1902 IMPACT!

Exploding Bacon Team 1902 from Orlando, Florida was awarded the FIRST Championship Chairman’s Award at the 2019 Houston Championship. The team received this award for its programs and culture that continue to fuel each generation’s passion for STEM and inspire them to become innovators in their own community. 

To do this, Exploding Bacon built programs that multiplied their impact at FIRST events, online, and around the world. These programs included Exploding Science, Spark, and #FIRSTLikeAGirl.  Additionally, their emphasis on image and marketing extended the reach and amplified the impact of their programs, while also supporting fellow FIRST teams’ outreach endeavors.

Bacon initially began Exploding Science as an outreach program in their local community. It quickly became a core initiative, teaching exciting science concepts to students after school and eventually adding LEGO EV3 robotics design to create a full Summer Camp curriculum for 8-12 year olds. Many participants of the summer camps went on to join FIRST LEGO League Teams and eventually join Exploding Bacon, strengthening the FIRST pipeline in the Central Florida area. 

In 2014, Bacon expanded Exploding Science and created the Spark Science kits. This global outreach initiative was designed to send reusable, shoebox-sized science kits to students with few resources. Initially created to send alongside mission trips launched from their community, Spark transformed into a program improving the accessibility of STEM education and demonstrating the true power of the FIRST community. Exploding Bacon has worked alongside FIRST teams and other organizations to send 154 Spark kits to 49 countries. 

In 2016, Exploding Bacon created the #FIRSTLikeAGirl program to encourage more girls and women to get involved in STEM. Through this social media campaign, they strive to empower girls with the confidence to overcome cultural pressures, follow their dreams in STEM, and become active members of the FIRST community. The #FIRSTLikeAGirl YouTube channel features over 100 videos of students, mentors, and alumni in the FIRST community sharing their stories. Additionally, the #FIRSTLikeAGirl social media accounts have garnered global attention yielding over one million impressions per month in 2019. 

While their programs were initially designed to directly inspire the next generation of STEM leaders, Exploding Bacon has successfully amplified their efforts by creating programs that resonate with other FIRST teams. The ultimate resources in FIRST are the participants who inspire everyday. Exploding Bacon works to magnify this individual impact, creating a unifying force for cultural change. Cultivating global collaboration, fostering opportunity & magnifying inspiration.