Get settled after your travels, then start the weekend off right by connecting with fellow mentors at our casual Meet + Greet before the conference officially begins. Drop in any time between 7–10 p.m. to enjoy great conversation, make new connections, and relax with snacks provided. It’s the perfect opportunity to build community and set the tone for an inspiring weekend of learning and collaboration.

Welcome to the third annual New England Mentor Conference! Come to the lobby of the MIT Welcome Center for registration and a grab-and-go breakfast before our student guides help everyone cross campus to the iconic Huntington Hall.

Menu: pastries, yogurt, fruit, coffee

We're ready to turn over a new leaf to kick off the 2026 New England Mentor Conference, with a special thank you from our University host!

A conversation geared towards preparing for judging sessions at competitions and showing that in the long term, this helps students cultivate public speaking, interviewing and communication skills. As someone who was deeply impacted by these interactions as a student, Manisha's goal is to start a discussion on why the soft skills are just as important as the technical skills - something that will serve students long past graduation!

Every mentor’s path to FIRST is different, and those experiences often become one of the greatest strengths they bring to their team. Join FIRST alumni mentors from FRC 125, FRC 148, FRC 1768, and FRC 2713 as they share how their personal and professional backgrounds influence the way they mentor, support students, work with fellow mentors, and help shape team culture. Through honest stories and real experiences, discover how a variety of backgrounds can strengthen every part of a FIRST team. You’ll leave with fresh perspectives, practical insights, and new ideas to bring back to your own team.

Start your mentor conference off right in a welcoming space designed specifically for new coaches and team leaders. Connect with peers navigating their first season, share initial questions, and learn practical tips from experienced mentors who have been in your shoes. Leave with new contacts, proven survival strategies, and the reassurance that you do not have to figure everything out on your own.

This presentation is all about how to prepare your alliance for a match. It will include discussion on preparing for practice, qualification, and playoff matches.

After coaching FTC in a middle school level for three years now, I keep having the same conversation of "Are middle schoolers really able to handle this level of robotics?" And the answer I always give is "YES! A thousand times YES!" This session will talk about the amazing things that can be accomplished in middle school robotics and why and how we can be growing more FTC level middle school programs.

For years, teams pursuing the FIRST Impact Award have been told to simply “tell your story.” While generally true, that advice obscures the deep strategic nuance and systemic process these successful teams employ.

This session breaks down a proven, repeatable approach to building a competitive Impact submission, focusing on three core pillars: data management, strategic messaging, and thematic cohesion. Drawing from real-world experience across multiple programs, we will walk through how successful teams organize outreach data, craft compelling narratives, and develop themes that resonate with judges.

This presentation will cover several areas of team logistics, including scheduling team meetings, outreach events, and fundraising activities, as well as Build Season logistics such as team meals, hotels, and transportation for competitions. We'll also discuss the importance of, and strategies for, effective communication with the team and their families/support networks. Lastly, we'll also talk about different methods to raise the funds the team needs.

As FIRST evolves its K–8 lineup, keeping a strong connection between middle school and high school programs is more important than ever. This session focuses on navigating upcoming program and technology updates, keeping younger students engaged, and building sustainable pathways from youth teams into FTC and FRC. Bring your experiences, questions, and ideas for growing local STEM pathways.

Sheet metal in FRC is back! Design methods of FRC days past may be exactly what your team needs to take your robots to the next level. Sheet metal fabrication is faster than ever, making manufacturing methods that used to be reserved for large production shops accessible to FRC teams at all levels. Learn how to design for sheet metal and save weight, time, and money on your 2027 season.

Accessibility is more than wheelchair ramps. It belongs everywhere: from a team website and Instagram page, to an app built for an Innovation Project, to a humanoid robot your company is building now or in the future. This session will cover the how and why behind making accessible digital content, and how infusing accessibility into everything you make is an embodiment of the FIRST Core Values. Finally, we’ll talk about the career opportunities that come from knowing terms like “WCAG”, “screen reader”, and “aria-live="polite" 

Leave feeling prepared to make a digital difference!

Featuring: FRC 125, FRC 694, FRC 1073, FRC 1678, FRC 1768

Success on the field starts long before the first match. Preparing students to handle the pressure of live matches requires a deliberate approach to practice and communication. Our panelists will share their frameworks for scouting driver talent within your team, planning high-quality driver practice, and best practices for actually coaching during a match.

