summer. Volunteers can still submit an application after this date, but they will not be eligible for financial aid as that deadline will have passed.

Financial aid may be granted through a separate application process, where a volunteer can receive full financial aid covering the cost of a flight and hotel, OR partial financial aid covering a flight or hotel room. Financial aid is extremely limited and is not guaranteed, even to those who may have received it in the past. Additional information will be sent only to confirmed volunteers.

To reiterate: You must indicate interest in financial aid on this applicaiton and submit by 10 April to receive the financial aid application. This will only be sent to confimed volunteers.

YesNo

If you are unable to pay for all expenses, what level of support would you need from FIRST Global? We offer flight, hotel, or flight/hotel combined. (If this is not applicable to you, please write "N/A")*

If you have any questions, please put them below. You will receive a response when your application is reviewed which may take time. For more pressing questions, email volunteer@first.global.

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2026 FIRST Global Challenge Volunteer Application

Submitter Information

Home Address

Volunteer Commitment

Volunteer Information

Volunteer Type

Volunteer Roles

Additional Position-specific Questions

Financial Aid