08.17.23 Team Eblast

MDE 99h Important Updates  l  22-23 Season Updates  l  Coach Workshop 8/24  l  Grants  l  Season Registration  l  Youth Team Member Registration   l  Rookie Team Grants  l  Program Information

MDE 99h GRANT UPDATES

2022-23 99h State Grant  Amount Amendments to Public School Awards
MUST READ FOR RECIPIENTS OF THE 23-24 MDE 99H GRANT:
See below for an important message from the MDE regarding amendments to 2023-24 99h PUBLIC SCHOOL (only) 99h awards. Awards to Non-public schools were not amended. Visit this linked sheet (tab 1) for a handy breakdown of original and amended awards to public school affiliated teams Work with your school’s/district’s Level 5 employee regarding access to these amended funds. The MDE will be communicating the statement below to districts/schools. Questions regarding the amendments should be directed to Ashley Arras at MDE-edtech@michigan.gov.
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IMPORTANT 99h UPDATE FROM THE MDE:
The Michigan Department of Education has redistributed extra 99h Robotics funds to eligible teams throughout the State. You can find the new amended amounts on our techplan.org site: Competitive 99h: Robotics Competition Grant – Grants – EdTech Initiatives – TechPlan.org linked under 2022-23 99h Robotics Amended Funding by Stipend and Support Award.xlsx (techplan.org). Here you will find funds broken down by coaching stipend and support award for each district/team.

All amended funds must be allocated/disbursed before the end of the current fiscal year (FY) on September 30, 2023. Support awards can be allocated towards costs already incurred throughout the 2022-23 season. Coaching stipends must be directly awarded to the team’s coach.

REMINDER: Any support awards not spent throughout the 2022-23 FY may be rolled over to the next season (2023-24) but MUST be reported to the department no later than October 31, 2023. Funds rolled over will be deducted from next season’s final award. If you choose not to roll over leftover funding, or the team will not be competing next season, please notify the department and funds will be pulled back via the State Aid Management System.

Any questions regarding funding can be directed to Ashley Arras at MDE-edtech@michigan.gov.
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2023-24 99h State Grant Approved!
The 99h state grant has been approved for 2023-24! Additionally, the 99h grant bucket has been increased to $5,973,200 for public school-based robotics teams and has maintained $600,000 for non-public schools. The 99h grant is expected to open for application through the MDE’s NexSys system on October 1.

Teams included on a district’s/school’s application must be registered and paid for the 2023-24 season before the grant closes for application in order to be eligible for grant consideration. There will no longer be any grace period for this aspect. The new grant language also includes that program providers (like FIRST in Michigan) must collect and aggregate student participation data from awarded teams, as determined by the MDE, Basically, teams will be expected to complete a survey that FiM will share with Lead Coach/Mentor 1 and 2 for each team asking about team demographics and student program participation. Stay tuned for more info!

2023-24 Season Updates

FTC Kickoff
The 2023-2024 FTC season will officially kick off on Sept. 9, 12:00PM (noon) with the reveal of the season’s new game, CENTERSTAGE!

There will be 15 kickoff events in various locations around the state. While attending a kickoff event is optional it is highly encouraged. These events offer workshops, info sessions, and ALL will feature a “reveal” of the CENTERSTAGE official playing field! Plus, kickoff events provide the priceless opportunity to connect with your local FIRST community for ongoing support.

If you don’t quite have a team formed yet, coaches and/or prospective coaches are welcome to sign-up to attend an area kickoff event. Great networking opportunity!

Visit the EVENTS FiM FTC site page for a list of area FTC kickoff events including sign-up information. Sign-up is done directly with the event host and not with FIRST in Michigan FTC. Check back to the site page for updates.

CENTERSTAGE Game Elements
Teams can pre-order a partial or full set of CENTERSTAGE game elements directly from AndyMark, an official FIRST vendor. Great use for any remaining 2022-23 season funding!

If you are a rookie in 2023-24 and are the first FTC team ever at your school the FiM FTC Rookie Team Grant will provide a partial set of CENTERSTAGE game elements to you as part of the FiM FTC Rookie Team Grant. The order will take place after the Sept. 9 game reveal.

New this season, teams can order game elements, perimeter, SoftTile mats through the FTC Storefront. These purchases are optional for teams. The FIRST HQ FTC site has DIY perimeter plans as a more cost-effective option.

Game Manual 1 – MUST read!
CENTERSTAGE Game Manual 1 has been posted! This is a “must read” guide for all teams. Game Manual 2 will be released on Sept. 9 along with updates to Game Manual 1.

Visit the July 11 FTC Blog for a summary of changes for the 2023-24 season.

