A next chapter

[Jared Hasen-Klein]

Hi all,

I wanted to share with you a note which I will be publishing on the site soon. Thank you all for being the most loyal users and providing the most helpful feedback since 2014. Many of you have helped shape the amazing resources we've been able to provide over the years. Thank you again, and please, stay in touch.

Dear community,

These past several months have been trying for our community and the greater world as a whole in more ways than one. Between a once in a lifetime global pandemic, inexcusable acts of police brutality, and everything in between, our resolve has been tested time and time again.

It is times like these that the FIRST community must come together and use our platform as a vehicle for change. We have seen an outpouring of support from FIRST teams using their manufacturing capacity to assist with critical Personal Protective Equipment needs and using their lived experiences to talk about difficult issues on the global stage.

As we all navigate these times, there are changes everywhere. With that, I am disappointed to announce that I am suspending the creation of new Resource Hub content for the foreseeable future. I want to take a moment to explain a few factors that led to this decision. First, my “real” job is as the Programs Director at a large day camp in California. Our camp is operating with modifications this summer, and I know I will not be able to release FLL resources in a timely fashion. I also see a decrease in demand as programs move virtual. Many Program Delivery Partners are expecting sharp declines in registration for at least the next season, meaning fewer teams will need resources to help them navigate the season. Finally, there are lots of other resources out there to help teams navigate FIRST robotics.

I’ve mentioned some of the resources which are already out there, so I’d like to take a moment to point out a few specific ones:

• Virtual Meeting Guide – A while back, I published a virtual meeting guide for FLL (which can be used for any other program). Check it out at http://hub.jaredhk.com/virtual
• All the old content – All of the resources for previous games are still available on the website at the same URLs as before. Some of them are game specific, but my hope is that you’ll be able to use it all and adapt for this season.
• TechBrick – http://techbrick.com has everything you’ll need for your FLL season. After the challenge is released, they publish a directory of all scoring apps and calculators so you can find alternatives to what you might usually get from this website.
• Google  - It’s your best friend. The stuff you are looking for probably already exists

In addition to that, I’ll remain available by email, as always, at resourceh...@googlegroups.com (although my response time may be considerably slower than my usual <24 hour turnaround time.

Thank you again and please, stay in touch.

Jared Hasen-Klein Robotics Resource Hub

Jared