Recruiting FL Teams for the FIRST Longitudinal Impact Study

Posted on May 17, 2013 by tmw2010

FIRST and Brandeis University are asking for your help with an important evaluation initiative for FIRST.

brandeis and firstLast summer, Brandeis University and FIRST launched a new, multi-year impact study of student participants in the FIRST® LEGO® League, FIRST® Tech Challenge, and FIRST® Robotics Competition programs in the United States.  Working with FIRST Teams and Team Leaders in ten target states, the study is following approximately 1000 FIRST Team Members and a similar number of comparison students for up to five years.  The goal of the study is to assess the impact of FIRST on young people’s interests in science and technology, their life and workplace skills, and their educational and career goals.

An initial group of Teams joined the study last fall.  Brandeis and FIRST are now seeking additional Teams and Team Leaders to participate in the study.  Team Leaders in the study will be asked to do the following during the first year of the study:

  • Participate in an initial training webinar on the study’s procedures.
  • Distribute and collect a packet of study materials (surveys, permission forms, etc.) to new student participants in FIRST who are joining your Team for the 2013-14 season, following up as needed to promote a high response rate among new Team Members.
  • Help recruit comparison students by distributing recruitment packets in at least one science or math class per grade in the school or organization where your Team is located.
  • Help administer a second, spring 2014 survey to the members of your Team who are in the study.
  • Participate in interviews or focus groups on the Team experience.
  • Complete a Team Leader survey in spring 2014.

In subsequent years, study participants will be contacted directly by Brandeis for an annual Spring survey.  In those years, Team Leaders may be asked to help update contact information and/or encourage participants who are still on the Team to complete the annual surveys.

Team Leaders who participate in the study will receive a stipend of $300 in the first year of their involvement in the study as a “Thank you” for their time and effort.  More importantly, Team Leaders will be helping FIRST achieve its long-time goal of conducting a major impact study across its programs.

If you are interested in having your Team participate in the study, please go to https://brandeis.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_1AYoPJJObckwMrG  to provide your contact information and to answer a few qualifying questions.  Teams to be included in the study will be selected from among those who respond, with the goal of providing a nationally representative sample of Teams in the study.

We hope that you will take the time to consider this invitation and join this important effort.  Even if your Team is not selected for the final sample, we will keep you informed about the study and look for ways to solicit your input as the study moves forward.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Alan Melchior and Cathy Burack, the Brandeis Project Directors at FIRSTstudy@brandeis.edu.

Robert Tuttle, Interim President

FIRST

Filed under: FIRST in Florida, FIRST in the News, FLL, FRC, FTC, STEM news | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

FIRST World Championship, April 24-27

Posted on April 19, 2013 by tmw2010

Championship graphicThe FIRST Championship is the culmination of the season’s FIRST programs, bringing together three separate robotics competitions for the ultimate Sport for the Mind™. The event includes the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship, the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship, and the FIRST LEGO League World Festival. Also featured is the Junior FIRST LEGO League World Festival Expo.

The high-tech spectator events combine the excitement of sport with science and technology. Join students as they showcase the results of weeks of intense preparation, competing in thrilling matches and working on their robots in the “Pits.” This event is open to the public, free of charge.

Teams from all over Florida will be at the event, including:

FRC Teams

79- Tarpon Springs , FL
180 – Stuart, FL
233 -Rockledge/Cocoa Beach, FL
744 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Galileo
801 – Merritt Island, FL
1251 Coconut Creek, FL
1523 – Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens, FL
1902 – Winter Park, FL
2383 – Plantation, FL
3242 – Ocala, FL
3410 – Miami, FL
3627- Sarasota, FL
4471 -Hollywood, FL -

FTC Teams
5070 N.U.T.S. Orlando FL
3846 Maelstrom Tampa FL

FLL Team
10299 Taz Bots RENEGADES 8 H Boca Raton FL

Visit the Official FIRST Championship page for absolutely everything related to the event!  And watch live action streaming throughout the event courtesy of NASA - http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/robotics/

Filed under: FIRST Championship, FIRST events, FIRST in Florida, FIRST in the News, FLL, FRC, FTC, Jr. FLL, STEM news | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

FIRST Interactive Annual Report Online!

Posted on April 19, 2013 by tmw2010

annual reportWant to get up close and personal with FIRST’s reach and impact?  Check out the  interactive 2012 FIRST Annual Report , now available online. Great for sharing with schools, educators, and potential sponsors.  Please note that the data is for 2012.  You can get the most recent numbers on the FIRST website.

