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FLL BIOGLOW Blog: Volume 2

by | Aug 4, 2026 | FLL, FLL Challenge, FLL Explore, Newsletter

In this weeks Blog

 FIRST Washington registration is now open! 

Welcome to the new season! 

 

 

Make sure you read the entire blog!

Season Info

FIRST Washington Registration

The FIRST Washington registration form is now open!!   

 One thing to note for FLL Challenge teams:  You can no longer request grant funding on the FIRST Washington registration form.  A separate grant form is being created with a target opening mid-September.  To be considered for any funding that FIRST Washington allocates, you will need to fill out that form.  If you do not need funding from FIRST Washington, there is no need to fill out the form. 

Challenge (Founders), Explore and Future Edition teams- you can register with FIRST Washington here: https://firstwa.org/fll-registration/ 

Welcome to BIOGLOW! 

The season officially starts today! I’m excited, are you?
Here is the welcome video from FIRST Inspires and LEGO Education!
Founders Edition mission video
Future Edition mission video
Explore set video

Season Event Info

Hello FLL Teams! I have some season event info for you! No venue details yet unfortunately, those will come out in the fall!

Founders Edition:

  • Challenge- 

Events will run just like in past seasons, the first 2 (possibly 3) weekends in December. Teams are assigned an event closest to them, and there will be a process to request a change.

Western Washington teams that advance from their Qualifier to a Semifinal event in January and then to the Western Wahington State Championship in February. This season we will not be at Amazon due to scheduling issues, but stay tuned for details! This season Western Washington State may be 2 days!

Eastern Washington teams that advance from their Qualifier will advance to the Eastern Washington State Championship. Historically this has been in January, but I do not know dates yet.

  • Explore-

Events will run just like in past seasons, the first 2 (possibly 3) weekends in December, strong possibility of one in mid January, and then some weekends in March. Teams will sign up for their choice of 3 and placed in 1, usually their first choice.

Future Edition- 

We had said we would not be holding events for Future Edition, that is no longer the case! I have had multiple inquiries about Future Edition and want to give those who would like to participate in an event the option to do so. 

We will host 1 Future Edition event in mid January in Western Washington if there is enough interest. Enough interest means at least 12-15 registered teams. 

As always, no teams will be confirmed in their events until all registrations are completed and all payments are made. 

Founders Edition-

For Challenge this is registering your team with FIRST Inspires and paying their fee, registering with FIRST Washington and paying our fee ($350).

For Explore this is registering your team with FIRST Inspires and paying their fee, registering with FIRST Washington and paying our fee ($50) AND filling out the event registration with FIRST Washington.

Future Edition-

This is registering your team with FIRST Inspires and paying their fee, registering with FIRST Washington and paying our fee (TBD).

 

Important Dates & Deadlines

 

More From FLL

FRC BIOCORE Blog: Volume 2

by | Aug 4, 2026 | FRC, Newsletter

FIRST Washington Registration 

 The FIRST Washington registration form is now open!!   

 One thing to note:  You can no longer request grant funding on the FIRST Washington registration form.  A separate grant form is being created with a target opening of mid-September.  To be considered for any funding that FIRST Washington allocates, you will need to fill out that form.  If you do not need funding from FIRST Washington, there is no need to fill out the form. 

 You can register with FIRST Washington here:  https://firstwa.org/frc-registration/  

Important! FRC Invoicing and payment changes for the 2026/27 season 

 Moving forward into the 2026/27 season, FIRST is making a change to how PNW teams pay for their registration.  FIRST Washington will no longer be collecting the FIRST portion of the payment and forwarding it on to FIRST HQ.

 

What this means for your team: 

  • Your team will need to secure your $6500 FIRST Registration through your firstinspires dashboard when registration closes November 17 
  • You will be able to apply grants from your firstinspires dashboard directly to your registration 
  • FIRST Washington will send invoices for the local registration portion only $5500 
  • Because we no longer have to wait for FIRST grants to come in, or for the FIRST registration deadline, we will be sending our invoices out the week of November 9th.  Invoices will still be due the 2nd Friday in December (December 11) but based on feedback from coaches, we wanted to give schools more time to process and secure their invoice. 

