Hi ,

In this week's blast:

⚙️ Digital Animation Award – Due today!
⚙️ Missing or Damaged Kickoff Kit Parts
⚙️ Payment deadline for Additional Events
⚙️ Award Submissions deadlines coming soon
⚙️ Holiday Hours
⚙️ FIRST^® Robotics Competition Blog Updates
⚙️ Bumper Guide Resource
⚙️ FIRST^® Championship Conferences Proposals
⚙️ Thank you, mentors!

Program Updates, Deadlines, & Reminders

Upcoming Deadline! Digital Animation Award sponsored by AutomationDirect.com: The deadline for the Digital Animation Award is today, January 16 at 11:59 pm ET. Submission requirements and details can be found on the Digital Animation Award webpage. Please note this is an optional award that teams can submit for.

Reminder! Missing or Damaged parts: If you’re a MySite team who received your kit after January 10, please email us at frcparts@firstinspires.org within two (2) business days of receipt of your Kickoff Kit with any missing/damaged items.

Next week! Payment deadline for Additional Events: Payment is due Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. ET for all teams registered for additional events.

Award Submissions: The 2025 FIRST^® Impact Award, Dean's List Award, and Woodie Flowers Award application portals are open, and there are upcoming deadlines next month. Please visit the Submitted Awards page for more information.

Holiday Hours: FIRST^® Headquarters will close at 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday, January 17 through Monday, January 20, 2025, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We will resume normal hours on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. ET.

FIRST Robotics Competition Blog Updates:

✏️ Algae - What Happened?

Resource of the Week: This week’s resource is our newly updated Bumper Guide! In case you missed it, the bumper rules have been updated for the 2025 season and this guide outlines information on how to make bumpers in a variety of ways depending on your preferred design.

Request for Proposals – FIRST^® Championship Conferences: FIRST is currently accepting proposals for the 2025 FIRST Championship Conferences that will be running Wednesday - Friday at our FIRST Championship event. Students, mentors, educators, coaches, volunteers, staff, and sponsors are welcome to submit a proposal before our January 31 deadline. Presenters will be notified in late February if they have been selected. If you or your FIRST Robotics Competition team has a topic you think the community needs to know about – apply now! If you have questions, please contact championshipconferences@firstinspires.org.

Thank you, Mentors! We want to give a BIG thank you to each mentor who gives their time and energy to FIRST. This month, we are celebrating all the important work you do within our communities, schools, and organizations.

👉Enter our Raffle: All mentors are eligible to win a $50 gift code to the FIRST One entry per person, raffle is open now until February 1, 2025. Submit for your chance to win!

Upcoming Important Dates:  

⚙️Thursday, January 16 at 11:59 p.m. ET – Digital Animation Award sponsored by AutomationDirect.com Closes
⚙️ Wednesday, January 22 at 5:00 p.m. ET – Payment Due – Additional Registered Event(s)
⚙️ Friday, January 24 at 12:00 p.m. ET – FIRST Choice Regular Ordering Opens