The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), formerly the FIRST Vex Challenge (FVC), is a robotics competition targeted toward middle and high school-aged students.[1] It offers the traditional challenge of a FIRST Robotics competition but with a more accessible and affordable robotics kit. The ultimate goal of FTC is to reach more young people with a lower-cost, more accessible opportunity to discover the excitement and rewards of science, technology, engineering and math.
In Michigan FTC is only for middle school-aged students due to the caliber of FRC teams in Michigan. This also gives the students on FRC teams to apply what they have learned. FTC is an exciting slightly less extensive version of FRC. http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc