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FLL BIOGLOW Blog: Volume 13

by | Nov 3, 2026 | FLL, FLL Challenge, FLL Explore

In this weeks Blog

FLL Challenge (Founders) Event Assignments Posted

FLL Challenge (Founders) Waitlist Form

FLL Explore (Founders) Event registration

Volunteer for FLL Events!

 

 

Make sure you read the entire blog!

Season Info

FLL Challenge (Founders) Event Assignments posted!

Event assignments for FLL Challenge (Founders Edition) teams that have fully registered and paid with both FIRST Inspires and FIRST Washington are posted online here. If you do not see your team posted, check to see what your team may be missing here first before emailing me please. 

A couple notes- If you have just filled out the FIRST Washington registration, invoices go out every monday. 

If you have just paid your invoice, it takes a couple days for me to be notified before I can post the teams event assignment, please dont email me the same day you pay asking for your assignment. No one in our accounting department has told me you paid yet 🙂 

Unfortunately all of this is done manually, so it takes time. I appreciate your patience! 

FLL Challenge (Founders) Waitlist Form

Once you have received your event assignment for FLL Challenge, if that date/location does not work for you, please fill out this form. I will only be handling requests this way. It keeps them all in one places and that way I don’t miss any. 

I will be closing this form on Friday, 11/6. 

For the teams that have already filled out the form – I have placed all but 5 teams. If you requested Seattle, there is no space in that event.

There will be no space in the Seattle events so I am removing them from the request form.

FLL Explore (Founders) Event registration

Registration for FLL Explore events is live! Teams are confirmed in their events once they are fully registered and paid with both FIRST Inspires and FIRST Washington. 

Here is the form

Volunteer for FIRST Washington!

It takes hundreds of volunteers each season to successfully run FLL events in Washington. In order to participate in a competition, we require each FLL team to provide at least one adult volunteer during the season. This can be at the same event where your team is competing, or at a different event. In addition to providing much needed volunteers to run our events, this is an excellent way for adults associated with a team to learn more about event processes such as judging.
In order to track and ensure teams are meeting this commitment, please use this FORM to provide your team contact information, volunteer contact information, and the event where they have registered to volunteer. Please note that filling in this form does NOT register them to volunteer. All volunteers need to sign up on their dashboard HERE and complete a youth protection background check.
If you have any questions about registering to volunteer, contact the FIRST Washington volunteer manager Rhonda McRae at rhondam@firstwa.org

Important Dates & Deadlines

11-6: Waitlist closed

 

More From FLL

FLL BIOGLOW Blog: Volume 12

by | Oct 26, 2026 | FLL, FLL Challenge, FLL Explore

In this weeks Blog

Coaches Chat slides posted

Boeing Innovation panel

Is your team registered?

Volunteer for FLL Events!

 

 

Make sure you read the entire blog!

Season Info

Coaches Chat slides from the 10/21 meeting posted

Slides from the 10/21 coaches chat are posted. The recording will go up as soon as I get it! 

 

Boeing Innovation Panel 10/27

FIRST WA Robotics invites teams to attend our FIRST LEGO League Innovation Panels. These panels will run with leaders from multiple partner companies from late September through October at 3-4:30 pm, giving students a broad look at real world environmental innovation.

 Panelists will help inspire their Innovation Projects by sharing how their work supports environmental stewardship and biodiversity goals — showing students how major companies tackle the same challenges they’re studying.

 Your team will join a moderated 90 minute session with 4-5 professionals. Each panelist will give a short introduction, answer student questions, and share real examples of how their work intersects with environmental sustainability, biodiversity, and innovation.

 If your team is interested in attending, use this link to sign up! Once you sign up, a meeting link along with some sample questions will be sent to you. 

 

Is your FLL Challenge (Founders) team registered for the season?

I am making final tweaks to the FLL Challenge assignment schedule before I post it later this week, only teams that are fully registered with both FIRST Inspires and FIRST Washington, and have paid the FIRST Washington registration will be placed in an event. If you are not sure if your team is fully registered, please check here- https://firstwa.org/challenge-team-status/ 

 

Volunteer for FIRST Washington!

