08.29.24 Team Eblast

10 Days Until Kickoff  l  Sign Up for a Kickoff Event  l  Preliminary Fall Event List  l    Register for the Season   l  Grants  l  Purchasing Game Elements  l  Fall Season Timeline  l  Program Links

10 DAYS UNTIL KICKOFF!

The 2024-25 FTC season INTO THE DEEP kickoff is Sept. 7th with the HQ broadcast at 12pm (noon) and the reveal of the season’s new game, INTO THE DEEP. FIRST Tech Challenge teams will dive their robots into the depths of the ocean to explore the unknown and reveal its wonders.It’s not too late to sign up for a local kickoff event. See below for the opportunity to network with area teams, acquire some new knowledge and/or skills, and see the official INTO THE DEEP playing field up close and in person! There is no cost to attend a local FTC kickoff event.

SIGN UP FOR A KICKOFF EVENT NEAR YOU!

There will be 16 kickoff events in various locations around the state! While attending a kickoff event is optional, these events offer workshops, info and training sessions, and ALL will feature an INITO THE DEEP official playing field on site revealed once the HQ broadcast ends. Plus, kickoff events provide the priceless opportunity to connect with your local FIRST community for ongoing support.

TO SIGN UP: Visit the FiM FTC EVENTS 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.

If you don’t quite have a team formed yet, coaches and/or prospective coaches/team members/mentors are welcome to sign-up to attend an area kickoff event. It’s a great way to jumpstart the season and partake in in-person learning and networking opportunities!

PRELIMINARY FALL EVENT LIST POSTED

A preliminary list of fall 2024-25 event has been posted on the FiM FTC EVENTS site page: https://firstinmichigan.us/FTC/events/. There has been some flux to the list as schools are still finalizing fall activity calendars which could impact event dates/locations.

We could use additional fall qualifiers to give more teams the opportunity to play more than once this fall season. We have 3 open event slots the weekend of Nov. 9/10 and one open slot Nov. 16/17  for new qualifiers. Qualifiers can be on a Saturday or a Sunday. Hosting is a great outreach for an FRC team and allows more teams to play twice. Hosts retain the $100 per team event fee which comprises the budget for the event.

Information on hosting a FIRST in Michigan FTC event can be found in this Google folder: FIRST in Michigan FTC Event Organization. Resources include equipment list, sample budget, planning guides, schedule, layouts, etc.

REGISTERING YOUR TEAM FOR THE SEASON

Team registration for the 2024-25 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. New this season, FIRST HQ will only review rookie grants once per month. Factor that into your planning  i.e. start a new team sooner versus later if possible!

Visit the START A ROOKIE TEAM site page for the steps to get your new team rolling and maximize available grants! Be sure to read the “tips” when applying for the HQ FTC Rookie Grant.

  • 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.

ROOKIE TEAM GRANTS OVERVIEW

FIRST HQ and FIRST in Michigan each offer rookie FTC team grants. 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.

  • FIRST HQ FTC Rookie Team Grant: $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. This grant prioritizes funding teams with economic challenges.
  • FIRST in Michigan FTC Rookie Team Grant works with the HQ grant and 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 FTC compliant robot build kit versus what is offered through the FTC Storefront (i.e. goBilda, Robits), FiM FTC will reimburse the cost up to the comparable FTC Storefront build kit cost (i.e. REV build kit) accompanied by appropriate receipts.
    • Also includes one partial set of AndyMark FTC INTO THE DEEP 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. The intent is that multiple new teams will share the partial set of game elements i.e. shared practice field.
    • Google.org Sponsorship: FiM FTC has an ongoing partnership with Google.org in support of newly forming middle school FTC teams in schools that are new to FTC. If your new middle school FTC team is in an under-resourced locale, has a high economically disadvantaged index (previously free/reduced lunch percentage), or includes students who have been traditionally underrepresented in STEM, email tammy@firstinmichigan.org about becoming a Google.org sponsored team.

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

GRANTS

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

  • FIRST HQ Grants page: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/team-grants.
  • FiM FTC Grants:
    • Autodesk – rolling grant; Open
    • Toyota – Open
  • MDE 99h State Grant – approved for both public and non-public school affiliated teams! It is anticipated that the grant will open for application on the MDE’s NexSys grant system in October.
“INTO THE DEEP” GAME ELEMENTS

Teams can pre-order a partial or full set of INTO THE DEEP game elements directly from AndyMark, an official FIRST vendor. Great use for any remaining 2023-24 season funding!

If you are a rookie in 2024-25 and are the first FTC team ever at your school the FiM FTC Rookie Team Grant will provide a partial set of INTO THE DEEP game elements to you as part of the FiM FTC Rookie Team Grant. The order will take place after the Sept. 7 game reveal.

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

FTC PROGRAM INFORMATION
Lots of resources linked below but don’t get overwhelmed. You don’t need them all now.