08.20.24 Team Eblast

Sept. 7th FTC Season Kickoff  l  Sign Up for a Kickoff Event  l  Preliminary Fall Event List  l Trailer Drivers Needed  l  Competition Manual Available  l  Studica Legal Parts  l FTC SIM Coding Tool l  Grants  l  Purchasing Game Elements  l  Fall Season Timeline  l  Register for the Season  l  Program Links

SEPT. 7th FTC SEASON 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 willl be some flux to the list as schools are still finalizing fall activity calendars which could impact event dates/locations.

We could use additional qualifiers Week 4: Nov. 9-10. Currently, there are only two events that weekend. FiM FTC can support up to 5 events per weekend as we have 5 event trailers. 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.

TRAILER DRIVERS NEEDED

We are looking for awesome people willing to haul our 18 foot trailers to/from events in November & December. It usually entails a Friday late afternoon drop off and a Saturday evening or Sunday morning pick up. Fuel costs are reimbursed by FIRST in Michigan. The event takes care of unloading and loading the gear on the trailer. If interested, reach out directly to our FiM FTC Logistics Director, Bob Van Ham at bobvanham@gmail.com.

Trailer Specifications:

  •  18 foot, 6000 pounds
  • Hitch remains with the trailer
  • 2 5/16” Ball Size
  • 2” square receiver for the truck is needed
COMPETITION MANUAL IS AVAILABLE

The newly revamped and renamed Competition Manual is available to teams https://firstinspires.blob.core.windows.net/ftc/2024-25/Competition-Manual.pdf.

The Competition Manual consolidates and replaces the previous Game Manual 1 and Game Manual 2. It is a “must read” document containing information about event rules and robot rules. This release will have placeholders for all the season specific information, which will be released at kickoff on September 7th.

Share this key document with your team members and mentors and get a jumpstart on the season!

STUDICA INC. PARTS ARE FTC LEGAL!

Studica Inc. is happy to announce that they are FIRST legal for the following parts listed below.

FIRST Legal Studica Robotics List:

Competition Manual (where you will now see us added, list of parts starts on page 48: Competition-Manual.pdf (firstinspires.blob.core.windows.net)

Currently Studica is offering free samples of our extremely durable structure components with unique versatile hole patterns,  free grant offerings in the amount of $200.00 to the lucky recipient where we draw once a month,  along with a unlimited 25% discount offering for all Studica Robotic parts on our website found here Affordable Robotics Kits – Robot Parts – Studica, if you have not already applied for the offerings please apply ollowing one of the links listed below:

FTC SIM – GREAT CODING TOOL FOR TEAMS!

FTC SIM is a virtual coding tool developed by FIRST Canada for FTC Blocks and OnBot Java programming. It allows users to code and run a virtual FTC robot autonomously. It is a great way to get team members and mentors to acquire and enhance their FTC coding skills in an easy-to-use and fun environment. 

FTC SIM is a FREE resource and can be accessed at this link: https://ftcsim.org/. Best of all, at 12:30pm on Sept. 7th, the INTO THE DEEP playing field will be available virtually on FTC SIM where users can practice coding on the current FIRST Tech Challenge Field!

You can use FTC SIM to…

  • Teach FTC team members to code. Students can learn how to code basic movements and how to implement sensors before they even have a physical robot in front of them!
  • Choose your coding environment, Blocks or Java based.
  • Transition from FIRST Lego League Challenge to FIRST Tech Challenge programming.
  • Run a camp using the FTC SIM curriculum.
  • Teach Blocks or Java based programming in the classroom, in person or online. Curriculum is available https://ftcsim.org/educators/.
FTC SIM ARGOSY GRANT FOR ROOKIES

This rookie team grant made possible by the Argosy Foundation is a good option for new teams who might not be eligible for the needs-based HQ FTC Rookie Team Grant. For complete information, visit https://firstroboticscanada.org/ftc-sim-argosy-grant/.

  • $1000 USD (Used towards FTC Storefront purchases).
  • Only eligible for new rookie teams who have not paid their registration fee.
  • Task: Find 13/15 lightning bolts in FTC SIM to unlock the grant code. By doing the puzzles, team members will learn how to program an FTC robot to do everything from going forwards and backwards to using color or distance sensors. Once the grant code is obtained, submit it and once approved, the money will appear in the team’s FIRST dashboard and can be used to purchase team registration, the controls kit, the electronics kit or the build kit.
  • This is a great activity for team members looking for something to do right now!
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.

2024-25 FIM FTC FALL SEASON TIMELINE

The FiM FTC EVENTS page is where teams can find a list of the FiM FTC season’s events.

This year’s fall calendar is challenging with Thanksgiving on 11/28 and the 12/7-8 States-SE limited venue availability. Qualifying events will start earlier than in previous seasons to accommodate the needed number of qualifiers/league tournaments.

Event registration is anticipated to open on Sept. 25th. 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. Teams must be registered with FIRST HQ for the 2024-25 season ($295 season reg fee paid) in order to be placed in an event. Visit FTC EVENT PROCESS for details.

The anticipated FiM FTC season timeline is as follows:

  • May 15: FiM FTC season registration opens
  • Sept. 7: FTC season kickoff and game reveal
  • Sept. 25: Round 1 (home) event registration opens (anticipated)
  • Oct 19: Earliest date league meets can begin
  • Oct. 26: Fall qualifying events can begin
  • Dec. 7-8: FiM FTC State Championship-SE at Macomb Community College, Warren (Sat/Sun event).
  • Dec. 13-14 FiM FTC State Championship-NW at Trinity Health Arena, Muskegon (Fri/Sat event)
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.

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