Welcome to a New Season of FIRST®in Florida!

Posted on August 28, 2012 by tmw2010

Whether you’re a veteran or a newcomer to the FIRST community in Florida, we’re delighted to welcome you to another great season of hands-on STEM fun and learning! Our progression of programs offers educational opportunities for K-12 youth in schools and community groups like 4-H Clubs, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, Homeschool groups and more.

The attached companion information sheet provides a broad overview of the FIRST Family of Programs.  We encourage you and your students to explore each progressively more challenging level of FIRST to maximize your students’ academic experience and to enjoy all that FIRST has to offer.

Jr. FIRST LEGO® League (Jr. FLL) starts youth as young as 6 on the road to critical thinking and problem solving, building simple models with LEGO elements and showing children how to do elementary research. The Jr. FLL challenge was released August 1, and the event season runs from November to the following May.  FIRST LEGO League (FLL) kicks things up with a rigorous research project, an all autonomous robot build with LEGOs, and a fast paced table competition. The FLL challenge will be released August 28, with the program season running through January 2013.

Students aging out of FLL will find FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) an exciting next step. Building on the engineering and programming experiences they enjoyed in FLL, FTC employs the NXT brick familiar to FLL students, combined with the more robust TETRIX® build system and other materials.  The FTC challenge will be revealed on September 8th, with qualifying events running into early 2013.   FIRST Tech Challenge can function as a full scale high school program or, after experiencing FTC, students and teams might enjoy transitioning to the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), posing a whole new set of exciting challenges with bigger teams, a much larger robot and a short, fixed build period that kicks off on January 5, 2013 and ends just six weeks later.  All four of these programs build rigorously upon one other, and can create a seamless opportunity for unparalleled K-12 hands-on STEM learning, and come together in April in St. Louis, MO for the annual FIRST  World Festival Invitational for FLL and FIRST World Championship for FTC and FRC.

Registration for teams is currently open for Jr. FLL, FLL and FTC. FRC registration opens September 27, 2012.  Rookie team grants may be available for FLL, FTC and FRC teams.  Additionally, FIRST Graduation Grants are available for FLL teams transitioning to FTC. To be eligible for the grant,   FTC rookie teams must have at least one FLL graduate. The grant covers the FTC team registration fee of $275 and provides $300 towards parts and materials for the competition.  Visit http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/grow for more information.

All programs welcome volunteers for upcoming tournaments and meets, for everything from sign-in to judging.  Contact individual Florida program organizers for information about funding support that may be available, or to volunteer as a mentor, coach or at an event, or if you’re interested in being a community liaison:

Visit usfirst.org for program specific information,  and www.FIRSTinFlorida.wordpress.com for updates on FIRST programs and events in Florida.

We are FIRST, and we’re glad you are,  too!

Jr. FIRST LEGO® League and Jr.FLL®,  FIRST LEGO League® and FLL FIRST®, FIRST®Robotics Competition, FRC®, FIRST®Tech Challenge, and FTC®, are registered trademarks of FIRST®(www.usfirst.org). © 2010 The United States Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST®).  Used by special permission.  All rights reserved.

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

FRC Guest Column: Where to Start

Posted on January 3, 2012 by tmw2010

Team Resistance

Team Resistance has been actively participating in the FIRST robotics competition for the last fifteen years. This team focuses in areas such as fabrication, 3D Modeling, AutoCAD, and web design. The following is adapted from the reply of mentor Todd Lovelace – “Chief Geek, TEAM RESISTANCE aka “the Trailing Edge of Technology”" -  to a rookie team seeking a veteran “buddy.”  We thought it was chock full of great advice and share it here for veterans and rookies alike to enjoy and from which to hopefully benefit!

__________________

Where to start?   You’ve already done it – you called on an elder team!   FIRST Teams always look forward to an opportunity to mentor and boot up new teams. To make things easier, let me ask a million questions to address and get some answered.

Are you signed up for a Regional Competition yet?  The Orlando Regional-  All the kool kids (us’ns!) will be at Orlando and it’s one of the toughest, coolest places to compete. We’ll be close by if you have an emergency. The kids will get to see the some of very best robots in the FIRST organization there.

Next step - Find out what’s about to happen!  It gets very wild very fast – starting at the Kickoff meeting on Sat morning, Jan 7, 2012.  The 2012 game (game? task, torture) will be announced via NASA TV  mid morning on Sat, Jan 7.      To minimize your stress/cost I suggest that your team join us at the JEA Customer Center auditorium for the NASA TV Kickoff Broadcast.  We can get together an hour or so early for snacks and to help get your kids and adults up to speed.

Are you signed up to attend a remote kick-off (Melbourne? Orlando?)  Do you have plans to pick up your Kit of Parts (saves big $$$)?  Let FIRST ship the very heavy KoP to Melbourne. Send one adult to  pick it up and watch the same remote kickoff there.  We’ll send two of our adult mentors down to pick up the kit.  Maybe we can group up to save some bucks.

Huge tip: Anything you can do in the weeks between now and Kickoff will pay back in diamonds.