A huge variety of sandwiches, rice bowls and salads from Pressed Cafe! The Stratton Student Center food court and market will also be available just in case.

AI is not just for programmers, and this session is not about writing robot code. This talk is about how mentors and students can use AI to create real value for their teams, from custom apps and interactive websites to scouting tools. Using examples like Tide Apps, I’ll show how AI can help people without a traditional software background turn ideas into polished, useful products. The focus will be on what becomes possible when more people on a team can build: faster iteration, better internal tools, and creative solutions to problems that used to require a dedicated developer. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for using AI beyond the robot and a clearer picture of how students and mentors can start building things that make their teams better.

In the coming years, FRC and FTC will be transitioning to a unified control system based on a new robot controller: Systemcore. This hardware switch introduces major software shifts as both programs transition to an updated version of the WPILib ecosystem, including multi-platform Driver Station support, OpModes, on-bot coding, and more! Whether you’re a team interested in the new features of Systemcore or learning about the WPILib ecosystem for the first time, join us to learn about the new control system and how to prepare your team for a seamless transition.

Bring your burning questions for an open conversation with NE FIRST leadership! Whether you want clarity on event operations, insights into district policy, or advice on regional resources, this session offers direct access for a collaborative conversation and feedback session.

A roadmap to transforming physical infrastructure, redefining roles, and process improvements pertaining to life in the pit at an FRC event. This presentation will display a series of cost effective measures that can be used to reduce load in/out friction and improve operational excellence.

A first-year FRC software mentor reflects on the transition from FLL to FRC. The session covers useful resources for getting started and discusses the techniques used to teach rookie software students on Team 6328 (Mechanical Advantage). A new open-source interactive learning tool, Mech-A Coder, is introduced to help teams build foundational software skills. The session concludes with speculation on the future of software development and mentorship in an era of rapid technological change.

Show off your unconventional, brilliant, and downright unhinged life hacks that your team uses to survive and thrive. Anyone can grab the mic for 5 to 10 minutes to share their favorite makeshift fix, pit organization trick, or weirdly effective workflow shortcut. Come share your craziest solutions that actually work, and steal a few genius ideas for your own team.

Featuring: FRC 6328, FTC 701, WPILib, FIRST HQ

As FIRST prepares to deploy the new Systemcore control system across both FRC and FTC, several teams have spent the past year testing alpha versions of the new hardware and software (including at off-season events). Join mentors from local FRC and FTC alpha-testers for an interactive, team-to-team panel discussion. Bring your questions for an open Q&A on what worked, what surprised them, and what your team should expect as you prepare for the transition.

Past Woodie Flowers Finalist Award (WFFA) recipients lead this open conversation on effective mentorship and team communication, fostering Gracious Professionalism under pressure, and building a team culture that supports and empowers students.

This presentation covers simple concepts to help improve your team and robot in the coming season as well as give specific technical information to use for your robot. This presentation has been curated over the past couple years to pull in the latest tribal knowledge on how run a successful FRC team.

What does it take to be eligible for FIRST Tech Challenge awards, and how can you guide your students to success? Join Wheeler School's FTC mentor to find out!

Behind every efficient build season is a shop culture built on clear pipelines and consistent execution. This session breaks down how a lean coaching staff can structure a small workspace into a fast, manageable manufacturing setup. I will share our offseason training frameworks, design workflows, AI Tools, and team structure that help students and mentors confidently take ownership of the tools, test ideas sooner, and keep the team moving forward.

This keynote studies how a mentor's genuine commitment to competition results is key for maximizing student success. Guiding teams toward building a successful robot, what is called the "campfire we all circle around", fosters self-efficacy and inspiration in students. This session will explore tools to consider and case studies of following these strategies. Building better robots builds better people, both your students and yourself.

Unwind and connect with fellow mentors at our conference social presented by Sphero! Enjoy dinner and casual conversation in a relaxed, fun atmosphere. When you're not eating, join the Blueprint Robotics™ Launch Party Tournament and see how Sphero's newest classroom solution gives all students a fast track to a working robot. By reducing setup time, students get more time to iterate, problem-solve, and develop real career skills. Get your robotics competition fix for the summer and win great prizes! 

