Lakewood Ranch, Florida — October 2, 2025 — FUNducation® , a leading organization dedicated to fostering STEAM education, is proud to announce it has been selected by FIRST® to be the official Program Delivery Organization (PDO) for the FIRST® LEGO® League program in Central & West Region Florida. The Central & West Region includes Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, DeSoto, Hardy, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia County. This new role will allow the nonprofit to directly manage and expand the program, bringing hands-on, team-based robotics and coding experiences to thousands of students ages 4-16 across the region.

As the PDO, FUNducation will oversee all aspects of the FIRST LEGO League program in Florida Central & West, including recruiting and training coaches and volunteers, organizing official tournaments, and providing support for all participating teams. The organization will work to grow the number of teams and increase access to the program in the region.

“We are incredibly excited to take on the role of Program Delivery Organization for FIRST LEGO League in our region,” said Neirda Thompson-Pemberton, founder and executive director at FUNducation. “This partnership is a natural fit for our mission to inspire young people to become leaders in science and technology. We believe that FIRST LEGO League’s focus on teamwork, problem-solving, and its Core Values aligns perfectly with our goals, and we can’t wait to expand this transformative program.”

The FIRST LEGO League program challenges teams of students to research a real-world problem and design, build and program an autonomous LEGO robot to complete missions on a themed playing field. The program is built on the FIRST Core Values , which include discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork and fun. Through this experience, students not only develop critical STEAM skills but also learn valuable life skills like collaboration and communication.

The program is currently seeking new teams, coaches, volunteers and sponsors to participate in the upcoming season. For more information on how to get involved, visit www.funducation.org.

About FUNducation®

FUNducation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on a mission to expose, engage, and inspire our youth to be the innovators of tomorrow through education in Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). We believe in fostering a new generation of innovators and problem-solvers through engaging, hands-on learning experiences.

FIRST®

FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a global non-profit organization that prepares young people for the future through a suite of robotics competitions and STEM education programs. Founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST’s programs are designed to inspire students’ interest and participation in science and technology.

Media Contact: Neirda Thompson Pemberton, Executive Director FUNducation Inc Hello@FUNducation.org (941) 281-5813