The registration guides linked below contain info on establishing a FIRST Account, setting up a team profile, inviting contacts, applying for screening, accessing the Storefront, etc. with screenshots.

• Returning Teams (veterans) – remember to register using your existing team number. MI Archive FTC Team List (tab 1 & 2 contain a historical list of team numbers).
  • Veteran Team Registration Guide
  • Update team contacts – Remember to have matriculating team contacts invite their replacements before moving programs.
• New Teams (rookies) – start the team registration process but DO NOT PAY for anything until applying for the FIRST FTC HQ Rookie Team Grant. Apply for this grant using your temporary team number which starts with “2020”.
  • Rookie Team Registration Guide
  • Team Name is a mandatory field when setting up the Team Profile. If your team does not have a name yet, just fill in TBD. You can update this field at a later time once a team name is chosen.
  • FIRST in Michigan will once again have the FTC Rookie Team Grant available to newly forming teams. Visit the GRANTS page on the FIRST in Michigan FTC website for details.
    • All past team numbers out of a given school must be registered for the current season before a newly forming team is eligible for the grant.
    • Teams must apply for the FIRST HQ FTC Rookie Team Grant first.

2020-21 UPCOMING NOTABLE DATES 

June 25 – 12pm (noon); Season game teaser released on YouTube
June 25 – 4pm; AndyMark opens preorder of game challenge field set
Sept. 12 – 2020-21 game release; kickoff events to be announced

EVENT ROLLOUT

The 2020-21 season will truly be one for “Game Changers”! It presents some unique challenges with social distancing and gathering restriction rules likely to still be in effect in many areas. But, it also presents opportunities to try new things and reach more students.

FIRST in Michigan FTC will support two types of event rollouts for the 2020-21 season that will be adaptable to the conditions in a given area: traditional and/or remote events.

I’d like to put together a committee to work through the details/resources to support multiple event rollout platforms. Past event hosts would provide an invaluable perspective but potential event/hub hosts or those who’d just like to contribute to the planning process are welcome as well. If interested, please fill out this google form GAME CHANGER COMMITTEE (link). Meetings will be conducted bi-weekly via Google Meets starting July 14 at 8pm.

Traditional events can already scale from 36 down to 12 teams. The remote event rollouts will enable teams to compete in even smaller groups or independently. Remote events of the most limited nature will be able to use partial fields and no alliance partner or opposing alliance. Events of all sizes will be able to utilize remote judging across the same awards as traditional events.

Remote events will allow for transition to traditional events as social distancing restrictions are relaxed. Both formats can also be followed throughout the season with advancement to FIRST in Michigan FTC States and all the way to FIRST Championship.

The introduction of the remote event opens up the opportunity for several creative rollouts. View the below as brainstorming!

• Traditional event venues can run multiple small scale or remote events at the same time and/or across several days as long as sanitizing protocol and gathering limits are observed in adherence to a location’s current scenario.
• Venues that have been too small to host large scale traditional events could possibly now host a small scale or remote event.
• “Hubs” can be placed around the state where teams can make an appointment to access a full game field to run official matches. These hubs can scale the number of teams on-site in adherence to an area’s current scenario. A few preliminary thoughts on the hubs is that hub hosts will have volunteers trained to fill roles such as FTA/CSA/Inspector/Referee. Depending on the scenario in play, a maximum of two volunteers might have to be able to cover these roles. Hubs could also have the ability for teams to participate in remote judging.
• The most limited event rollout is where a team competes independently or a team member operates independently to execute the team’s official robot matches with remote judging. Arrangements could be made for a team to borrow a sanitized field/game elements from an area hub/team for their robot runs. Team coach(es) or family members would fill the roles of FTA/CSA/Inspector/Referee.
• Season timeline could be expanded beyond our usual November-December competition timeframe. The pros/cons of this idea would have to be explored as FTC is very FRC support dependent in Michigan.
• Kickoff events can be adapted to large/small/remote/virtual rollouts.

2019-2020 REMAINING TEAM FUNDS

Teams should connect with their school/district finance person to work a plan on accessing/using any remaining 2019-2020 grant funds (MDE grant, sponsor grants, etc.) so that these funds are not absorbed by the school/district at the end of the school’s fiscal year (often the end of June).

Teams with grants still sitting on their FIRST Team Dashboard have until June 30th to request a regrant on those funds. Follow the instructions at this link: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/regranting-process-procedures-and-w-9. Note that funds can only be remit to the team’s fiscal partner (upload of the organization’s W-9 is required). If there is an issue with connecting with your team’s fiscal partner by the June 30 deadline, please email tammy@firstinmichigan.org for assistance. Please put your team number in the subject line of all correspondence.

Ideas for uses of the funds:

• Pay the team’s $275 2020-21 FTC Season Registration Fee when new season registration opens in mid-May.
• Purchase the new REV Control Hub ($239 before taxes/shipping) which will be available on the FTC Storefront when new season registration opens.
• Buy spare and additional parts (batteries, motors, wheels, etc.) Don’t forget that discount codes are available to all teams towards the purchase of TETRIX (through Pitsco) and REV Robotics parts. See the RESOURCES page on this site under “Parts and Vendors” for how to access the vendor discount codes via the FTC Storefront.
• Earmark funds for 2020-21 team budget items such as event fees, team shirts, future game elements, transportation, etc.
• Purchase gift cards to Pitsco/REV Robotics/AndyMark to buy parts/game elements in the future.

FIRST LEGO LEAGUE REBRANDING

FIRST LEGO League will now be the name of the program encompassing 3 separate divisions. As such, the old program names have changed:

• FIRST Lego League is now FIRST LEGO League “Challenge”
• FIRST LEGO League Jr is now FIRST LEGO League “Explore”
• New Pre-K program is called FIRST LEGO League “Discover”

While the names may have changed, the age ranges for Michigan’s FIRST programs have not. Michigan’s age ranges differ from what you will find on the firstinspires.org website. All Michigan students must follow the Michigan age ranges.

The addition of the Discover program for preschool now gives us a progression of 5 programs from pre-K through high school that looks like this:

• High School – FIRST Robotics Competition
• Middle School – FIRST Tech Challenge
• PreK through Late Elementary – FIRST LEGO League (3 divisions)
  • Late Elementary (4 & up) – FIRST LEGO League Challenge
  • K-3 – FIRST LEGO League Explore
  • Pre-K only – FIRST LEGO League Discover

FIRST LEGO LEAGUE DISCOVER

Talk to your district about starting a pre-K FIRST LEGO League Discover program! We piloted Discover in two school districts last season to RAVE reviews. Using Duplo blocks, Discover is a playful introductory STEM program that will inspire preschool students to develop a natural curiosity for learning.

Grants for FIRST LEGO League Discover:
Grants to bring Discover to new school districts are available through the LEGO® Foundation. The focus is on providing STEM opportunities to underrepresented and underserved students. Contact Cindy Nader at clnader@comcast.net or 248-931-2930 to discuss your eligibility.

But you have to hurry. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until all available grants are filled.

Let’s work together to get this “new” division of FIRST into our great FIRST in Michigan preschools!

IMPACT OF THE 1 MILLION PPE CHALLENGE!