Hi ,

In this week's blast:

⚙️ ICYMI This Sneak Peek
⚙️ Request for Proposals – FIRST^® Championship Conferences 
⚙️ Animation & Storytelling Webinar 
⚙️ Founder's Reception 
⚙️ FIRST^® Robotics Competition Blog Updates 
⚙️ Suggested Tool Resource

Program Updates, Deadlines, & Reminders

ICYMI: Dig into REBUILT™ with this special sneak peek at the 2026 FIRST^® Robotics Competition season: REBUILT presented by Haas! Join us for Kickoff and experience the full game reveal on January 10, 2026.  

Request for Proposals – FIRST^® Championship presented by BAE Conferences: FIRST is currently accepting proposals for the 2026 FIRST Championship presented by BAE Conferences. Anyone is welcome to submit a proposal before the January 31 deadline. Presenters will be notified in late February if they have been selected. Apply now! If you have questions, please reach out to the Conferences team. 

Ask Me Anything About Animation and Storytelling: Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Webinar 1 of 2 on the FIRST Digital Animation Award: Join students from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Interactive Media and Game Development (IMGD) program on December 16, 7–9 p.m. ET for this FREE webinar to learn more about animation and storytelling, and to ask questions about submitting an entry for the FIRST Digital Animation Award (submission deadline January 12, 2026)! WPI is offering a team grant to the winning team ($6,300 value) and a $1,000 WPI scholarship to ANY student who is a member of a team that submits an entry. More details on the Digital Animation Award webpage. Register Now! 

Reminder! Founder's Reception: Registration is open for the Founder’s Reception held at WestWind from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday, January 9, 2026. Two adult mentors may attend the event on behalf of each team and must register through the FIRST Dashboard by December 11 at 12:00 p.m. (noon), ET. More information can be on the Founder’s Reception webpage. 

FIRST^® Robotics Competition Blog Updates:  

✏️ 2026 KitBot Shopping List 
✏️ Counting Down to 2026 Kickoff 

Resource of the Week: Check out the recently updated Suggested Tools resource and ensure your team has everything you need for the season!

Upcoming Important Dates:

⚙️ Thursday, December 11 at 12:00 p.m. ET – Founder’s Reception Registration Closes