 

We will talk more about this change during our first coaches chat of the season.  Watch future blogs for info on our fall coaches chats! 

PNW Social & Potluck 

PNW FRC Coaches and Mentors, 

You and the mentors on your team are invited to attend the PNW FRC Mentor Social & Potluck on Saturday, August 15, beginning at 1:00 PM at the FIRSTWA Fieldhouse in Kent (22426 72nd Ave S, Kent, WA 98032). 

During the build season, it’s easy for teams and mentors to become somewhat siloed, and competitions don’t always provide the best opportunity to make meaningful connections. My hope is that this gathering will offer a relaxed environment for mentors and coaches to connect with others who share a passion for FIRST Robotics. 

If you plan to attend, please sign up using this Google form. 

For the potluck, please consider bringing an item based on the first letter of your last name: 

  • Appetizer or Snack: A–N
    • Dessert: O–Z

Don’t hesitate to attend even if you’re unable to bring something. 

Please share this invitation with the mentors on your FRC team. Water and soda will be provided, and attendees are welcome to bring their preferred alcoholic beverages as well. A few large ice coolers will be available. Because alcohol will be present, this event is limited to mentors and coaches who are 21 years of age or older. 

There is interest in reviving the mentor roundtables that were last held in 2019. We will take a few minutes during the social to discuss ideas and begin planning for future mentor roundtable events. 

If you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to reach out to me. 

Regards, 

Darren Collins 
FRC 2046 
Cell: 206-854-0630 

Important Dates

8-4:   FIRST Washington Registration Opens 

8-15: PNW FRC Mentor Social & Potluck 

9-26 & 27: Storm Surge 

10-3: OR Girls Gen 

10-4: FIRST Chance 

10-10 & 11: Bordie Blast Through Time 

10-17 & 18: WA Girls Gen 

10-25 & 26: Block Party 

FTC BIOBUZZ Blog: Volume 2

by | Aug 4, 2026 | FTC, Newsletter

FIRST Washington Registration 

The FIRST Washington registration form is now open!!   

 One thing to note:  You can no longer request grant funding on the FIRST Washington registration form.  A separate grant form is being created with a target opening mid-September.  To be considered for any funding that FIRST Washington allocates, you will need to fill out that form.  If you do not need funding from FIRST Washington, there is no need to fill out the form. 

 We will be placing teams into leagues on Saturday, September 26 so please fill out the registration form by 5 pm Friday, September 25 or your team will not be placed in an initial league and will be placed in the closest league with available space. 

 You can register with FIRST Washington here:  https://firstwa.org/ftc-registration/  

 

Next FTC Coaches Chat is scheduled for Tuesday, August 18 at 7:00 pm 

  High Level Agenda: 

  • Season schedule Updates 
  • New Control System Updates 

 Click here to attend the meeting. 

FTC Kickoff Registration  

Kickoff is Saturday, Sept 12th at 9 am PDT! Join a kickoff event near you to celebrate the beginning of the 2026 BIOBUZZ™ season, see the new field, attend fun workshops, and interact with other FTC teams! Below are the kickoff locations and basic schedules. 

Woodinville High School 

19819 136th Ave NE     

Woodinville, WA 98072 

  • 8:30 am: Doors open 
  • 9:00 am: Game reveal with Q&A and workshops to follow 
  • 2:00 pm: Event ends 

 

Saint Martin’s University- Cebula Hall 3rd Floor 

5000 Abbey Way SE 

Lacey, WA 98503 

  • 8:30 am: Doors open 
  • 9:00 am: Game reveal with Q&A and workshops to follow 
  • 12:30 pm: Event ends 

 

Ridgeline High School  

20150 E. Country Vista Dr. 

Liberty Lake, WA 98019 

  • 8:30 am: Doors open 
  • 9:00 am: Game reveal with Q&A and workshops to follow 
  • 11:30 am: Event ends 

 

Kennewick High School  

560 W 6th Ave 

Kennewick, WA 99336 

  • 8:30 am: Doors open 
  • 9:00 am: Game reveal with Q&A and workshops to follow 
  • 12:00 pm: Event ends 

 

BrickCon 2026- Meydenbauer Center  

11100 NE 6th St.  

Bellevue, WA 98004 

  • 8:30 am: Doors open 
  • 9:00 am: Game reveal with Q&A and workshops to follow 
  • 12:00 pm: Event ends 

 

To register for a kickoff, fill out this form   

More details will be sent out closer to kickoff (schedule, workshops being offered etc…) to those who have registered for the event. 