Filed under: FIRST Resources, FLL, FRC, FTC, Jr. FLL, STEM news | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

RoboShow Orlando

Posted on February 21, 2013 by tmw2010

Filed under: FIRST events, FIRST in Florida, FRC | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Be a Florida FIRST Showcase Team!

Posted on February 14, 2013 by tmw2010

FL FIRST Showcase TeamNo one tells – or shows – the FIRST story better than FIRST teams! FIRST in Florida is raising the bar in showcasing FIRST statewide, and we’re inviting Florida teams – Jr. FLL, FLL, FTC & FRC –  to be an active part of our statewide outreach efforts, gain some recognition for your teams and schools, and hone student marketing and presentation skills in the process. Here’s how it works:

1. Actively and professionally participate in a minimum of three outreach events organized in Florida by FIRST.

2. Document involvement in at least three additional outreach events in your community – science fairs, e-week, etc..

That’s it! Of course, we have some protocols for teams seeking Showcase status.

  • GP conduct at all times – Everyone (adults & students) at an event must be dressed appropriately, business casual with team shirts, and long pants, unless otherwise advised; be attentive to guests, and chaperons must be attentive to kids – no texting, non-FIRST game playing (gaming, horseplay, etc)
  • Students do the outreach – We’re trying to showcase how capable our students are and they need every opportunity to become capable of explaining what they do and how they do it. Outreach events are great practice!
  •  Understand your FIRST program – Team members should have an “elevator speech” explanation of FIRST that’s easy for kids to share (i.e. something like “FIRST teaches science and engineering through robot competitions.”), and introduce FIRST programs by their full name before using the acronyms.
  • Be informed about the event at which you’re exhibiting – And be able to relate FIRST involvement to the business community involved in the event.

Showcase teams will be

  • Recognized on the FIRST in Florida website at http://www.FL-FIRST.org
  • Receive letters of appreciation from FIRST in Florida, and
  • Receive the FIRST Blue Ribbon icon above to use on team websites and promotional materials.

Documentation of outreach will be accepted throughout the calendar year, January through December. If you want to be a FIRST Showcase Team, included in outreach opportunities in your area, email twillingham@usfirst.org with your team name, number and contact information, along with the area in which you’re available for outreach. All teams will always be advised of outreach opportunities, but teams that signify a special interest in outreach will be contacted for regional and media opportunities that may arise.

Filed under: FIRST events, FIRST in Florida, FLL, FRC, FTC, Jr. FLL | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Tampa Bay area FRC Teams: Team 79 Invites You to an Open Inspection, Saturday Feb. 16, 11am-4:30pm

Posted on February 12, 2013 by tmw2010
FIRST_Homepage_Ascent_graphicsGet a jump on working out inspection problems before the Orlando Regional, by attending the Open Inspection opportunity offered by FRC Team 79, Team Krunch, on Saturday, Feb. 16.
 FRC Team 79 will host the  Open Inspection at East Lake High School in Tarpon Springs,  for all FRC teams in the area. Lead by 79′s software mentor, Andrew, the team will be hosting a full competition inspection for any robots that will be competing in the Ultimate Ascent game.  
The goal of this is to catch major trouble spots and address them early rather than at the event. 79′s students and mentors will be on hand from 11am until 430pm to walk through the inspection process and help teams so that we can all play as many matches as possible at our events.

Address: 1300 Silver Eagle Dr, Tarpon Springs, FL
Point of Contact – Andrew Schreiber (248) 202 7475 or email schreiaj@gmail.com
Parking is in any of the parking lots, suggested that teams bring their robot carts.

RVPS appreciated before Saturday!

Go! It will be good!

Filed under: FRC, Orlando Regional | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

FRC Update: Award submission reminder,Robot Stop Build Day 2/19/13, Travel discount programs for FRC Teams & More!

Posted on February 7, 2013 by tmw2010

FRCicon_RGBAward Submission Reminder: Don’t forget that submissions for the Chairman’s Award, Woodie Flower’s Award and Entrepreneurship Award are due by Thursday, 2/21/13 at 12:00 pm (noon) EST in STIMS. Additionally, Dean’s List Award submissions are due in TIMS by Thursday, 2/21/13 at 12:00 pm (noon) EST. Teams are encouraged to review how to submit for awards before the deadline, as no late submissions will be accepted after the 12:00 pm deadline on 2/21/13. Read more about all FRC awards here: http://frc-manual.usfirst.org.

