Hello Friend,
 
Reminder! INFINITE RECHARGESM at Home Skills Submissions due soon! Submission deadline for the INFINITE RECHARGE at Home Skills Competition is Thursday, April 8, 2021, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. 
 
Visit the At Home Challenges Manual for important guidelines. Teams can reference our user guide for help navigating through the portal to submit scores and required videos.

Please remember that the access code for the frcathome.org portal is located in the lead mentors’ Dashboards by clicking the “Payment & Product” box under “Team Options,” and selecting “Passwords & Vouchers.” For any issues or technical questions about the frcathome.org portal, please send an email to frcathome@firstinspires.org.

Update on Unofficial Scoring for INIFINTE RECHARGE at Home: We know some teams missed the deadline for opting into the INFINITE RECHARGE at Home Skills Competition, so we are developing a way for these teams to still submit their INFINITE RECHARGE at Home Skills Competition scores as mentioned in this blog. Teams submitting this way will not be interviewed and will not be eligible for awards, but they will still be able to share their accomplishments with the broader community. More information for how this process works and how to submit will be released very soon.

Interview Reminders: The dates for the events on the frc-events page are placeholders. Interviews will occur within the time frame referenced in this FAQ blog. Teams should expect to hear from
a Judge Advisor in the next couple days if they have not already,
 to schedule the interview for the challenges each team has successfully submitted for. We also strongly recommend
teams practice their interviews using Microsoft Teams, the designated interview platform. Please see more details here. 
 
Kit of Parts Survey: Please help us improve the Kit of Parts program by completing this survey to share your experience with
 it this season. As of Wednesday morning, we’re just shy of 200 responses (thank you!!). We’d love to hear from at least 500 of you, and there’s still time. The survey will be open until Friday, March 26 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
 

Important Reminder for Dean’s List Nominees: It is very important that every nominee has a signed FIRST® Consent and Release form by the end of March to be eligible for selection as a Dean’s List Award Finalist or Winner (and as a reminder, winners are eligible to apply for the Woodie Flowers Memorial Grant!). 

In addition, to receive public recognition as a Dean’s List
Semi-finalist or Finalist, a student (or parent/legal guardian
for those under 18 years of age) must sign the Dean’s List Announcement Consent and Release Form. Unlike the FIRST Consent & Release Form, selection and advancement will not be affected if the student chooses not to sign the Dean’s List Announcement Consent Form. For instructions on how to
sign these forms, visit this blog.
 

Inside Innovation: Tips from BAE Systems: According to Joseph Cali, FAST Labs Technology Director, embracing different perspectives is key to developing an impactful innovation. As you come together during the FIRST® Innovation Challenge presented by Qualcomm, teams should listen, be kind, and lean into those differences that will foster innovation. Watch this week’s episode of Inside Innovation: Tips from BAE Systems here.

Tips on Navigating the U.S. Patent Process: A Young Inventor's Story: Do you know that intellectual property knowledge is essential to innovation? Hear a FIRST student inventor share their story with the Office of Education at the
United States Patent and Trademark Office as they dissect the patent process and offer tips to help you succeed on Tuesday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Register now to join.
 
Have your team members set up their Tallo profiles yet?
Tallo is an online platform and app that connects talent with opportunities like jobs, internships, apprenticeships, and scholarships. As a FIRST participant or alumni, you have the exclusive opportunity to make your profile stand out with FIRST digital badges. Colleges and companies like Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, and Boeing are all looking for their future talent
on Tallo. Sign up and request your FIRST badges at www.tallo.com/first.
 

Teaching the future: Christa McAuliffe’s legacy: On the 35th anniversary year of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, “Teacher in Space” Christa McAuliffe’s legacy remains a reflection of the incredible impact teachers have on their students- and therefore, the future. With the launch of the 2021 Christa McAuliffe Silver Dollar coin, we’re celebrating Christa as an educator and those she inspires on the FIRST Inspire blog. 

 
 
 As always, we are here to help. Please contact our Customer Support Team with any questions.  
 
Sincerely, 
 
FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Support