BIOBUZZ Competition Manual Preview Release 

In case you missed the blog, check out this important info from FIRST along with the link to the competition manual preview release! 

BIOBUZZ Competition Manual Preview Release 

Important Dates

    8-4:  FIRST Washington Registration opens 

    8-18:   FTC Coaches Chat 

    9-12: FTC Kickoff 

     

    FTC Blog: Important Information

    by | Jul 10, 2026 | FTC, Newsletter

    Important information, please read entire communication

     

    Please note:  This communication was posted in the June 11 blog.  In an effort to make sure all coaches are aware of the change, we are resending it as an email with some updates:

    • You will find a link in this email to the first Office Hours session that Fred has set up the beginning of August (based on attendance, we will decide if more sessions are needed/helpful)
    • We have scheduled two different coaches chat sessions for FTC & FRC coaches.  Information on these webinars can in the body of the email below
    • Collateral materials will be posted on the FIRST Washington Website and the link will be sent out in the blog the week of July 20.

    Hello FIRST Washington Robotics Teams!

    What an incredible FIRST AGE season!

    As another chapter closes and we head into summer, FIRST Washington is preparing for the upcoming CANOPY season. We are also finalizing our budget for the next fiscal year starting July 1, 2026, and wanted to share some important updates.

    As many of you are experiencing, funding continues to be a major pressure point for programs like FIRST Robotics. Last season, FIRST Washington was able to support our community by granting nearly $1.4 million in discounts and team support funding.

    When planning last season’s budget, we were optimistic we could replenish those reserves through foundation grants, renewal of OSPI, individual donors, and increased corporate support. To that end we set a large fundraising goal of over $1.5 million for the year.

    Unfortunately, our success in securing replacement funding fell short by around $700,000. We were unable to secure all the grants we needed, and the State Budget did not restore any funding for FIRST Washington this year.

    We have adjusted our fundraising strategy moving forward and are continuing to work as hard as we can to fill this funding gap.

    At this time though, we are unable to guarantee registration discounts that teams have become accustomed to over the years.

    From now until the start of the next season, we are asking your Teams to work in direct partnership with us to ensure the FIRST Washington ecosystem of nearly 1,000 total teams have the resources and support needed for another successful season for all our FLL, FTC, and FRC programs in the Pacific Northwest.

    What we need you to do:

    1. Develop a fundraising plan for the summer and fall that includes the payment of full registration fees for the upcoming season
    2. Work in partnership with FIRST WA Development and Volunteer management staff to engage new mentors and volunteers to support your team- both with time and matching funds from their companies

    What FIRST Washington will do:

    1. Host fundraising strategy sessions and office hours for coaches, mentors, and business managers in July and August
      • Fundraising outside the school ecosystem. 
        • Tuesday, July 28, 7-8 pm.  Click here to join
        • This targets fundraising in your community and could be helpful for both school based and community teams.
      • Fundraising inside the school ecosystem.
        • Tuesday, Aug 4, 7-8 pm.  Click here to join
        • This targets fundraising inside the school ecosystem and may be more of a brainstorming session.  I would not recommend this session for community based teams.
      • FTC Office Hours
    2. Provide clean fundraising collateral for teams to use
      • Links to these materials will be posted in the blog the week of 7-20.
    3. Work directly with companies who currently provide volunteers and mentors with matching funds available to set new engagement goals – ultimately increasing the number of volunteers and mentors on each team whose participation hours are matched with cash from their employer
    4. Activate a team support funding campaign, in addition to our standard fundraising goals for operations, with a target goal of $500K to allocate out to teams on an “as needed for sustainability and stability” basis
    5. Every challenge is a turning point. Every turning point is an opportunity.

