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FTC Blog Volume 2

by | Aug 22, 2023 | FTC

FTC Blog Volume 2

Boeing Grant is open!

If you have a Boeing mentor, make sure they fill out the application for your team.

Exciting news for Washington State public and tribal schools!

FIRST Washington is now administering the OSPI grant! More info to come soon.

FTC Season is just around the corner

The FTC Game reveal is on Saturday, September 9 at 9:00 am (pacific time) We have several kickoff events scheduled, or your team can watch the game reveal online!

2023 FTC Kickoff information

I am happy to announce that we will have 5 kickoff events this season! Basic kickoff information is listed below along with a registration form. Additional event specific information will be sent to registered teams as we get closer to the event.

 

FTC Kickoff – Eastern Washington:

Ridgeline HS 20150 E. Country Vista Dr.

Liberty Lake, WA 09-19

Doors open at 8:30 am

Event will go until 11:30 am

 

FTC Kickoff – Central Washington:

Hanford HS 450 Hanford St.

Richland, WA 99354

Doors open at 8:30 am

Event will go until 11:30 am

 

FTC Kickoff – Auburn:

Auburn HS

711 E. Main St

Auburn, WA 98002

Doors open at 8:30 am

Event will go until 12:30 pm

 

FTC Kickoff – Bellevue:

BrickCon 2023! Meydenbauer Center

11100 NE 6th St.

Bellevue, WA 98004

Doors open at 8:30 am

Event will go until 12:00 pm

*There will be discount tickets to BrickCon available. Info will be sent to teams registered for this kickoff

 

FTC Kickoff – Olympia:

Olympia HS 1302 N. St. SE

Olympia, WA 98501

Doors open at 8:30 am

Event will go until 11:30 am

 

To register for any of these events, click here!

FRC Blog Volume 1

by | Aug 22, 2023 | FRC

FRC Blog Volume 1

Exciting news for Washington State public and tribal compact schools!

FIRST Washington is now administering the OSPI Grant! More info to come soon.

Boeing Grants are open!

If you have a Boeing mentor, make sure they fill out the application for your team.

FRC Mentor Meet up September 9th,

FIRSTWA Fieldhouse

You and the mentors from your FRC team are invited to attend a PNW FRC mentor meet up and potluck on Saturday, September 9th starting at 12:00 pm at the FIRST Washington Fieldhouse in Kent, WA. (Note that the fieldhouse has moved since Covid. See the new address below).

This informal get-together will provide opportunities for mentors from various teams get to know each other and make connections beyond what is made at competitions. In addition to the potluck luncheon, some time will be devoted to a large group discussion.

Some of the goals in hosting such a meet up would be to:

  • Discuss some ways where mentors of the PNW FRC teams can better help each other
  • Seek input and make plans for off-season technical workshops to build the skills of teams throughout the PNW
  • Discuss some goals for the future of FRC in the PNW (at least from the coach perspective) 

For planning purposes, each mentor planning should fill out this Google form.

Here’s a suggestion on what food category to bring for the potluck:

Appetizer/Finger food: A – N (last name)

Dessert: O – Z

This meet up is open to all mentors 21+, not just the main and alternate contacts. Please share this email with all the mentors on your team. Water and soda will be provided, but feel free to bring your preferred alcoholic beverages as well. Since alcohol will be present, we will be enforcing a 21+ age requirement for mentors.

Regards,

Darren Collins – Coach FRC 2046 – dcollins@tahomasd.us

Fall 2023 Off Season Events

StormSurge: 9-16

The Skyview StormBots would like to invite you to Storm Surge on Saturday, September 16, 2023. This will be a one-day, competitive event with the official ChargedUp game field. If you would like to join us, please fill out this Storm Surge Registration Form. This form is different than the pre-registration form we sent last spring. Email me if you have any questions. If you have any questions, please email lukeglassett@gmail.com

Girls Gen, OR: 10-7 & FIRST Chance 10-8

It’s time to register for Girls Gen and FIRST Chance! Use this link to register by September 19.

  • Wilsonville HS, 6800 SW Wilsonville Rd
  • Girls Generation: This isa girl-focused event, run as a one-day competition. We have 8 spots remaining.
  • Sat, Oct 7
  • FIRST Chance: A competition for all teammembers to gain experience in new competition roles, especially students who are new to FRC. We are still looking for more teams to sign up.
  • Sun, Oct 8
  • The registration fee for these events is $250 for the first robot in any event, and $100for each additional event or robot, i.e., $350 for two robots or two events. 