Dinner: Anna's Taqueria Taco Bar

Everything you need to build your own tacos including grilled chicken, grilled steak, grilled veggies, vegetarian rice, vegetarian black beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, hot sauce, and tortillas.

Welcome back to DAY 2! Return to the MIT Welcome Center to check in, grab breakfast, and head back to Huntington Hall for a half day of hands-on content.

Menu: bagels and cream cheese, muffins, yogurt, donuts, juice, coffee, and bananas

Branch out for the second and final day of the 2026 New England Mentor Conference! Featuring a special message from MIT alum and Chief Evangelist of Onshape by PTC, Jon Hirschtick, who was part of Woodie's famous class, (then 2.70, now 2.007), the original inspiration for FIRST.

Explore the latest educational resources from FIRST, including the FRC Guided Experience, FTC Skill Builders, Mentor Development courses, and volunteer trainings. More importantly, we'll explore the bigger purpose behind them: helping every team succeed while creating meaningful experiences that develop leaders, strengthen communities, and make mentoring one of the most rewarding parts of the FIRST journey.

Preview the next generation of the command-based programming framework, available in 2027. Learn about what's new, what concepts return from v1 and v2, and best practices when using the new framework.

Whether you are launching a new team or scaling your existing pipeline, this session covers the complete lifecycle of running FIRST LEGO League teams. Drawing on a decade of experience, we will break down what works, what doesn't, and how to build a lasting bridge into high school programs. We will also provide free time with the LEGO Education SPIKE Prime platform, where mentors can get their hands on a kit and play through sensor tutorials and basic drive bases. Finally, we will open up the room to discuss how to prepare your local pipeline for the upcoming 2027 K-8 program changes.

This practical workshop covers essential electrical skills every team needs for a reliable robot. Learn best practices for battery assembly, evaluate standard COTS components, and master proper crimping techniques for signal wires and main power connectors using real tools on-site. We will also demonstrate power distribution hardware, power splitters, and simple methods for isolating and resolving CAN bus faults quickly.

Learn how MATLAB and Simulink can help FIRST Robotics teams to model, simulate and deploy with virtual robots and control logics before field time begins. The session will also highlight how an FRC team applied these workflows and advanced to the FIRST Championship in the last season. Mentors will leave with practical ideas for helping students iterate faster in a cost-effective way and connect robot design decisions to testable engineering results.

Recruiting students is important, but keeping them engaged and helping them develop the skills needed for competition is even more critical. This session explores how Blueprint Robotics can serve as a bridge between introductory STEM experiences and competitive robotics, helping educators create a sustainable pipeline of confident, capable future team members.

Hear directly from MIT undergraduate students who are alumni of FIRST programs. Panelists will share their journeys from build season to university life, offer insights on how their robotics experience prepared them for college, and discuss how high school teams can best equip students for the next level.

This session tells the story of how FRC 5940, BREAD’s, retrospective culture led to the founding of FRCtees.org. Discover what it was like being a student on a team that improved a little every day, across every part of how we operated, and ultimately how that continuous improvement Kaizen culture led founder Beckett Miller to discover the business opportunity behind FRCtees. Learn more about the founding of the company, our journey to $350,000 in revenue in year one, and how that same culture continues to shape how FRCtees commits to being a socially responsible business.

Maximize your design workflow and keep your CAD team organized throughout the season. This session covers essential techniques for structuring Onshape documents, managing multi-user collaboration, and implementing top-down design strategies tailored for FIRST teams. Learn how to optimize Part Studio and Assembly performance, utilize community features like FRC Design Library and custom FeatureScripts, and set up your preseason structure so your students can iterate faster during build season. Bonus: learn how Sphero and Onshape are collaborating!

Celebrate the end of the conference with Roxy's Grilled Cheese! Stick around for a group photo before we head home.

Lunch: Roxy's Grilled Cheese

All grilled cheese served on locally baked Sourdough bread with our three cheese blend. Make it gluten free, vegan or both!

Options come with truffle tater tots and soda or water: 

• THREE CHEESE: Vermont cheddar, brick cheese, Monterey Jack

• ROOKIE MELT: three cheeses with sliced plum tomatoes

• CHICKEN PESTO MELT: pulled chicken, three cheese blend, fresh basil pesto

• HOT HONEY BACON: applewood smoked bacon, Mike's hot honey