NE FIRST

Out to New England FRC teams...


NE FIRST Things FIRST

Week of October 12, 2015

 

 
FIRST STRONGHOLD: 2016 Season Trailer Reveal
 
Did you get a chance to see last night's FRC 2016 season trailer reveal on FRC GameSense? If you missed the reveal or want to watch it again, it can be found here. Be sure to check out and pass on the press release, as well!


2017 Championship Planning Committee

Congratulations to Brandon Holley, mentor for FRC Team 125, Nutrons, from Boston, MA, for being selected as the community representative to the 2017 Championship Planning Committee! 
 
Other members of the committee are as follows:
  • Gail Alpert, District representative, President of FIRST in Michigan
  • Karthik Kanagasabapathy, Hall of Fame representative, FRC Team 1114, Simbotics, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
  • John Larock, Woodie Flowers Award winners representative, FRC Team 365, MOE, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
  • Chuck Kennedy, Regional Director, Regional representative, FIRST
  • Beth Hamilton, Volunteer Resources Coordinator, FIRST
  • Naomi Mancuso, Team Support Manager, FIRST
  • Frank Merrick, FRC Director, FIRST
More information can be found on the FRC blog.
 
 
Chairman's Award Submission Definitions
 
The most prestigious team award in FIRST is the Chairman's Award. For a team to earn this award, they must be able to describe, among other accomplishments, their initiatives in supporting other teams. In doing so, teams often use phrases like "we started x FLL teams" or "we mentored y FRC teams". As teams may have different definitions of what terms like 'started' or 'mentored' mean in this context, it can be difficult for Chairman's Award Judges to compare accomplishments between teams.
 
To help solve this problem, the Hall of Fame teams have developed a common set of team support definitions for teams applying for Chairman's Award to use. A link to this document can also be found on this page.
 
More information can be found in the original post.


Trophies for the 2016 Season
 
FRC has traditionally given out duplicate trophies to all teams earning them at events, with the original idea was that one trophy was for the team, one trophy was for the sponsor. For 2016, rather than providing duplicate trophies to winning teams, teams will receive one trophy and one wall plaque recognizing the accomplishment. Wall plaques will come in two sizes, 8" x 10" when paired with smaller trophies and 9" x 12" when paired with larger trophies. Teams will be able to order additional trophies and additional plaques if they desire.
 
The original post can be found here.


Society of Women Engineers Grant
Deadline: Friday, Oct. 23, 11:59 p.m.
Notification: Friday, Oct. 30
 
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) grant will again be offered for the 2016 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) season. Generously funded through the Motorola Foundation, this grant is meant to recognize teams for their concerted efforts in creating (rookie) and/or maintaining (veteran) team gender equality in their roster. Please note that all-girl teams are not eligible for this grant. All-girl teams that work with a SWE Section can apply for funding through the SWE Program Development Grants program.
 
The grant is in the amount of $1,000 and eligible to be re-granted, if warranted. Past Grantees are eligible to re-submit, provided they completed the requirements from the previous season (i.e., photos, diversity training, season re-cap, etc.). Questions regarding this grant opportunity should be directed to [email protected]For more information, visit the FRC grants page.

 
Abbott Fund Grant
 
The Abbott Fund Grant Application is now open! New and existing FTC and FRC teams are eligible to apply. Priority will be given to teams that are in close proximity to Abbott locations within the United States and those that use Abbott scientists and engineers as mentors and volunteers. Please see the Abbott Fund Grant Application for more details.

 
FRC Rookie Grant
Deadline: Monday, Nov. 2, 11:59 p.m.
Notification: Friday, Nov. 13
 
FIRST is excited to announce a funding opportunity exclusively available to Rookie teams participating in the 2016 FRC season. Awarded teams will receive $6,000 (to be used for registration) over the course of two seasons. Teams can expect $4,000 in season one and $2,000 in season two. Sample fundraising plans, which are required for the grant, can be found in the FIRST Fundraising Toolkit. The application and more information can be found here.
 
Thinking about starting a team? Start here. If you know of any potential rookie teams looking to compete in the 2016 season, be sure to contact your local Regional Director. For additional support, contact [email protected] or 800-871-8326.


Call for Presenters: NE FIRST University Day at UMass Amherst
 
We have another chance for teams to learn more about FIRST before Kickoff! NE FIRST University Day at UMass Amherst is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. If there is any topic you want to learn more about, or one you haven't gotten a chance to see at the other University Day events, let us know!  Whether it's topic you need to know more about or a topic you'd like to present, email FIRST Senior Mentor Dana Henry at [email protected] or FIRST VISTA Lauren Jefferson at [email protected] with your requests.

 
FIRST Future Innovator Award Reminder
 
The FIRST Future Innovator Award (FFIA) recognizes creativity in effectively solving a real-world, complex problem through the invention of a unique solution beyond the requirements of the FIRST Abbott Fund competition season. The FFIA challenges students to think about and submit inventions pertaining to the three challenges selected from the National Academy of Engineering's 14 Grand Challenges for engineering in the 21st century:
The FFIA competition is open to all FRC and FTC team members for the current 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons. Team members may apply for the award through the FFIA Submission Website. The Submission website closes on Friday, Oct. 30, at noon.
 
The FFIA winner and two runners-up will be announced at the 2016 FIRST Championship. The three finalists will be invited to attend the event where one $5,000 and two $2,500 cash prizes will be awarded by FIRST.
 
More information about the award can be found on the website and questions can be submitted to [email protected].


W-9, Regranting Policy and Procedure


W-9 Forms
Every U.S. based team receiving funding from a Donor (Grantor) must submit an IRS Form W-9 to FIRST Finance. If your team does not have a current W-9 form on file, be sure to submit one as soon as possible.

Regranting Policy

FIRST receives grants from various Donors (Grantors) which are designated to FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) participating teams. These are restricted donations with designations as defined and imposed on FIRST by the Grantor(s). Should FIRST receive a grant designated to your FRC Team, FIRST will "re-grant" the funds to your FRC Teams as a "pass through" grant with no deductions for overhead or processing costs.
 
More information about both the W-9 and the Regranting Policy can be found here.

 
Behind the Lines Upcoming Broadcast
 
Alumni Programs and Applying for Scholarships - Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 9 p.m.
Experts: TBD
This session is geared toward all FRC teams. Topics will include scholarships and alumni programs.
 
To submit your questions in advance for any Behind the Lines broadcast, email [email protected] or tweet questions to @FRCGameSense with #FRCBTL. The Behind the Lines archives can be found on the webpage or the YouTube channel.

 
NE FIRST Website Photo Contest!
 
Do you have a great photo from the 2015 District Championship of the event? NE FIRST is looking for a photo from the 2015 District Championship that embodies the excitement and spirit of NE FIRST. We are looking for a photo of the event, not a specific team or robot, to feature on the new NE FIRST website! The deadline is Friday, Oct. 23 at 5 p.m. Submissions should be sent to [email protected] and we will credit you and/or your team for the photo on the NE FIRST website.

 
Upcoming Events
 
River Rage 19
Saturday, Oct. 17
Memorial High School
1 Crusader Way, Manchester, NH 03103
 
Robot Rodeo
Saturday, Oct. 17
Gardiner Area Middle School
161 Cobbossee Ave, Gardiner, ME 04345
 
NH TechFest
Saturday, Oct. 24
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Windham High School,
64 London Bridge Rd, Windham, NH 03087
 
Battle of the Bay
Saturday, Nov. 14
Prospect Mountain High School
242 Suncook Valley Rd, Alton, NH 03809
Volunteer Registration

NE FIRST University Day at UMass Amherst
Saturday, Nov. 14
UMass Amherst
Contact Dana Henry at [email protected] or Lauren Jefferson at [email protected] if you're interested in presenting.
 
NIDays 2015 Boston
Tuesday, Nov. 17
Hynes Convention Center
900 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02115
If your team is interested in demonstrating at the event, contact Steve Cremer at [email protected].


Contact Us
 
NE FIRST Executive Director
Bruce Linton ([email protected])
 
NE FIRST Advisor
Jessica Boucher ([email protected])
 
NE FIRST Regional Directors
Connecticut - Carol Scully ([email protected])
Maine - Karen Giles ([email protected])
Massachusetts/Rhode Island - Steve Cremer ([email protected])
New Hampshire/Vermont - Scott Heaton ([email protected])
 
NE FIRST Senior Mentors
Connecticut - Stacey Gray ([email protected])
Massachusetts - Dana Henry ([email protected])
 

 

Archives of NE FIRST Things FIRST are available on the NE FIRST site under "News." Submissions can be sent to [email protected].

 

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