TWO TOPICS IN TODAY’S E-BLAST Volunteer Requirement Lottery for a $500 Third Event GRANT through Indiana Michigan Power due this Friday TEAM VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENT FOR LOTTERY AND NON-LOTTERY TEAMS  Each team must provide volunteers to staff two roles for two days at each event they attend. Students, PARENTS, FRIENDS, ALUMNI, and SCHOOL STAFF, all count toward this.  2025 Rookies need to staff one role both days at their events. Any Role Except Judging Your volunteers can pick any open role except Judging. We don’t allow anyone related to a team to be in the FRC Judges room.  However, if you have sponsors who want to Judge andRead More →

REMEMBER: THE MDE 99h STATE GRANT CLOSES AT NOON ON MONDAY, DEC 2. Below is a link to the MDE 99h Grant applications received by the state as of early last week. Please send this email to your Level 5 right away. We will put up new reports as we get them. The date will be in the top left corner. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Wj_qYvitgeVoqSw2DGYDIBLGJS1yLB2Uw4RUDom3-40/edit?gid=0#gid=0 If you applied anytime after Tuesday morning you won’t find your team on this list. I also post this email to the FRC resources page under E-blasts. Here are the maximum amounts you should be seeing on your line: CHART OF MAX GRANTSRead More →

Our sponsor, Altair, is running a Student Contest that pays! Hey FRC teams! We at Altair know that you are the future of robotics design and therefore tailored our Altair Global Student Contest 2024-25 to YOU! ������ This is your chance to take your robot to the next level, optimize it using Altair tools, and score some serious cash—every quarter! Exciting Prizes to Win: • 1st place: $2,000 • 2nd place: $1,000 • 3rd place: $500 Every. Single. Quarter! ������ All you have to do is improve the design of your robot or optimize any part or system within it using Altair software, create a short video explaining your process and results,Read More →

WEBINAR RECORDING FOR THE STATE GRANT Here is the link to the MDE 99h Webinar recording that illustrates how to fill out the NexSys Application for the 99h State Grant: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pGHTPEik5YS0FEp0myQpTVQNDu7u4B2J/view Remember that the March or April State Grant payout goes to your school, not to FIRST.  Please make sure your school knows the 99h grant application in NexSys closes at NOON on December 2. UPDATED WAITLIST NUMBERS Here are the new numbers for the waitlists: EVENTS DATES SPOTS FILLED SPOTS OPEN TEAMS ON WAITLIST WEEK 1 Kettering University 1 Feb 27- Mar 01, 2025 30 10 12 Milford Feb 27- Mar 01, 2025 30 10Read More →

There are two additional items for you today: 1.  The Ann Arbor Skyline Event is Canceled 2.  Shipping Address Needed Before You Can Select Kickoff   Ann Arbor Event Canceled Ann Arbor had to pull out at the last minute due to a conflict. Please don’t place Ann Arbor on your list of events for Round 1 Preferencing.  If you have it on your list already, please go into your dashboard before noon tomorrow and remove it. Must Provide Shipping Address  Before You Can Select Your Kickoff Also, remember to select your kickoff location. You must provide your shipping address before you can select a kickoff.Read More →

This email will cover four topics today: 1. The MDE Grant 2.  Teams that missed the Kit of Parts OPT-OUTS 3.  FREE Kits and Registration to Start Lower Teams 4.  Round 1 Preferencing Ends Thursday at noon. MDE GRANT IS OPEN UNTIL NOON ON DECEMBER 2 The MDE grant (often referred to as the “State Grant”) is now open.  You can find the application in NexSys under “99h”.  Please alert the person in your district responsible for submitting the grant. Once you know who is responsible for submitting it, please fill out this form in case we need to contact them: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeF3szojkuykRbu23KLLeqsFv0YNDdopo45y7yo0ddBvUyowQ/viewform The RFP and other grantRead More →

SEPT 24, 2024 – TOPICS COVERED Registering for FRC Vs. All other FIRST Programs FRC Event Selection Process (Called Event Preferencing) Option to Opt Out of Certain Totes  Select a Kickoff While Preferencing MDE Funds from the 2023-24 Season Must be Spent by Sept 30 REGISTERING FOR FRC VS ALL OTHER FIRST PROGRAMS This email addresses event registration for FRC teams only: FRC teams use their firstinspires.org dashboard to register for events. FTC and all FLL programs register for events with their local Michigan Program Directors: FTC:                                     Read More →

Kettering has open spots at its offseason event. Please see note from Kim Shumaker below: Kettering University is inviting teams to register for one or both of the back to back annual off-season competitions: Kettering Kickoff 1 and Kettering Kickoff 2. Each event is a one day event and teams may register for both (as space allows). The registration fee is $300/event. The 2024 season game will be played following the 2024 season rules. There will be no judged awards. Teams may bring lunch with them or pre-purchase meal vouchers at $12/person. Kettering Kickoff t-shirts can be pre-ordered for $12-$15/shirt, depending on the size. TheRead More →

This note is going out to all rookies so that everyone has clarification on what happens if you win the Rookie All-Star Award. (Some of you may already be finished playing both your events.) ROOKIE ALL-STAR AWARD WINNERS Any team that wins the Rookie All-Star Award at a district event is eligible to come to States, FREE OF CHARGE, to interview for the Rookie All Star Award at the State Level. Winning the Rookie All Star Award at a District Event does not qualify your team for a robot spot at the State Championship. Teams coming to interview for the Rookie All Star Award should expect to get an interviewRead More →

The MDE announced the awards for the 99h Grant. As in years past, there was not enough money to award everyone 100% of what they applied for. All public districts were awarded 76% of the amount requested.  All non-public districts were awarded 73% of the amount requested. LUMP SUM PAYMENT Payouts will likely be in March and will be a lump sum. The district will not receive a check. Instead: Public districts will receive their lump sum awards through the district’s electronic monthly state aid payment from the state. The district should see the robotics award on line 99h of the statement accompanying the payment.Read More →