Tools and equipment:

  • If you have access to a mill and lathe you’re ahead of many rookies. They’re not absolutely necessary, but very helpful.
  • Hand tools and small power tools are a must.
  • Cordless drills are awesome.
  • One of the best things money will buy, if the school doesn’t have one, is a Harbor Freight cheapo horizontal bandsaw.  Have (a local manufacturer) make your saw blades.
  • A BIG vice mounted on a sturdy table is one of your best friends.
  • Don’t forget a collection of sharp, new files. (best brand “Nicholson”).
  • And a Metric and ‘Merrican tap and die set.
  • “Tap Magic” lubricant for tapping threads without breaking expensive taps (I have a fresh case of cans, come get one!).
  • And a full letter-decimal-fractional drill index……….and……
  • Any aluminum round, square, flat, or sheet stock is available from a number of online hobby or “drops” retailers. We use rectangular and square tubing for structure…but you will be able to build a very serviceable robot “traction platform” from the kit ‘o parts that they provide. Look at last year’s kit of parts to get a feel for what is likely going to be included.  Most places only sell 10′ and 24′ long sticks of metal stock. We have a large stock of “junk” aluminum stock from 15 years of playing here so ask what we might have before you make a purchase.
  • Get some additional #12 red and black wire. Teach someone to reliably crimp electrical connectors.  Teach someone to solder properly. Go to last year’s robot manual and learn how to hookup the electrical power circuits that the robot controller controls. (Big current, big wires stuff).   (We can help here!)
Organization
  • See and learn the required robot power hook-up 
  • Find someone(s) who has done some programming to be the robot control system leader (student or adult).  Download the info on the robot control system (National Instruments C-Rio controller) and get them moving to familiarize themselves with the system components, how to hook it up, how to download to the robot from the PC, familiarize yourself with the basics.  see http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/2011-frc-kit-of-parts  “Control System” - … If anything is gonna be a weak spot on a rookie team, programming is gonna be it.
  • Find SEVERAL motivated technical HANDS ON adults to assist you or you’ll go NUTS!  They don’t have to be engineers…..the best kind are the guys/gals that motorcycle race, hot-rod, restore cars/bikes/boats, build dog boxes, – the ones with a good feel for building mechanical stuff. My lead designer for the robot is a garage door installer. Raines HS’s original robotics mentor was a circle track racer gone bad……
  • Find a mom/dad who will volunteer to do your travel arrangements.  Do it now. Have  them start looking for rooms ASAP after Jan 1.
  • Determine who will be working on what ASAP.
  • Set up a shop schedule.  Fer instance, we work four week-nights  (M-Th 5:30 to 9:30) and two shifts on Sat and Sun (1-5 and 5:30 to 9:30).
  • Have someone responsible for snacks each work session and make the kids take turns bringing drinks and goodies. (We’re a Union Shop here so we have an Official Union Break complete with a siren to announce quitting time). (I’m not kidding :) )
  • Don’t be afraid to call for assistance! Florida FIRST can help connect newbies with veteran teams and resources and help answer questions as needed. Many veteran teams are eager to help !

Everything you can absorb, organize, delegate, obtain, set up, learn between now and New Years will surely help ease the strain after the 7th.

Todd Lovelace, Chief Geek

TEAM RESISTANCE

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

Learning Gives Back to FIRST at Elliott Masie’s Learning 2011!

Posted on November 9, 2011 by tmw2010

The MASIE  Center presented FIRST founder, Dean Kamen, and FIRST president Jon Dudas with  a Learning Gives Back Grant for $25,000 , and named FIRST Vice chairman  John Abele the 2011 receipient of the Lifetime Learning Leadership Award, at Elliott Masie’s Learning 2011 conference in Orlando this week.

Three Florida FIRST teams were on hand to meet with all these great luminaries, and for Learning 2011 conference attendees to meet a few of the great young minds behind our great STEM program.  Students from FLL Team Party Boss of Orlando; FTC Team Duct Tape from Odessa,  and FRC Team Exploding Bacon, from Orlando enjoyed some one on one with Dean Kamen, on stage time together with Dean Kamen, Jon Dudas, and Elliott Masie, and the opportunity to share FIRST with event goers.

It was a great time all the way around, and a terrific opportunity to bring FIRST to more people, at an exciting and innovative learning conference.

 

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

STEM in the News

Posted on September 7, 2011 by tmw2010

Looking for some good reasons to get involved in FIRST (beyond the fun, excitement, personal enrichment, enduring learning and scholarships)?  Check out these two recent reports on the importance of STEM education…

According to a recent College Board article that looked at the lives of students one year after high school graduation, nearly 90% of the survey group said they believe college is essential, and most said they wished they’d taken more math, science, and writing-intensive course work in high school.  You can check out the full report at One Year Out (PDF).

And Dr. Alicia Abella,  one of the country’s top Latina scientists and recently appointed to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics comments on a a recent Pew Research Center Report (Wealth Gaps Rise to Record Highs Between Whites, Blacks and Hispanics), that Latinos and other minorities offer a rich pool of talent in STEM fields.

“The highest growing number of jobs is in the technology field, ” she said. “and there is more demand for those jobs than there is supply. We’re going to need 800,000 more jobs by 2018 in computer technology alone. In the last three years we’ve only graduated 24,000 in those sectors and that’s not nearly enough. It would be preferable to grow [those workers] here, and we have the pool to train and nurture them here. We’re just not doing it.”

FIRST offers some really exciting, enduring ways to do it! Check out our Florida programs and see what’s going on in your area!

 

 

 

Filed under: FIRST in Florida, STEM news | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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