2023-24 Season Events
The FiM FTC EVENTS page has a preliminary list of fall season events (scroll past kickoff). Some shifting and adjustments are anticipated. Check back for updates.

Event registration is anticipated to open on October 3, 2023. For FTC, event registration is done at the local level with FIRST in Michigan via a Google form shared with the Lead Coach/Mentor 1 and 2. Visit FTC EVENT PROCESS for details.

FiM FTC Season Timeline
The anticipated FiM FTC season timeline is as follows:

  • May 18: FiM FTC season registration opens
  • Sept. 9: FTC season kickoff and game reveal
  • Oct. 3: Round 1 (home) event registration opens
  • Oct 28: Earliest date league meets can begin
  • Nov. 4: Competition season begins
  • Dec. 9-10: FiM FTC State Championship-SE at Macomb Community College (Sat/Sun event).
  • Dec. 16-17: FiM FTC State Championship-NW (Sat/Sun event; venue TBD).

REV Control Hub, Driver Hub, Expansion Hub Availability
The REV Control Hub and the REV Driver Hub are available for purchase to teams through the FTC Storefront. Both FIRST HQ and REV state that there is enough stock of both in hand to support rookie and veteran team orders. REV also has the REV Expansion Hub in stock on their website. It is recommended that teams looking to place orders do so earlier versus later.

NOTE: the FTC robot kit of parts is reusable year to year. Veteran teams do not need to purchase the kit of parts components unless it is desired to have them as spares or replacements. Purchasing game elements or perimeter/mats are not required either. Most teams procure a partial set of game elements and a few Soft Tile field mats for testing purposes. FIRST HQ has plans for constructing a DIY low-cost perimeter.

FIRST Championship-Houston Event Fee Increase
The event fee for FIRST Championship-Houston will increase to $2,500 for the 2023-24 season. The number of advancing spots per region (FiM is a region) is not yet known.

Event fees for FIRST in Michigan events will be unchanged for the 2023-24 season at $100 per team for qualifiers (remitted to the event host) and $200 for States.

Upcoming FTC Coach Workshop

What: Workshop focusing on coaching middle school level FTC teams.
Who: Prospective FTC coaches/mentors (Experienced coaches/mentors welcome too)
Where: Auburn Hills, MI
When: Thursday, August 24th 6pm-9pm
Signup –> https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSezvA-qm0wA-l4rYanXkimwOgjq4DhKsjsB7TyGWzyW03zFFw/viewform

Coaches are a critical asset to FTC teams, and volunteer coaches and mentors create opportunities for more youth to participate by enabling teams to exist.  Fortunately, coaching doesn’t need to be an overwhelming experience!  Parents, Teachers, and High School Aged students interested in mentoring or coaching FTC teams are welcome.
If you’ve ever thought about coaching an FTC team and are interested in learning more, join this workshop for an overview of the technical side of FTC robots and an opportunity to discuss facilitating learning, teamwork, and problem solving among team members.

The workshop will utilize the Robits Core kit by AndyMark, though participants are welcome to bring their own equipment to use if they would prefer.

The workshop will be lead by Allison Kneisler, Head Coach of FRC 3538 RoboJackets.  The tentative date is August 24th from 6pm-9pm, but additional dates are being considered as well.

GRANTS

Stay tuned to the FIRST HQ Grants site page as well as the FiM FTC site Grants page for available team grants.

Registering for the Season

Team registration for the 2023-24 season is open! The $295 season registration fee can be paid via the FTC Storefront accessible from the Team Dashboard through firstinspires.org.

It is key to register your team right away so that enough events are planned in support. Teams must be fully registered for the current season in order to register for FiM FTC competitions.

New Teams

New Teams (rookies) – FIRST HQ will once again have their FTC Rookie Team Grant available which will open in early June! This grant works with the FIRST in Michigan FTC Rookie Team Grant to 100% cover a newly forming FTC team’s first season registration fee and reusable kit of parts purchase.

Visit the START A ROOKIE TEAM site page for the steps to get your new team rolling and maximize available grants!

  • Reminder: DO NOT PAY for anything through the FTC Storefront until the FIRST HQ opens for application AND a grant award decision has been received.
  • All veterans out of the same school who were past grant recipients must be registered for the current season before a newly forming team can be eligible for the FIRST HQ and/or FiM FTC Rookie Team Grant.

Returning Teams

Returning Teams (veterans) – Returning teams register with their existing team number. Check the MI Archive FTC Team List (tab 1 & 2) for a list of historical team numbers.

