MTI Team Applications Open February 1, 2026
On Sunday, February 1st, team applications open for the tenth annual Multinational Tech Invitational (MTI) - formerly the Maryland Tech Invitational - a highly competitive, tech focused, international, off-season FIRST® Tech Challenge tournament.
Be part of the experience. Compete for team grants. Earn your place on the MTI field.
Event Dates: June 26-28, 2026
Location: Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, MD.
Invitations are earned through on-field performance during the DECODE℠ season and demonstrated capability in the required solo match video submission.
Application Deadline: Sunday, March 29, 2026
Registration Fee: $800
Important
The MTI is not an FTC Premier Event. Teams must apply to be considered. Invitations are extended to top-performing robot game teams.
Additional MTI opportunities include
See the MTI website to APPLY and for more details.
Questions? Direct them to info@mti.firstchesapeake.org
ADVANCEMENT - FIRST Championship & Premier Events!
We are excited to announce the advancement numbers for FIRST Championship and Premier Events for the 2025/2026 season!!! Advancement from these events is from the region Championships (Arizona and Four Corners). Read more details at this blog post from FTC leadership HERE!
ARIZONA
- 4 teams to FIRST Championship
- 7 teams to Premier Events
- 48-50 teams will compete at the AZ Championship
- About 20% of the teams will advance to the next level
FOUR CORNERS
- 2 teams to FIRST Championship
- 4 teams to Premier Events
- 18-19 teams will compete at the Four Corners Championship
- About 1/3 of the teams will advance to the next level
Premier events take place all over the USA and internationally from April to July. If a team receives an invitation to a Premier event, they will have the opportunity to choose from the different event options! Find out more about Premier events HERE!
Plan your fundraising as if your team is moving on...you never know what will happen!!!
Capstone Event Preferencing
All FIRST Tech Challenge teams interested in attending the FIRST Championship presented by BAE Systems or a Premier Event are encouraged to submit their team's event preference list. Learn more about Premier Events and event preferencing on our blog.
If your team has qualified for the Arizona or Four Corners Championship, we encourage you to meet with your teams and decide on events you'd like to attend before you compete at your Championship. Plan ahead! Meet with school and district administrators and discuss travel. Consider timing of events, entry fees and deadlines, and if your team wants to fly or drive. There are no automatic placements. All teams that want to play at a capstone level event, including FIRST Championship, need to submit a preferencing list, even if only one event is on that list. Lead Coach 1 and 2 from ALL region championship teams may begin creating preferencing lists now, or select "decline invitation" if your team doesn't want to play a capstone event. Spots that become available due to teams declining will be filled by teams that have completed preferencing lists.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Region Championships
If your team is done competing for the season, consider volunteering for the Championship events! We especially need referees and judges for both events. To learn more about volunteer roles, visit the FIRST Volunteer page.
Students can volunteer in support roles as well! To sign up, login to your FIRST Dashboard and select "Volunteer."
- Four Corners Championship: February 6 & 7, Kayenta, AZ
- Arizona Championship: February 20 & 21, Flagstaff, AZ
- Judging interviews for the AZ Championship will take place Friday evening. Judges should arrive by 5 pm Friday.
Summit Education: 2026 Summer Programs
Summit Education hosts virtual summer programs for high-achieving students interested in STEM. In 2026, Summit will host the Summit STEM Fellowship (SSF) and Summit Research Scholars (SRS).
- Summit STEM Fellowship (SSF): The Summit STEM Fellowship (SSF) empowers the next generation of leaders in STEM. Students explore diverse STEM fields and career pathways while learning from 50+ mentors from Harvard, Stanford, and MIT. The fellowship is a flexible 10–15 hour per week commitment, allowing students to participate alongside other summer activities.
- Summit Research Scholars (SRS): Summit Research Scholars (SRS) helps students get started with original research by teaching core research methodologies and technical skills, from literature review and research design to Python, data science, and statistics. Students develop an original research proposal and learn how to apply research to solve real-world problems.
Applications for Summer 2026 programs are now open. Admissions are rolling, and students are encouraged to apply early to maximize their chances of acceptance. To learn more and apply, please visit www.summiteducation.org.
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