The mission of US FIRST is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership. The First Tech Challenge (FTC) project brings the challenge and excitement of robot design, build, and competition to smaller, rural schools in Oklahoma that lack the resources to participate in the FIRST Robotics competition. The FTC robots are built with stock parts and do not require welding or other advanced construction skills. An FTC team can participate for around $1000-$1500 per school year, whereas a FIRST Robotics team will need $5,000-$8,000. The contest rules are announced in September and each team must design, build and program their robot for competition. Southwestern Oklahoma State University hosted the state championship. During the eight qualifying events, 44 teams qualified for the state championship competition.