08.30 Team Eblast

FTC “POWERPLAY” Season Kickoff and Events Sept. 10 l 2022-23 Team Registration Open! l  Ford Grant Open l  Available Grants l POWERPLAY Game Elements l Game Manual 1 Posted l  2022-23 Fall Events l  More!

FTC “POWERPLAY” SEASON KICKOFF 9/10; SIGN UP FOR A KICKOFF EVENT NEAR YOU!

The 2022-2023 FTC season will officially kickoff on Sept. 10, 12:00PM (noon) with the reveal of the season’s new game, POWERPLAY!

There will be 14 kickoff events in various locations around the state! While attending a kickoff event is optional, these events offer workshops, info sessions, and ALL will feature a “reveal” of the POWERPLAY official playing field! Plus, kickoff events provide the priceless opportunity to connect with your local FIRST community for ongoing support. There is no cost to attend.

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 learning and 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.

2022-23 TEAM REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Team registration for the 2022-23 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 once again has their FTC Rookie Team Grant available! 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 CREATE A TEAM site page for the steps to get your new team rolling and to maximize available grants!

  • Reminder: DO NOT PAY for anything through the FTC Storefront until the grant award decisions have 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.

FORD MENTORED TEAM GRANT OPEN, CLOSES 9/30

From the Ford FIRST Board:

Hello FiM FTC, FLL-Challenge, FLL-Explore Teams!

Ford Motor Company is reaching out to all FiM FTC, FLL-Challenge, FLL-Explore teams this year to invite you to apply for the 2022-2023 Ford FIRST Team Sponsorship! To qualify for sponsorship, you must have an active Ford employee or retiree as a mentor and complete the following application by Friday, September 30th at 11:59 pm. Please note – applications cannot be submitted by current Ford Motor Company or agency employees.

The Ford FIRST Board will inform teams if they have been awarded Ford sponsorship by October 17th and funds will be distributed through FIRST in Michigan in November. The Ford Sponsorship provides the following to each selected team.

FIRST Tech Challenge – $300
FIRST LEGO League-Challenge – $200
FIRST LEGO League-Explore – $100

If you have any questions or concerns through the application process, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at ffirstk8@ford.com or stem@ford.com.

From all of us on the Ford FIRST Board and the Ford STEM Office, we hope you have a fun and safe start of the school year and we are looking forward to hearing from you!

99h STATE GRANT UPDATE

The 99h State Grant has been approved for both public and non-public school-affiliated FIRST teams for the 2022-23 season! This grant has traditionally included a Team Support award and Coaches Stipend award. The application will be available through the MI Dept. of Education’s NexSys grant system. The MDE gathered many lessons learned and has been working to fix past issues. Stay tuned to FiM FTC eblasts for details about this grant.

AVAILABLE GRANTS

Visit the GRANTS page on the FIRST in Michigan FTC website to learn of available grant opportunities.

REV Robotics is currently offering a team grant opportunity. Visit https://www.revrobotics.com/team-sponsorship/?mc_cid=ca0d838087&mc_eid=521cdabc96 to apply. This grant closes for application on 9/13.

Visit the FIRST HQ team grants site page https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/team-grants for a list of grant offerings managed through FIRST HQ. New grant opportunities will be posted throughout the year, so check back often

POWERPLAY GAME ELEMENTS

Teams can pre-order a partial or full set of POWER PLAY game elements directly from AndyMark, an official FIRST vendor. Great use for any remaining 2021-22 season funding!

POWERPLAY GAME MANUAL 1 AVAILABLE; TEAM SIZE CLARIFICATION

POWERPLAY Game Manual 1 has been posted! This is a “must read” guide for all teams. Game Manual 2 will be released on Sept. 10.

Please note the Team Size clarification for the 2022-23 season per Game Manual 1: An official FIRST Tech Challenge Team consists of no more than fifteen (15) Student Team members.

Visit the Aug. 9 FTC HQ Blog for a summary of rule changes for the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 FiM FTC 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 4, 2022. 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.

HOSTING A 2022-23 FTC EVENT

Hosting an FTC event is great FIRST outreach and really brings together your local FIRST community! If you’re interested in hosting, please fill out this 2022-23 FTC Event Host Interest Form (link). Options include hosting a qualifier, league meets, state championship, or spring 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. The $100 event fee is remitted directly to the host and comprises the event budget.

REV CONTROL HUB UPDATE

The REV Robotics Control is currently unavailable due to ongoing global supply chain disruptions. If you place an order for the Control Hub along with your 2022-2023 team registration or other robotics kit elements, all products on your team’s order, except the Control Hub, will be invoiced at the time of purchase. Control Hubs will be invoiced separately upon shipping.

FIRST HQ anticipates delivery of REV Control Hubs in mid Sept. Sign up to receive updates on Control Hub availability.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

To learn more about the FIRST in Michigan Progression of Programs, visit our FIRST in Michigan PK-12 Team/Class Pack Overview Guide.

Links to program information on the FIRST in Michigan (FiM) and FIRST HQ websites:

  • FTC teams are capped at 15 team members.
  • In Michigan, FTC is a middle school program with teams comprised solely of students in middle school grades.
  • Run a Team – Addresses many FAQs
  • Events – upcoming season events
  • Resources – Links to FIRST HQ resources, parts, and vendors, logos, etc.
  • Grants – information will be updated as grants become available; check back periodically
  • Team Eblast Archive
  • FIRST FTC HQ Blog – latest program announcements