Hi , 

Program Updates, Deadlines, & Reminders

Today! Second Event Preferencing: The second event preferencing is open. Teams must be “event ready” (no outstanding tasks on your FIRST^® Dashboard) in order to preference events. Be sure to review our Event Preference User Guide for step-by-step instructions. Teams will have until Thursday, October 12 at 12:00 p.m. ET to select their second event preferences; it is not a first-come, first-serve registration system.

2024 Safety Animation Theme Announced: In this FIRST^® Robotics Competition blog, we announced the 2024 Safety Animation  theme, submission information, and the 2024 Safety Manual!

Founder’s Reception and Kickoff Updates: We are excited to extend an invitation to qualified attendees to the 2024 Founder's Reception and provide some updates on Kickoff! Read more in this FIRST Robotics Competition blog post.

monday.com is back! We are excited to announce that FIRST Robotics Competition teams will be able to use the non-profit program version of monday.com for free this season! Learn more in this FIRST Robotics Competition blog post.

FIRST Updates

Holiday Hours: FIRST will be closing at 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday, October 6, and remain closed Monday, October 9. Regular business hours will resume on Tuesday, October 20, at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Express Enrollment Youth Registration (U.S. & Canada teams): Take advantage of our new youth registration process as you work on adding youth to your team roster in the FIRST Dashboard!  

This mobile and web friendly process allows you to generate web links or QR codes in the FIRST Dashboard for easy sharing. Parents and guardians use the link to access Express Enrollment and register their youth for FIRST as well as apply to join your team roster in just a couple of minutes following a few simple steps. Learn more about Express Enrollment and how to get started with youth registration on the Youth Registration System Walkthrough page. 

Please note that some regions may have additional steps outside of Express Enrollment to complete youth registration. If this is the case, your local Delivery Organization will contact you with further instructions. 

Community Engagement 

#WalkLikeWoodie Day: As the fourth anniversary of Dr. Woodie Flowers’ passing approaches, we invite the entire FIRST community to celebrate and honor his life by participating in Walk Like Woodie Day. Through his unwavering kindness and compassion, Woodie taught us how to be inspiring role models to all, a true friend, and a positive STEM champion. Together, we walk forward carrying his legacy by remembering and sharing his impact.

• Wednesday, October 11: Honor the anniversary of Woodie’s passing by sharing your memories.
• Thursday, October 12: Join us for Walk Like Woodie day to share how you’re following in Woodie’s footsteps using #WalkLikeWoodie.