Hi , 

Coming to you from FIRST^® LEGO^® League HQ in Manchester, NH, USA. 

Catch up on previous emails here. 

FIRST^® Headquarters will be closing at 3:00 p.m. ET today, and will remain closed until Tuesday, September 3, due to the U.S. Labor Day Holiday.  

Extended Hours: Team Support will have extended customer support available until 8:00 p.m. ET on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays starting September 3, through October 31. They can be reached via 1-800-871-8326 or (603) 666-3906, extension 0, via live chat, or via email. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The exploration of ideas beyond what we know with certainty are what lead to progress.” 

-Lisa Randall, Theoretical Physicist  

WHAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT

Dive into the SUBMERGED^SM Season: Get ready ocean explorers, the SUBMERGED^SM season is here! Part of the 2024-2025 ocean-inspired robotics season, FIRST^® DIVE^SM presented by Qualcomm, the FIRST LEGO League SUBMERGED season will challenge teams to explore the layers of the ocean and “sea” into the future. All season materials are available on the Game & Season page. Check out the SUBMERGED Welcome Video for details about what to expect this season. 

Join us as we explore the future together! Season registration is now open in the FIRST Dashboard. 

OceanX Education Live Q&A Sessions: OceanX Education will be hosting 3 live Zoom Q&A sessions from the OceanXplorer ship in September. These hour-long sessions will be hosted by Dr. AnnMarie Thomas, who has a background in ocean robotics and education, and a long history of involvement in FIRST. During the sessions, we will take questions from participants and give a tour of a few locations on the ship.  

Sign up for a session by clicking on one of the dates below. Please note that times below are in E.T. (New York City) time: 

Tuesday, September 10, 8:00-9:00 p.m. 

Saturday, September 14, 5:00-6:00 a.m. 

Monday, September 16, 8:00-9:00 p.m. 

A recording will be available following the live Q&A sessions. 

Chart your Course with Career Connections: Ten (10) new SUBMERGED Career Connections videos are now available! This season, we collaborated with OceanX to highlight careers related to ocean exploration and give you inspiration for your season. More videos are coming soon! 

DonorsChoose – New Funding Campaign, Now Available (U.S. only): Through the generous support from 3M, FIRST related DonorsChoose project funding is now available for educators and school employees who meet the requirements. Projects created on DonorsChoose and submitted for consideration will be reviewed to ensure they meet donor intent and partial funding will be allocated accordingly. Learn more about this opportunity!    

Reminder: FIRST Certified Professional Development   

Sign up for one of our upcoming professional development sessions and grow your knowledge and skills by practicing student elements of the FIRST LEGO League program. Sessions are available for FIRST^® LEGO^® League Discover, Explore, and Challenge. Register for a session or view the full schedule for upcoming dates listed through October 2024. If you have questions, please email firsteducation@firstinspires.org.  

Upcoming Professional Development Sessions:    

🤖September 16, 17 | FIRST Headquarters | Manchester, New Hampshire   

More dates can be found on our FIRST Professional Development page. 

YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST

Discover how scientists use technology in the ocean to study the communication of humpback whales. 

CELEBRATION AND SHOUTOUTS

What’s your team most excited about for the SUBMERGED season? 
Let us know with a tweet @firstlegoleague or a Facebook post, and make sure to use #SUBMERGED!