It takes hundreds of volunteers each season to successfully run FLL events in Washington. In order to participate in a competition, we require each FLL team to provide at least one adult volunteer during the season. This can be at the same event where your team is competing, or at a different event. In addition to providing much needed volunteers to run our events, this is an excellent way for adults associated with a team to learn more about event processes such as judging.
In order to track and ensure teams are meeting this commitment, please use this FORM to provide your team contact information, volunteer contact information, and the event where they have registered to volunteer. Please note that filling in this form does NOT register them to volunteer. All volunteers need to sign up on their dashboard HERE and complete a youth protection background check.
If you have any questions about registering to volunteer, contact the FIRST Washington volunteer manager Rhonda McRae at rhondam@firstwa.org

Important Dates & Deadlines

Now:   FIRST Washington Registration is Open 

10-27: Boeing Innovation Panel

 

More From FLL

FLL BIOGLOW Blog: Volume 11

by | Oct 20, 2026 | FLL, FLL Challenge, FLL Explore

In this weeks Blog

Coaches Chat

Volunteer for FLL Events!

FLL Challenge (Founders) Event assignments

FLL Explore (Founders) Event Registration

WA Scrimmage hosted by 19708 & 9023

 

Make sure you read the entire blog!

Season Info

Coaches Chat tomorrow night 10/21

Our next coaches chat will be tomorrow, 10/21 at 7pm. It will be more Q&A then presentation, so bring your questions!

To join the meeting- click here

Volunteer for FIRST Washington!

It takes hundreds of volunteers each season to successfully run FLL events in Washington. In order to participate in a competition, we require each FLL team to provide at least one adult volunteer during the season. This can be at the same event where your team is competing, or at a different event. In addition to providing much needed volunteers to run our events, this is an excellent way for adults associated with a team to learn more about event processes such as judging.
In order to track and ensure teams are meeting this commitment, please use this FORM to provide your team contact information, volunteer contact information, and the event where they have registered to volunteer. Please note that filling in this form does NOT register them to volunteer. All volunteers need to sign up on their dashboard HERE and complete a youth protection background check.
If you have any questions about registering to volunteer, contact the FIRST Washington volunteer manager Rhonda McRae at rhondam@firstwa.org

FLL Challenge (Founders ) Event Assignments

For FLL Challenge (Founders) teams- I am working on event assignments this week. I am hoping to have them posted at the end of the week or early next week for teams that have fully registered and paid with FIRST Inspires and FIRST Washington. To check and see your teams status, click here

Note to teams– I appreciate that some of you have preferences for which event or which weekend you would like for many reasons. PLEASE don’t email me asking to be placed on a certain day or in a certain event. Even with registration numbers down, there are still over 400 teams and I am not able to accomodate requests. 

If you are placed in an event that does not work for you- please fill out the form that I will send out when I post the assignments to request a change and put why in the comments. I am not able to guarantee a change, but I do my best!

 

FLL Explore (Founders ) Event Registration

For FLL Explore (Founders) teams- You will be able to register for your event as soon as I hear back from all of the host venues! I will send out the registration form in a seperate email. Teams will be confirmed in their event once they have fully registered and paid with FIRST Inspires and FIRST Washington. To check and see your teams status, click here

 

WA Open Invitational FLL Scrimmage – hosted by FTC 19708 & FRC 9023

 

The 4th Annual Washington Open FLL Invitational will take place on Sunday, November 8, 2026.

Applications are now being accepted from Washington teams registered for the Founder’s Edition of BIOGLOW.

WA FLL Head Referee Kevin Torrico will officiate the event and host a Q&A session for participating teams.

This scrimmage is designed to simulate the Robot Game portion of an official qualifying tournament and will include three matches. Unlike a standard qualifier, however, the first match will serve as a practice round and will not be scored. During this match, the Head Referee will be available to answer questions and discuss the legality of strategies used by teams.

Technical chaperones from FTC Team 19708, The Emerald Bots (Washington State FLL Robot Performance Award winners in 2020 and 2021) and FRC Team 9023, Future Martians will also be available to provide guidance and answer questions related to both Robot Design and the Innovation Project.

This event is also an excellent opportunity to:

  • Share Innovation Project ideas
  • Receive feedback from mentors and peers
  • Learn from other teams before tournament season begins

Please see the attached flyer for additional information, including the application process and registration deadlines.

Registration: WA Open FLL Invitational Registration Form

Important Dates & Deadlines

Now:   FIRST Washington Registration is Open 

10-21: Coaches Chat

10-22: Stoke Space Innovation Panel

10-27: Boeing Innovation Panel

 

More From FLL

FLL BIOGLOW Blog: Volume 10

by | Oct 13, 2026 | FLL, FLL Challenge, FLL Explore

In this weeks Blog

Coaches Chat

FIRSTWA Invoices

Innovation Panels

 

Make sure you read the entire blog!

Season Info

Coaches Chat next week on 10/21

Our next coaches chat will be wednesday 10/21 at 7pm. It will be more Q&A then presentation, so bring your questions!

