Take the Time for Youth Safety

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Take The Time for Youth Safety
Extended Team Support Hours
Kickoff Sweepstakes Reminder
Kickoff Shout Out

Take The Time for Youth Safety

As teams are returning and reforming for the new season, we want to remind coaches to take time to make sure all team members, adults and youth, understand their role in creating a safe environment.

Start with the FIRST® Youth Protection webpage and FIRST Youth Protection guide. Make sure everyone understands the FIRST Code of Conduct and Reporting Requirements as well as where to Report a Concern. Safeguarding youth is everyone’s responsibility, so if you “See something, Say something!" Anyone that observes something inappropriate or experiences something that makes them uncomfortable should report the behavior to a trusted adult, whether that is a mentor, coach, event volunteer, or FIRST Youth Protection. Read more in our latest blog post.

Extended Team Support Hours

Team Support will have extended customer support available until 8:00 p.m. ET on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays starting September 5, 2023, through November 2, 2023. Team Support can be reached via 1-800-871-8326 or (603)666-3906, extension 0, via chat, and via email.

Kickoff Sweepstakes Reminder

Tell your friends and fellow teams to complete their 2023-2024 FIRST^® Tech Challenge team season registration before September 14, 2023, for a chance to win the 2023 Kickoff Sweepstakes. The sweepstakes prize package includes one (1) 2023-2024 FIRST Tech Challenge season CENTERSTAGE^SM presented by RTX partial game set and scoring elements, a total approximate retail value of $350.00. The package does not include field perimeter or soft tiles.

If your team has already completed your FIRST Tech Challenge season registration, you are already entered into the sweepstakes.

Kickoff Shout Out

Kickoff is Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. ET. Find a Kickoff event near you or join us on YouTube as we premiere this season’s game, CENTERSTAGE.

Team 14481 "Don't Blink" from Plainsboro, New Jersey will showcase their team “pit” that features team pins, flyers, copies of our Engineering Portfolios, team banner, and their World Championship robot and the trophy. They are also planning on hosting sessions in brainstorming, impactful outreach, and alumni perspective.

Team 130 “Blazing Spirits” from Windsor, Connecticut is having a Kickoff at their build space and running their third bottle and can drive as a fundraiser.