Robot Stop Build Day- Tuesday, 2/19/13: On this day, your team MUST stop work on your robot and seal it in the bag provided in your Kit of Parts (KoP), with the tag from your KoP. You may work on your robot until midnight local time, but the seal must be on the bag when the clock strikes midnight! You will also need to complete the Robot Lock-Up form: http://frc-manual.usfirst.org/upload/pdfs/2012/12/Robot_Lockup_form_v3-0%2011.20.12.pdf. Please note: Robot Lock-Up forms will be inspected upon arrival at your event. Details on the process are available in section 5 of the Administrative Manual- Robot Transportation: http://frc-manual.usfirst.org/.

FRC Blog: Please review the FRC Blog: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/blog-mandatory-team-update-and-axis-m1013-camera for information on a mandatory Team Update.

Airline and Car Rental Discount Programs for FRC Teams: For information about these travel discounts, please visit: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/travel-discounts.

FIRST® Virtual Technical Advisor: Are you looking for help with your robot? Do you have technical experience and want to help a team? We have the solution! FIRST Virtual Technical Advisor (VTA) is here to help! Sign up to find/give support from anywhere in the world! https://my.usfirst.org/FIRSTPortal/Login/Virtual_login.aspx.

Message from Autodesk: Check out Phil’s third webinar, where he completes the drive base kit by adding the Toughbox Mini assembly. Phil also reviews how to share your robot design using Autodesk Design Review and Autodesk Inventor Publisher. You can view these and other entries throughout the season on Phil’s Autodesk Inventor FRC blog.

Go Teams!
FRC Team Support

FIRST® is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit Public Charity
V 1(800)871-8326
F 603-666-3907
E frcteams@usfirst.org
W http://www.usfirst.org

Filed under: FIRST in Florida, FIRST Resources, FRC | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Tampa Bay FIRST Benefit Showcase Brings Teams & Business Community Together

Posted on February 5, 2013 by tmw2010

final programThe first ever Tampa Bay FIRST  Benefit Showcase event, sponsored by USF Connect and the Florida High Tech Corridor and held February 3rd at the University of South Florida, brought area teams and members of the Tampa Bay business and technical community together to raise awareness about the academic and career readiness value of FIRST, and to build support for the Orlando Regional FIRST Robotics Competition event.

FIRST founder Dean Kamen recorded a special message, just for our event, and FIRST alumni Barry Bohnsack, now with Lockheed Martin and an FIRST in Tampa Bay-cactive FIRST volunteer, provided the keynote address, giving a powerful overview of FIRST and its proven relationship to academic achievement and workforce readiness.  FIRST alumni Jessie Poen, a Dean’s List winner and FIRST Ambassador at both the Orlando Regional and the South Florida Regional, shared her experience, which included earning six community scholarships based on her FIRST involvement and a spot in the USF Honors College.  And special guest Patricia Gehant, Director of Workforce Initiative with the Tampa Bay Technology Forum and the value of FIRST to help close the technology gap for students and satisfy workforce needs for Tampa Bay.

Area teams from Academy at the Lakes in Land O’Lakes, who brought their FLL & FRC Wired Wildcats teams, Middleton High School’s Minotaur FRC team and Palm Harbor University High School’s FTC team, Pandara did a fantastic job showcasing their work for event attendees.  Showcase attendees were even treated to a great research presentation by the Wired Wildcats FLL team, that pretty much stole the show!

Showcase guestsWe’re deeply grateful to the  business leaders and organizations that showed up on Super Bowl Sunday to celebrate a different kind of Army ROTC-c hero – youth and their mentors who are transforming our culture by creating the science and technology leaders we need in the world.  In addition to representatives from USF Connect and the Tampa Bay Technology Forum, we were happy to  welcome business leaders from the Southeast Capital Equity Group,  the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, Basler Electric,   2Z Consulting Inc. and Bar Camp Tampa Bay, among others.

alumn-c

FIRST Alumni members Andrew Schreiber, Victoria Burg, Barry Bohnsack and Jessie Poen.

The involvement of Florida FIRST Alumni was an especially powerful part of the program, giving guests an opportunity to meet and hear firsthand the personal experiences of former FIRST students and how FIRST paved the way for academic and career opportunities for them.

Thank you to all who made the Tampa Bay FIRST Benefit Showcase possible, and so enjoyable!

learning from alumni-c

Filed under: FIRST events, FIRST in Florida, FLL, FRC, FTC, Orlando Regional, STEM news | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Tampa Bay FIRST Benefit Showcase – February 3rd, Univ. of South Florida

Posted on January 17, 2013 by tmw2010

You’re invited to the Tampa Bay FIRST Benefit Showcase where we welcome area business, education and technology leaders to join us for a complimentary meet and greet with area FIRST robotics teams and their mentors. FIRST® K-12 STEM education programs use robot challenges to build science and technology skills and interests, along with self-confidence, leadership, and life skills . In Tampa Bay, FIRST serves over 2000 students at more than 50 schools across four counties. At the high school level, over $16 million in scholarships are available to participating students.