To join the meeting- click here

Invoices for the FIRST Washington registration

Invoices will be sent to the contact you listed on the FIRST Washington registration form, tomorrow, October 14th. 

The invoices come from our accounting system Aplos, please have your invoice contact check their spam if they don’t see anything by Thursday morning. 

Invoices will continue to be sent out on Mondays ONLY to teams that are registered with FIRST Washington. 

Invoices are due Monday, October 26 and must be secured before you are confirmed in your event. 

Innovation Panels!

FIRST WA Robotics invites teams to attend our FIRST LEGO League Innovation Panels. These panels will run with leaders from multiple partner companies from late September through October at 3-4:30 pm, giving students a broad look at real world environmental innovation.

Panelists will help inspire their Innovation Projects by sharing how their work supports environmental stewardship and biodiversity goals — showing students how major companies tackle the same challenges they’re studying.

Our next Innovation Panels are coming up in addition to some we just added!

If your team is interested in attending, use this link to sign up! Once you sign up, a meeting link along with some sample questions will be sent to you.

Our sessions with General Motors were awesome! Stoke Space is up next, with Boeing on 10/27 and possibly 1 other coming in the next few days! Register now!

Note- These panels are not recorded for privacy reasons 

Important Dates & Deadlines

Now:   FIRST Washington Registration is Open 

10-22: Stoke Space Innovation Panel

10-27: Boeing Innovation Panel

 

More From FLL

FLL BIOGLOW Blog: Volume 9

by | Oct 7, 2026 | FLL, FLL Challenge, FLL Explore

In this weeks Blog

 All things registration!

 

Make sure you read the entire blog!

Season Info

Registration Update!

Registration numbers are still lower than last season. If your team is planning to participate- please register yout team with FIRST Inspires and FIRST Washington by this FRIDAY 10/9. If you are waiting on grants to pay your registration- please still register with FIRST Washington if you plan to participate! It costs nothing when you complete this registration- your invoice is sent later.

I will have to make a decision on cutting the number of events next week. At this point, with the number of teams registered, I am looking at having to cut 3-4 events. If I have to cut events and your team registeres late I may not have a place for you to participate, or you may need to drive significantly further to participate.

I am also unable to place teams in events until teams are registered and I would like to get started on assignments next week!

If you are having dificulties, please let me know!

To see if you have completed both registrations, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page. There are links for Challenge (founders), Explore (founders) and Future edition.

If your team is not planning to participate, or you are planning to participate and want to update me on what’s going on, please fill out this 2 question survey! https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/01a0f999e79a78338792c3180971ea3a 

Thank you for your help!

Important Dates & Deadlines

Now:   FIRST Washington Registration is Open 

10-22: Stoke Space Innovation Panel

 

More From FLL

FLL BIOGLOW Blog: Volume 8

by | Oct 1, 2026 | FLL, FLL Challenge, FLL Explore, Newsletter

In this weeks Blog

 Registration reminder!

FIRSTWA Grant closes monday!

 

Make sure you read the entire blog!

Season Info

FIRST Washington Grant closes Monday, October 5 at 5:00 pm 

  

FIRST Washington Grant is open.  You can find past communications regarding funding and the link to the grant application here:  https://firstwa.org/firstwa-grant/   

 

Remember: 

  • You will have to fill out a grant application to be considered for any funding that FIRST Washington manages 
  • The grant form will need to be filled out for each team you would like to be considered for funding 
  • Grants will no longer be deducted from your FIRST Washington registration, they will be issued separately based on the info you submit in the grant application as well as your school requirements (if you are a school based team) 

If you have already filled out a grant application- please check to make sure you have hit the submit button and not just saved it. If it is not submitted, it will not be accepted!

There are several grants that are showing as saved and not submitted (no I don’t know what teams they belong to). 

Thanks! 

Registration Numbers

Important! If your team is planning to participate- please register yout team with FIRST Inspires and FIRST Washington asap. I will have to make a decision on cutting the number of events soon. If I have to cut events and your team registeres late I may not have a place for you to participate. I am also unable to place teams in events until teams are registered! 

If you are waiting on grant funds etc. to pay your FIRST Inspires registration- please register with FIRST Washington at the very least so I know you plan to participate! If you are having dificulties, please let me know! 

To see if you have completed both registrations, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page. There are links for Challenge (founders), Explore (founders) and Future edition. 

 

Important Dates & Deadlines

Now:   FIRST Washington Registration is Open 

10-5: FIRST Washington Grant closes 

10-22: Stoke Space Innovation Panel

 

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