FIRST Tech Challenge South Carolina Season Kickoff Coming to GSSM September 6

HARTSVILLE, S.C. (Sept. 2, 2025) ─ The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics (GSSM) will host the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) South Carolina Season Kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., bringing together more than 50 middle and high school robotics teams from across the state.

The highlight of the day will be the worldwide reveal of the 2025–26 game, DECODE presented by RTX, at 12 p.m. Eastern. Each year, FIRST releases a brand-new robotics challenge simultaneously across the globe, launching a season of design, coding, building and competition for more than 8,000 FTC teams worldwide.

Event schedule highlights:

• 9:30–10:15 a.m. – Morning workshops on programming, CAD, fundraising and more
• 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m. – Season announcements, Q&A
• 12–12:30 p.m. – Global DECODE game reveal
• 1:30–3 p.m. – Afternoon workshops and hands-on demonstrations

Workshops will be led by veteran FTC teams, including GSSM’s own Excalibur, Golden Dragons and The Lobotomists.

“Kickoff is one of the most exciting days of the year for our teams,” said Dr. Elaine Parshall, engineering instructor and robotics coach at GSSM. “Even though our last competition was just a few weeks ago, our students are already eager to dive back in. They love sharing what they’ve learned through workshops, picking up new ideas from other teams, and most of all, finally discovering what this year’s challenge will be. FIRST has been teasing the game since May, so the suspense is real. Imagine what it’s like participating in a sport in which the rules change every year.”

In the 2024–25 season, South Carolina teams earned spots at the Event Championships in Houston, Texas, and other premier competitions across the world. This year, teams will once again compete for top honors in robot performance, programming, outreach and innovation.

The event is free and open to the public.

Event details:

• Date: Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025
• Time: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
• Location: South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics, 401 Railroad Ave., Hartsville, SC

For more information, visit firstsouthcarolina.org/events/ftc-kickoff