Hi Friend,
Program Updates, Deadlines & Reminders
Deadline Today! Digital Animation Award sponsored by AutomationDirect.com: Submissions for the optional Digital Animation Award are due by 11:59PM Eastern Time today, January 19, 2023. Submission requirements and details can be found on the Digital Animation Award webpage.
FIRST® Choice: Regular Ordering opens Thursday, January 26, 2023, at 12:00PM Eastern Time. The open ordering phase of FIRST Choice is a traditional first come, first-serve ordering process. Teams add items to their carts and check-out using credits remaining after the priority list phases.
Reminder! Payment deadline for Additional Events: Payment is due Tuesday, January 31, 2023, at 5:00PM Eastern Time to the FIRST Finance Department for all rookie and veteran teams registered for additional Regional Event(s) or District Event(s) for the 2022 season. Please contact FIRST Finance at 1-800-871-8326 ext. 563 or send an email with any questions you have about payment.
Submit your Avatars – Take a look at this FIRST® Robotics Competition Blog to learn more about how to submit your team avatar to represent your team at events!
FIRST Updates
2023 FIRST Championship Team Housing: Team housing for the 2023 FIRST Championship is now available. Explore more than 30 hotel locations to find guaranteed low rates at FIRST-reviewed and sanctioned hotels close to the convention center. When you book with FIRST, you and your team will also enjoy special amenities at most hotels including complimentary Wi-Fi, breakfast, and parking.
Community Engagement
Upcoming Deadline! We want to feature your teams at an event this season! Teams can submit videos for the opportunity to be highlighted at a 2023 FIRST® Robotics Competition event. Choose one or more of the following and make a video that is 20 seconds or less and submit it into this form. Videos must be submitted by January 31, 2023:
- Show us your craziest or weirdest non-traditional application of your robot (e.g., dance moves, pizza delivery, etc.)
- Show us your team pets (bonus points for pets in team apparel*)
- *Actually, there are no points, but we would still love to see it!
- Show us your most creative Mascot Dance Moves
- Show us your team's favorite cheer
- Show us your most unique robot/mechanism fails (e.g., prototype works opposite of how you thought, robot drives in wrong direction, etc.)
DriveWorks Webinar: FIRST Robotics Competition sponsor,
DriveWorks, is hosting a free webinar on Thursday, January 26, at 7:00PM Eastern Time! The webinar will cover three ways to build a better robot with DriveWorks Solo, a program that is free to all teams this season (thank you DriveWorks!).
Read more about the event and sign up here.
By registering, you may be asked to supply personal data to the event organizer, and this data will be subject to the organizer's privacy policy. You should review the organizer's privacy policy and understand how your data will be used before participating in the event.
FIRST Mentor Network: Hey teams! As the season gets busier, your needs and plans may shift. If you find yourselves in need of additional support, check out the FIRST Mentor Network. It’s a great way to quickly and easily connect with mentors near and far. Whether you’re looking for technical support on an ongoing basis or just someone to review your team’s business plan, there are mentors waiting to connect with you! Build a profile today and connect with a new mentor!
If you’re already signed up, try these tips and tricks to help your team get noticed:
👉 Brag about yourself! What is your team about? What are your team goals? How will getting help assist you in reaching your goals?
👉 Message potential mentors! This is key. Don’t sit on the sidelines. Reach out to mentors in your area or who have the skills you’re looking for. Take the first step!
👉 Message Back! If you get a message from a mentor, be responsive. We know things get in the way, but always be gracious and respond, even if you no longer need help.
Sincerely,
FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Support