 

Volunteers are needed and appreciated, and a reminder for recent alums and mentors who have been wanting to try out volunteering for key positions like Referee, A/V, Robot Inspector, or other positions – these events are great places to start. Contact Tim Bennington-Davis at dechouse@cs.com if you are interested.

Block Party: 10-28 & 29

Save the date for Block Party! More info to come later but if you have questions, please reach out to Kyle Pihl KPihl@everettsd.org

Bordie Charged: 10-14 & 15

You know about Super Chargers, You’ve heard of Turbo-Charged but what about Bordie Charged? Bordie would like to cordially invite your team to 

join us at Sammamish High School in Bellevue as Team 2412 presents: Bordie Charged! Played under the 2023 Charged-Up rules with an official field and official Bordies! This 2-day event will take place on October 14th and 15th with load-in on the 13th. Join us for bots, Bordies, flag waving, mascot parade, concessions, merch, and more.  

 We will take the first 28 teams that sign up – Registration is open now at www.bordiecharged.com or fill out our Google Form! https://forms.gle/nqAc1y4BHyzzd2xd6 The fee per team is $300 for one bot. We plan on 10 x 10 pit spaces with power, a full set of quals, alliance selections, playoffs, and NEW custom Bordie awards!

 Interested in volunteering for the event? We will open up needed volunteering slots in September on www.BordieCharged.com

Washington Girl’s Gen 2023: 10-21 & 22

FRC Team 2046 is excited to host the 2023 Washington Girls’ Generation robotics competition. This competition will be held on October 21st and 22nd at Tahoma Senior High School in Maple Valley. The goal for Girls’ Generation is to provide an inclusive experience for underrepresented communities in STEM. In that spirit, we welcome all to participate.

We plan to use the latest Official FRC Robot game rules for “Charged Up”, but inspections will not be held.

The cost of attendance is $300. The main contact from your team can register for the event by following this link https://forms.gle/5qQcLg81WYaQJTAV7

For Volunteer information, please email Mara Kealey, marak@firstwa.org 

Regards,

Darren Collins

Head Coach – FRC 2046 

FTC Blog Volume 1 – It is time to get ready for kickoff!

by | Aug 16, 2023 | FTC

FTC Blog Volume 1 – It is time to get ready for kickoff!

WELCOME!

We’re here to guide you through your best year yet!

 If you are new to this email, this is the place where you will find all of the Washington specific FIRST TECH Challenge information.

Coaches and team administrators in the FIRST system for the CENTERSTAGE season will be added weekly. Every email sent will be numbered, and if you miss an update you can find it on our website.

FTC Season is just around the corner!

The FTC Game reveal is on Saturday, September 9 at 9:00 am (pacific time) We have several kickoff events scheduled, or your team can watch the game reveal online!

FIRST Washington

2023 FTC Kickoff information

I am happy to announce that we will have 5 kickoff events this season! Basic kickoff information is listed below along with a registration form. Additional event specific information will be sent to registered teams as we get closer to the event.

FTC Kickoff – Eastern Washington:

Ridgeline HS

20150 E. Country Vista Dr.

Liberty Lake, WA 09-19

Doors open at 8:30 am

Event will go until 11:30 am

 

FTC Kickoff – Central Washington:

Hanford HS

450 Hanford St.

Richland, WA 99354

Doors open at 8:30 am

Event will go until 11:30 am

FTC Kickoff – Auburn:

Auburn HS

711 E. Main St

Auburn, WA 98002

Doors open at 8:30 am

Event will go until 12:30 pm

 

FTC Kickoff – Bellevue:

BrickCon 2023! Meydenbauer Center

11100 NE 6th St.

Bellevue, WA 98004

Doors open at 8:30 am

Event will go until 12:00 pm

*There will be discount tickets to BrickCon available. Info will be sent to teams registered for this kickoff

 

FTC Kickoff – Olympia:

Olympia HS

1302 N. St. SE

Olympia, WA 98501

Doors open at 8:30 am

Event will go until 11:30 am

To register for any of these events, click below!

Click Here

Useful Contacts:

  • Tournament Registration & Participation, Local Information: Adrienne Collins: acollins@firstwa.org

Useful Links:

  • National Team Registration, Youth Protection, Student Registration, Challenge Information: www.firstinspires.org

Kevin Emery (he/him)

FTC Program Delivery Partner

FIRST Washington

Adrienne Collins (she/her)

Director of Programs

FIRST Washington

Charged Up Coach Email Volume 26: Off Season Event Info!

by | Jun 27, 2023 | FRC

Charged Up Coach Email Volume 26: Off Season Event Info!