    In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity- Albert Einstein

    Working together, we can stabilize funding for the FIRST WA ecosystem over the next two to three years- getting us all to a place where the question isn’t “how do we fund this?” but instead “what do we fund next that makes the student experience even better?”

    We know this represents a shift, and we are committed to working alongside you through it. Our focus remains the same: ensuring that every team has a path forward and that our community continues to grow and succeed. Thank you for your continued dedication, resilience, and partnership—we will navigate this next season together.

    Regards,

    Fred

    Fred Krug

    President

    FIRST Washington
    ­

    Important Dates

      7-28: Fundraising Outside the School Ecosystem

      8-1: FIRST Washington Registration opens 

      8-4: Fundraising inside the School Ecosystem

      8-6: FTC Office Hours 

      8-18: FTC Coaches Chat 

      9-12: FTC Kickoff 

       

      FRC Blog: Important Information

      by | Jul 10, 2026 | FRC, Newsletter

      Important Dates

      7-28: Fundraising Outside the School Ecosystem

      8-4: Fundraising inside the School Ecosystem

      8-13: FRC Office Hours

      8-15: PNW FRC Mentor Social & Potluck 

      9-26 & 27: Storm Surge 

      10-3: OR Girls Gen 

      10-4: FIRST Chance 

      10-10 & 11: Bordie Blast Through Time 

      10-17 & 18: WA Girls Gen 

      10-25 & 26: Block Party 

      FLL BIOGLOW Blog: Volume 1

      by | Jul 8, 2026 | FLL, FLL Challenge, FLL Explore, Newsletter

      In this weeks Blog

       

      Season event info

      Help out new teams!

      FIRST Washington registration update

       

      Make sure you read the entire blog!

      Season Info

      Season Event Info

      Hello FLL Teams! I have some season event info for you! No venue details yet unfortunately, those will come out in the fall!

      Founders Edition:

      • Challenge- 

      Events will run just like in past seasons, the first 2 (possibly 3) weekends in December. Teams are assigned an event closest to them, and there will be a process to request a change.

      Western Washington teams that advance from their Qualifier to a Semifinal event in January and then to the Western Wahington State Championship in either late January or Early to mid February.

      Eastern Washington teams that advance from their Qualifier will advance to the Eastern Washington State Championship. Historically this has been in January, but I do not know dates yet.

      • Explore-

      Events will run just like in past seasons, the first 2 (possibly 3) weekends in December, strong possibility of one in mid January, and then some weekends in March. Teams will sign up for their choice of 3 and placed in 1, usually their first choice.

      Future Edition- 

      We had said we would not be holding events for Future Edition, that is no longer the case! I have had multiple inquries about Future Edition and want to give those who would like to participate in an event the option to do so. 

      We will host 1 Future Edition event in mid January in Western Washington if there is enough interest. 

      As always, no teams will be confirmed in their events until all registrations are completed and all payments are made. 

      Founders Edition-

      For Challenge this is registering your team with FIRST Inspires and paying their fee, registering with FIRST Washington and paying our fee ($350).

      For Explore this is registering your team with FIRST Inspires and paying their fee, registering with FIRST Washington and paying our fee ($50) AND filling out the event registration with FIRST Washington.

      Future Edition-

      This is registering your team with FIRST Inspires and paying their fee, registering with FIRST Washington and paying our fee (TBD).

       

      Help out new teams! 

      Hello coaches and former coaches!

      With the change in FLL coming next season and the retirement of the SPIKE platform, there are no new Spike Prime or Spike Essential kits available anywhere.

      If you have or know of any Spike Prime or Spike Essential kits you would be willing to donate to new teams starting this season they would appreciate it and it would help sustain our growth in Washington!

      If you have any questions or want to help- you can email me at jacqueg@firstwa.org

      FIRST Washington Registration 

       The FIRST Washington registration form will open August 1.  We are working on revamping it so that it is not quite so long and is easier to fill out.   

       We will post in the blog when it is “officially” open but our target is to have it ready for sign ups on August 1st! 

      Important Dates & Deadlines

       

      More From FLL