FRC Reefscape Blog: Volume 21

Coaches Chat tonight- OSPI listening and brainstorming session
FRC 2025 Season Retrospective Survey – Feedback Wanted
Important Dates
- May 27th: Coaches Chat– OSPI listening and brainstorming session
Action Requested: After reading the note below, please take a moment to complete this very short [survey] by Friday, May 23 to help us understand the impact of the funding loss—and whether you may need support or be able to offer assistance to others.
Hello Teams,
Thank you to everyone who reached out to your State Senators and Congress Members, advocating for continued OSPI funding in the new State Budget. Your efforts are deeply appreciated.
Unfortunately, the current budget being reviewed at the Governor’s office includes no OSPI funding for Teams this upcoming season- meaning that the $1.475 million dollars from OSPI distributed to FIRST Washington teams and events last year is not available for the upcoming season.
That’s the tough news- but definitely not the end of the story.
Leadership at FIRST Washington is committed to the following:
We are currently assessing all available assets and cost saving measures and have also developed a robust fund-raising strategy for our upcoming Fiscal Year and season.
Ensuring Teams have the resources needed for another successful season will require an all-hands effort and partnership with the entire FIRST Community- Volunteers, Mentors, Coaches, Schools, Corporate Donors, Foundations, and Individual Donors.
Here are a few next steps:
We are reaching out not only to public school teams, but also to our community-based teams. Your experiences with self-funding and community support may offer valuable insights for school-based teams facing these new challenges.
We’ll continue to communicate in the coming weeks as we look for ways to move forward together. We are incredibly grateful to be part of such a dedicated and resilient community.
Thank you for all you do,
Adrienne Collins,
Director of Programs, FIRST Washington
Action Requested: After reading the note below, please take a moment to complete this very short [survey] by Friday, May 23 to help us understand the impact of the funding loss—and whether you may need support or be able to offer assistance to others.
Hello Teams,
Thank you to everyone who reached out to your State Senators and Congress Members, advocating for continued OSPI funding in the new State Budget. Your efforts are deeply appreciated.
Unfortunately, the current budget being reviewed at the Governor’s office includes no OSPI funding for Teams this upcoming season- meaning that the $1.475 million dollars from OSPI distributed to FIRST Washington teams and events last year is not available for the upcoming season.
That’s the tough news- but definitely not the end of the story.
Leadership at FIRST Washington is committed to the following:
We are currently assessing all available assets and cost saving measures and have also developed a robust fund-raising strategy for our upcoming Fiscal Year and season.
Our first immediate step is making an adjustment for the 2025/26 season that will help all teams in the Pacific Northwest. We will be decoupling the District Championship (DCMP) registration fee from the overall season registration saving teams $1,200 on their season registration fees. Here’s what that means for your team:
Ensuring Teams have the resources needed for another successful season will require an all-hands effort and partnership with the entire FIRST Community- Volunteers, Mentors, Coaches, Schools, Corporate Donors, Foundations, and Individual Donors.
Here are a few next steps:
We are reaching out not only to public school teams, but also to our community-based teams as well as teams in Oregon. Your experiences with self-funding and community support may offer valuable insights for school-based teams facing these new challenges.
We’ll continue to communicate in the coming weeks as we look for ways to move forward together. We are incredibly grateful to be part of such a dedicated and resilient community.
Thank you for all you do,
Adrienne Collins,
Director of Programs, FIRST Washington
Our District Championship/Championship Event Briefing is scheduled for Tuesday, Mar 18 at 7:00 pm.
If you think you may qualify for District Championships, I recommend that you attend this meeting though it will be recorded an posted to our website so if you don’t attend and qualify, you will still be able to access the information.
We are three weeks out and we’re looking forward to an exciting District Championship Event at Eastern Washington University in Cheney April 2 – 5.
If you’re planning to volunteer at DCMP but ONLY if your team qualifies, we advise you apply for the role you want and include a note in your application stating your team number, and that your assignment is conditional of your team making it. That will help us get a better understanding of who plans to volunteer.
If you have the ability to volunteer whether your team qualifies or not, we highly encourage you to do so!
Not sure where to start? Follow the guide below!
Are you a…. Coach/mentor/parent?
Are you a…. Student?
Thanks for all your help this season!
Many teams are asking where to find event photos. Our volunteer photographers upload them to our flickr account. Please be patient, most of our volunteers have full time jobs so it does take a few days for the photos to get uploaded.
Thank you to our week 2 coaches for being prepared and bringing your roster to the event to turn in.
Remember, you need to turn in your roster and paper consent forms for any student/mentor who hasn’t signed and electronic consent form at every single event you attend. Lets keep it up for our week 3 & 4 events!
If you are having issues getting your roster printed or need help, feel free to reach out to me and I will be happy to work with you (to the extent that I can) or connect you with folks at FIRST that can help you.
Lets make sure our volunteers can focus on the important work of making a great event for your hard working students, and not spend their time trying to find a way to print your roster for you.
We are three weeks out and we’re looking forward to an exciting District Championship Event at Eastern Washington University in Cheney April 2 – 5.
If you’re planning to volunteer at DCMP but ONLY if your team qualifies, we advise you apply for the role you want and include a note in your application stating your team number, and that your assignment is conditional of your team making it. That will help us get a better understanding of who plans to volunteer.
If you have the ability to volunteer whether your team qualifies or not, we highly encourage you to do so!
Not sure where to start? Follow the guide below!
Are you a…. Coach/mentor/parent?
Are you a…. Student?
Thanks for all your help this season!
Our District Championship/Championship Event Briefing is scheduled for Tuesday, Mar 18 at 7:00 pm.
If you think you may qualify for District Championships, I recommend that you attend this meeting though it will be recorded an posted to our website so if you don’t attend and qualify, you will still be able to access the information.