  • Take care of “Outstanding Tasks” on your Dashboard
    • Update the Team Profile, update team contacts as needed, Lead Coach/Mentor 1 and 2 must electronically sign the season’s FIRST Consent/Release form and check that their FIRST Youth Protection Screening is up to date.
    • Instruct any departing team contacts (Team Admin, Lead Coach/Mentor 1 and 2) to invite their replacements.
  • Veteran Team Registration Guide – contains screenshots of the process.

Dormant Teams

If you were the Team Administrator and/or Lead Coach/Mentor 1 of a team that has been dormant but wants to register for the season and you don’t see your team on your FIRST Account Dashboard anymore, email firsttechchallenge@firstinspires.org and ask them to reactivate your team. Copy me at tammy@firstinmichigan.org. Include your team number in the subject line of the email.

If a dormant team’s past Team Administrator and Lead Coach/Mentor 1 are no longer with the organization and you would like the team to be reactivated, email me at tammy@firstinmichigan.org and I can assist. Please include your team number in the subject line of the email.

Reminder that teams that have been the recipient of the FiM FTC Rookie Team Grant are expected to keep the team number and reusable robot kit of parts in play. Grant sponsors view these funds as seed money for a new team. Team members and coaches may move through the program but the FTC team number and robot kit of parts stay with the affiliated school/501c3 organization for reuse year to year. Otherwise, grant funds and/or the robot kit of parts in their entirety must be returned to FIRST in Michigan.

If your team has been dormant for more than 3 years, the team could be eligible for a veteran “gear up” grant to cover the cost of the REV Control Hub and REV Driver Hub. Reach out to tammy@firstinmichigan.org to learn more.

YOUTH TEAM MEMBER REGISTRATION UPDATE

It is anticipated that FIRST HQ will be rolling out the “Express Enrollment” option for Youth Team Member Registration in September. This will be a faster and easier approach to the current process. Quick overview: a team coach will produce a team specific QR code from the Team Dashboard which is then shared with team parents/guardians. Parents/guardians then complete the youth registration process in about 7 minutes from start to finish via the app! HQ is currently beta testing “Express Enrollment” so stay tuned for more info. Teams can still utilize the established Youth Team Member Registration process as needed.

Smartwaiver FiM Consent/Release form status:
We are still awaiting HQ to assess their ability to add the sponsor photo release language to the HQ Consent/Release (C/R) form.  Currently, the FIRST C/R form does not include a sponsor photo release which FiM needs. If HQ isn’t able to add this language, we will need to continue to use the additional Smartwaiver FIM C/R form. Stay tuned and cross your fingers!

REV “Intro to Robotics” Free Curriculum

REV’s Intro to Robotics I is an easily adaptable and ready-to-teach course for the classroom, after-school programs, or summer camps. It is designed to align with national standards including ISTE, ITEEA, CSTA, and NGSS. The Intro to Robotics I course is intended for use in high school classrooms by 9th-12th grade students and is adaptable for grades 6th-8th. REV is planning to expand alignments and curriculum in the years to come. Visit their site to learn more: https://www.revrobotics.com/curriculum/.

This curriculum establishes the basics of robotics terminology and lab safety, followed by introductions to mechanical design, electronics, and programming for autonomous robotics. Educators and students of all experience levels, from novices to experts, will benefit from this easy-to-use introduction to robotics course designed by leading experts in STEM education.

ROOKIE TEAM GRANTS

FIRST HQ and FIRST in Michigan will once again offer rookie FTC team grants. The HQ grant is anticipated to be $750 and will cover the team’s $295 season registration fee and provide $455 towards the team’s reusable robot kit of parts purchased through the FTC Storefront.

Follow all 3 steps outlined on the START A ROOKIE TEAM WITH GRANTS site page to maximize the use of available grants. Note that all veteran teams from a given school/org. must be registered for the current season before a new team can be eligible for the rookie grants.

The FIRST in Michigan FTC Rookie Team Grant will cover the remaining cost for a newly forming school-based team’s reusable robot kit of parts purchase. If the team wishes to purchase an alternative robot build kit to what is offered through the FTC Storefront (i.e. goBilda), FiM FTC will reimburse the cost up to the comparable FTC Storefront build kit cost accompanied by appropriate receipts (i.e. REV Robotics Build Kit).

New this season, the FiM FTC rookie grant will include one partial set of AndyMark FTC CENTERSTAGE game elements when a new middle school FTC team forms in a school that has never had a team. The limit is one partial set of game elements per new school so if the school starts two or more new teams, the intent is that the teams share the partial set of game elements i.e. shared practice field kind of thing.

FiM also has comparable FLL-Challenge (Upper Elementary) rookie team grants! Reach out to angela@firstinmichigan.org for more information.

FTC PROGRAM INFORMATION
Links to program information and resources: