Oklahoma FTC weekly update - 9/15/24

[Mary Jo Othon]

Hello FTC teams!

Here is your weekly FTC in Oklahoma update.  We are trying to finalize leagues and schedules.  Please make sure your team is currently registered with FIRST this week!  

✔️ TEAM REGISTRATION:

• Register your team in the FIRST® Dashboard and pay fees to FIRST.
• You may not compete in any Oklahoma events until payment is received.
• Coaches, sign into your FIRST Dashboard and make sure that:
• All contact information is current.
• Your team has two screened Lead Coach/Mentors
• FIRST policies and acknowledgement forms are updated and signed

📄STUDENT CONSENT AND RELEASE FORMS

• FIRST requires all team members to register electronically.  Coaches please sign into your dashboard and make sure all team members have a Consent and Release signed by their parents on file.  
• FIRST requires that all team members have a C&R on file prior to any team meeting.
• Coaches will be required to bring a printed roster showing compliance to all Oklahoma events.

💲SEASON FEES:

• FIRST HQ Registration Fee - $295

In order to be able to compete as a FIRST Tech Challenge team, teams need to register with FIRST each season. The annual FIRST registration fees that all teams pay to FIRST stays at FIRST Headquarters in New Hampshire and does not get passed onto FIRST in Okalhoma. To pay your team’s $295 FIRST HQ Registration fee, please visit your team’s FIRST Dashboard.

• Oklahoma Registration Fee - $250

In order to participate in Oklahoma events, teams pay a rgistration fee to OKSEF.   This non-refundable fee covers 3 to 5 League Meets, 1 League Tournament and the State Regional Championship (if qualified).  Teams will receive an invoice in early October.  OKSEF gives 45 days after the invoice date to pay without penalty. Teams must pay in order to compete in their League Tournament.

📅  UPCOMING OKLAHOMA EVENTS:

• 9/12/2024 - INTO THE DEEP rules zoom call with Ingrid (see below)
• 9/28/2024 - “Robot in 3 weeks” at Tinkerfest - OKC Science Museumr
• 10/19/2024 - 1/18/2025 - League meets (league schedules coming soon)
• 1/25/2025 - Lamar/Carver (Mustang HS) & May/Herrington (Muskogee HS) League Tournaments 
• 2/1/2025 - Merian/Hadfield (Bridge Creek HS) & DaVinci/Morse (Pryor) League Tournaments
• 2/21 - 2/22 - Oklahoma Rgeional Qualifier Tournament - Edmond Santa Fe High School

📝 “INTO THE DEEP” KICKOFF RESOURCES

• The classes taught at the Okarche Kick-off are uploaded to our FIRST in Oklahoma YouTube channel, the links are shared below. Some of their corresponding powerpoints as well as those at Muskogee are shared in this folder. 
• Succeeding through the Portfolio, by Team 8866 Cybernetics
• Roadrunner, driving with confidence, by Team 7242 BC RoboCats
• Achieving Game Strategy, by Jackson B. from 4250 LIGHTSABERS
• OnShape & 3D Printing: Shaping Your Robot, by Team 7242 BC RoboCats

“INTO THE DEEP” COMPETITION MATERIALS:

• INTO THE DEEP Competition Manual has been updated as of September 7th.  FIRST will post an update to the game manual every two weeks on this website.  
• INTO THE DEEP game animation is now available.  

⚙️EQUIPMENT OPTIONS:

• Many teams may have questions about what equipment they need for their season. You may find this handout helpful.

💻PROGRAMMING OPTIONS:

• Which Programming Language Should Your Team Use?

In FIRST Tech Challenge, There are three programming tools that are available for teams to use:

• Blocks 
• OnBot Java 
• Android Studio
• You can learn more about the programming languages and options HERE as well as on the Programming Resources page on the FIRST website.
• A great resource for learning Blocks programming is through the free FTC SIM online course.

⚖️ JUDGING RESOURCES:

• Chris Silvano has provided the following resources to help you prepare for your judged events in January/February.
• Judging 101 - An introduction to Judging
• Judging 201 - Changes for this season

🤝 OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES:

• Oklahoma Oil and Natural Gas Community STEM Nights is having an event in the Bridge Creek High School gym on Tuesday, October 29th 4PM-7PM. The target audience is any age within 30 miles of Bridge Creek. This event is also doubling as a Trunk or Treat. There will be outdoor booths as well as indoor booths. FIRST will have a booth indoors currently being manned by 7242 BC Robocats of Bridge Creek and 10368 Level Ups of Blanchard. We are looking for teams to join in on this spooky outreach event, PG costumes and candy to hang out is encouraged. Please contact Ingrid Law, il...@firstinspires.org if interested.

💰 GRANT OPPORTUNITIES:

• Check the FIRST Grant Opportunities for the latest list that is published by FIRST HQ.
• Studica Robotics will award a $200 grant each month. This award is redeemable for Studica Robotics products, it is not redeemable for cash.  Grant Application       FIRST Teams 25% Discount Application Studica Odometry kit giveaway
• The Argosy Foundation is empowering FTC SIM users across North America to take their robotics experience to the next level by providing 140 x $1000 USD grants towards starting a competitive FIRST Tech Challenge Team!  Rookie teams may apply through this link.
• The Boeing FIRST Mentor Grant will open August 27th. This grant window will close once all of the funds have been spoken for, which could mean anything from 1 week to 5 weeks. Teams DO NOT APPLY for this grant.  How it works:
•  A Boeing Employee chooses to mentor a team and reaches out to the team for confirmation of mentorship.
• The Boeing Mentor applies for the Boeing FIRST Mentor Grant on behalf of the team (details are simple and will include: FIRST Program, team #, location of team, how many students are on the team, and the Boeing Employee’s information).
• The Team waits about 15 days, then will look on their FIRST Dashboard to see if the grant funds have been applied. The Boeing Employee will not be notified of the grant approval.
• If the grant was not applied within about 3 weeks, the team was not awarded the Boeing grant. The Boeing Employee is not required to provide mentorship, but may choose to provide mentorship without out the requirements of the grant.
• If the grant was applied, congrats! The Boeing Mentor is required to provide 25 hours of mentorship for the season. They have their own tracking system for their time. The Team does not need to report to Boeing nor FIRST of the Boeing Employee’s Mentor time.
• If you are interested in a getting a Boeing Mentor with the possibility of being granted the Boeing FIRST Mentor Grant but don’t know any Boeing Employees willing to do so, then contact either Ingrid Law at il...@firstinspires.org or Chris Silvano at chris....@hotmail.com . We recently became the custodians of the OKC Boeing site for this opportunity. We do not make the decision of who gets granted, but we can get your team connected with a willing Boeing Employee.
• FTC grant: $800
• Want to be a Part of #TEAMREV?
• For the 2024-2025 FIRST DIVE season, REV Robotics is thrilled to award $100,000 in total sponsorships for FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Robotics Competition teams!
• Our sponsorship program is designed for teams that excel on the playing field while being leaders of their local FIRST community through outreach and sharing their knowledge. Sponsored teams will become #TeamREV Brand Ambassadors, sharing the values and ideals of REV Robotics through our joint participation in FIRST programs. Teams will complete activities and challenges to earn rewards and surprises.
• Sponsorship applications are open NOW through September 17, 2024. We look forward to welcoming the new class of #TeamREV in Fall 2024! Apply here.

Mary Jo Othon

    Oklahoma FTC PDP