Robot Tuesday! News of the Season Ahead
There is a lot of information we’d like to share with you. The best way to make sure you get everything is to read all the way to the bottom!
We’ve enjoyed four local teams in their adventures in St. Louis. The Ducks, WHS Robotics, Rock N’ Roll Robots, and Kings and Queens showed their stuff, met many new teams, and made us proud.
And now we’re already readying for the summer and season ahead.
Save the Date: Kickoff on September 12
- Save the date for the 2015-16 Game on Saturday, Sept. 12. Stay tuned!
- We are planning workshops on the new Platform and programming, branding, rockin’ engineering notebooks, and other goodies. Please email us at community@socalftc.comwith ideas or offers to run sessions.
Survey! Please fill it out — one per team — so we can plan!
- Thanks to the mentors who already have answered the end-of-season survey, which helps us in our planning for the year ahead.
- For other mentor’s who have not filled out their team’s survey yet — please click tohttp://bit.ly/LAFTCTeamSurvey to fill it out.
- We ask that each mentor fill one out per team, letting us know what your team liked and might suggest improvements about.
- We especially want feedback on the questions of QT days. We have some teams that cannot compete on Saturday and some cannot compete on Sundays, so we are seeking data on that question for decision-making.
Request for Interest — Would You Like to Run a Qualifying Tournament?
- Would you like to host a QT for the coming season? This year, we have created a request document for teams to apply to be considered for QT Hosts. There are perks, like a single advancement to Championships, but in exchange for a lot of work and some expenses to hold the event. If you would like to apply and get sent the information document, please email community@socalftc.com. Applications must be requested before May 21 and will be due by June 1.
Event Fees and QTs for 2015-16
- QT Fees will be $125/event for the coming season. This is our first fee increase in the past few years, despite the growth in the region and number of QTs.
- Additional grants will be available for rookie teams and teams with economic challenges in greater amounts than last season, and grant application information will be available mid-summer.
- For the coming season, we anticipate at least as many teams as last year and perhaps small growth. As a result, we plan to add two QTs, bringing the number to 10 QTs December and January.
New Technology Platform
- If you are a team mentor, FIRST has been sending materials out about the new Java-based technology platform in the Team announcements.
- Starting shortly, FTC will be releasing online educational materials — stay tuned! LAFTC also will be providing webinars and assistance as the summer begins, and will send out information as those are scheduled.
- You can track the conversations on the FTC Technology Forum: http://ftcforum.usfirst.org/forumdisplay.php?156-FTC-Technology
- The final costs of the conversions has been referred to as less than $400, with more information anticipated shortly. We are planning to share more grant money with teams with economic need to help with the conversion, with more information on that aspect to follow.
- More information is also available from Modern Robotics: http://modernroboticsinc.com/first-ftc.
New Purchasing Platform starting in June
- FIRST has agreed to purchase the new equipment and technologies wholesale and will sell full or partial sets of equipment along with the annual Team Registration as a single-purchase online starting in June. More information will follow from FIRST.
Update on Future of World Championships
- FIRST announced that they will be splitting the World Championship north and south in a couple of years due to program growth, and a LOT of questions followed. The video from a conversation with FIRST’s CEO at Worlds on many of those questions can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01pUHixTx4c.
Goodbye to our Graduating Seniors . . . and connect afresh as an Alum!
Thanks from Robot Tuesday
We’ll keep these going as we have news in the between-season, and welcome ideas for future editions to be shared with us at community@socalftc.com.
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