At Tampa Bay Showcase Benefit, we’ll have h’ordeuvres and refreshments, and guests will learn about the academic, economic and social benefits of this great STEM education program , as well as hear from both student and community business leader keynotes, enjoy some some short films, and perhaps drive a robot!

The event is free to attend, and Table Sponsorships  for your business or organization are available.   Seating is limited. Please RSVP to attend by Jan. 21st or to be a Tampa Bay FIRST Benefit Showcase Table Sponsor, by Jan. 28th to twillingham@usfirst.org.   Proceeds benefit the  FIRST Robotics Competition Orlando Regional.

The Tampa Bay FIRST Benefit Showcase is sponsored by USF Connect and the Florida High Tech Corridor.

Benefit Invitation

Filed under: FIRST events, FIRST in Florida, FRC, Orlando Regional | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

FRC Update: Payments for additional Regional Events & Championship Deadline,2013 FIRST Scholarship Opportunity Updates, FIRST Virtual Technical Advisor and Much More!

Posted on January 17, 2013 by tmw2010

FRCicon_RGBGreetings Teams:

Payments for Additional Regional Events & Championship Deadline: Payments for additional regional events and Championship are due Friday, 1/25/13 – please confirm withFIRST Finance you have the funding for the events for which you are registered,  if they are not paid at this time. If you do not have the funding, please email ar@usfirst.org as to your status. We do have a waitlist of teams wanting to go to specific events, so if you do not have the funding to attend please let us know so we can give another team the opportunity.

2013 FIRST Scholarship Opportunity Updates:  Find out about recently confirmed scholarships, the new Bart Kamen FIRST Memorial Scholarship Fund, and all FIRSTScholarships with deadlines in February.  See all at: http://www.usfirst.org/sites/default/files/uploadedFiles/About_Us/Scholarships/2013_Assets/FIRST_Scholarship_News_1-17-13.pdf.

Team Updates: Team Updates will be available every Tuesday and Friday through Thursday, 2/14/13, then every Tuesday through Championship. Team Updates can be found here: http://frc-manual.usfirst.org/Updates/0.

FRC Blog: Please visit the FRC Blog: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/blog-team-update-1-15-2013 for important information on a recent Team Update.

FIRST® Virtual Technical Advisor: Are you looking for help with your robot? Do you have technical experience and want to help a team? We have the solution! FIRST Virtual Technical Advisor (VTA) is here to help! Sign up to find/give support from anywhere in the world!https://my.usfirst.org/FIRSTPortal/Login/Virtual_login.aspx.

Consent and Release Forms: If you haven’t done so already, please consider which 2013FIRST Consent and Release form your team members will be submitting this season.  Remember, if you choose to submit the electronic Consent and Release form you will only need to do so once to attend the 2013 FRC competition events. Students and their parents access the electronic form in STIMS; adult mentors in TIMS).

If anyone on your team opts to submit a hard-copy Consent and Release form instead, please download at: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/first-student-team-information-members-system-and-consent-form and follow instructions for submission located in the “Process Overview Document”.

If team members submitted hard-copy Consent and Release forms for Kickoff, please note that they will need to supply another hard-copy Consent and Release form for your team’s competition event. Electronic Consent and Release forms do not need to be resubmitted.

Michigan (FiM) and MAR (Mid-Atlantic Robotics) teams will find instructions specific to their Consent and Release form submissions in the “process overview document” as well.

Print your Team Roster! No matter which method you choose (electronic or hard-copy), you MUST print off your Team Roster from TIMS and bring it with you to your initial competition event. To print the Team Roster:

1)  On the Team Summary page in TIMS, scroll down to the “Student/Roster” field.

2)  Click “View” next to Team Roster.

3) Click Printable Roster.

4) If you have any students/mentors who are providing hard-copy forms, please write in their names on the printed roster and attach their Consent and Release forms.

For more information about the 2013 Consent and Release form, including FAQs and a helpful process overview, please visit: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/first-student-team-information-members-system-and-consent-form.

Go Teams!

FRC Team Support

 

FIRST® is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit Public Charity

V 1(800)871-8326

F 603-666-3907

E frcteams@usfirst.org

W http://www.usfirst.org

Filed under: FIRST Championship, FIRST events, FIRST Resources, FRC, STEM news | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.