Greetings Coaches!

If you are new to this email this is the place where you will find all of the Pacific NW District specific FIRST Robotics Competition information. Coaches in the FIRST system for the current season will be added once teams are able to register for events. Every email from me will be numbered and that number lets you know which update it is, if you miss an update you can find it on our website. 

Here is what I have for you today:

  • Please help us with a survey
  • Off Season Events

Please help us by taking a survey

Washington FIRST is looking for participating students to give their feedback in a paid research opportunity. In order to find actionable suggestions to aid in the retention of students in the program, we want to learn more about your experiences. Participation in the study is remote and will take approximately 30 minutes of your time. Compensation for your participation is $25. To be considered, please take a few moments to fill out the form linked below!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoo-NugTg4Q2pz1b8EFZg57M_gwB-UzGXU8TGlBKMIxZnU-w/viewform?usp=sf_link

Off Season Events!

StormSurge: 9-16

The Skyview StormBots are excited to announce that we are bringing back StormSurge this fall! The pre-season tournament will use the official Charged-Up game field (and game) to give teams the opportunity to get back into the mode of robotics in the fall. It will be the perfect opportunity for new students to see what a robotics tournament is like. StormSurge will be on Saturday, September 16th! We want to get the word out now before calendars fill. If you are interested, please fill out this quick pre-registration form. If you have any questions, please email lukeglassett@gmail.com

Girls Gen, OR: 10-7 (with the possiblity of an event 10-8)

Save the date for Oregon Girls Gen! More info to come later but if you have questions, please reach out to Tim Bennington-Davis at dechouse@cs.com

Bordie Charged: 10-14 & 15

You know about Super Chargers, You’ve heard of Turbo-Charged but what about Bordie Charged? Bordie would like to cordially invite your team to 

join us at Sammamish High School in Bellevue as Team 2412 presents: Bordie Charged! Played under the 2023 Charged-Up rules with an official field and official Bordies! This 2-day event will take place on October 14th and 15th with load-in on the 13th. Join us for bots, Bordies, flag waving, mascot parade, concessions, merch, and more.  

 

We will take the first 28 teams that sign up – Registration is open now at www.bordiecharged.com or fill out our Google Form! https://forms.gle/nqAc1y4BHyzzd2xd6 The fee per team is $300 for one bot. We plan on 10 x 10 pit spaces with power, a full set of quals, alliance selections, playoffs, and NEW custom Bordie awards! 

 

Interested in volunteering for the event? We will open up needed volunteering slots in September on www.BordieCharged.com

Washington Girl's Gen 2023: 10-21 & 22

FRC Team 2046 is excited to host the 2023 Washington Girls’ Generation robotics competition. This competition will be held on October 21st and 22nd at Tahoma Senior High School in Maple Valley. The goal for Girls’ Generation is to provide an inclusive experience for underrepresented communities in STEM. In that spirit, we welcome all to participate.

We plan to use the latest Official FRC Robot game rules for “Charged Up”, but inspections will not be held.

The cost of attendance is $300. The main contact from your team can register for the event by following this link https://forms.gle/5qQcLg81WYaQJTAV7

 

Block Party: 10-28 & 29

Save the date for Block Party! More info to come later but if you have questions, please reach out to Kyle Pihl KPihl@everettsd.org

Power Play Coach Email Volume 19: Compass & Promote Submission deadline is tomorrow

by | Jan 24, 2023 | FTC

Power Play Coach Email Volume 19: Compass & Promote Submission deadline is tomorrow

Greetings Coaches & Mentors!

If you are new to this email this is the place where you will find all of the Washington specific FIRST Tech Challenge information. Coaches in the FIRST system for the Power Play season will be added weekly. Every email from me will be numbered and that number lets you know which update it is, if you miss an update you can find it on our website.

Here is what I have for you today:

  1. Promote and Compass Award submission deadline is tomorrow

Compass and Promote Award submission deadline is tomorrow

All FTC teams are eligible to submit for the Promote and Compass award regardless.

If you are interested in submitting for the Promote or Compass award, you can do that by filling out this form. Submissions are due by 5:00 PM Wednesday, January 25. 

 Please fill out a separate submission for each of the two awards if you are submitting for both. 

 Please note, there is no way to upload a video on the form. Upload the video to youtube and paste the link into the form.