Cross Program Update 8-22-2022

Town Hall Meeting

FIRST Indiana Robotics will have a town hall meeting on Tuesday, August 30th at 7 PM Eastern Time.  Please register for the call:

Topics: 

FTC/FRC/FLL Competition Updates
Consent and Release Updates
Organizational Updates

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtfuGgqTkiHtdd7RzlUYb3nJ6sLQx3EgOD

Grants

Make sure to apply for the FIN Grants as soon as possible.  Visit our website to learn about the grant opportunities.

Apply for FIN grants.

Visit FIRST grant portal.

FIRST Mentor Network

Is your team looking for mentors?
Are you looking for a team to mentor?

Utilize the FIRST Mentor Network today!

https://info.firstinspires.org/mentor-network

FTC Share the Spare Program

Control Hub “Share the Spare” Plan
We are excited about the upcoming 2022-2023 season, POWERPLAY, presented by Raytheon Technologies.  Unfortunately, the REV Robotics Control Hub, a core component of the reusable FIRST^® Tech Challenge robot kit, is currently unavailable due to ongoing global supply chain disruptions. All efforts are being made to have Control Hubs in stock in time for kickoff in September.

In the meantime, we are asking our existing teams to help rookie teams get started by sharing spare Control Hubs and/or Expansion Hubs with Android Phones.  Many teams have spare equipment or Expansion Hubs that they have replaced with Control Hubs.  If you can help “share the spare,” please reach out to:

Trisha Thompson – tthompson@firstindianarobotics.org
Chris Osborne – cosborne@firstindianarobotics.org

We are proud of our community and the wonderful acts of Gracious Professionalism^® and Coopertition^® that our teams display on
and off the field.  Thank you for everything you do to help grow the FIRST^® community and help us deliver the Impact of our mission
to as many students as possible.

FIRST Day at the Statehouse – Save the Date

FIRST Day at the Indiana Statehouse will be Wednesday, February FIRST, 2023 (2/1/2023).  Save the date.  We will soon have sign-up forms for teams to participate in the demonstrations.

We will also have letter-writing campaigns for the bill we are working on this year.  We will have advocacy training on multiple occasions this fall as well.

Starbase Indy

(https://starbaseindy.org ) They would like to have some teams showcase their robots at this year’s convention — FRC, FTC, and even FLL.

WHAT WE ARE
Starbase Indy is a fan-run Star Trek convention held each year on Thanksgiving weekend. We are fans not only because we enjoy Star Trek, but also because it inspires us. From this inspiration comes the mission of our convention:
The mission of The Starbase is to provide inspirational content and activities relating to Star Trek, STEM, and humanitarianism to aid in creating a future that is inclusive and diverse. We host a yearly gathering place to connect creators and explorers t the community with fun and enriching experiences for all.

It’s at the Indianapolis Marriott East, November 25-27, 2022. Would it be possible to spread the word to area teams? I can put people in touch with the Convention Committee.

Please email Starbase Indy with any questions.  Community Outreach: Mark Gaddo community@starbaseindy.org

Volunteering

We are always on the lookout for more volunteers for our events.  If you’ve never volunteered before, please consider setting up an account on the FIRST website – www.firstinspires.org

Then using your dashboard, you can register to volunteer at our events.

Learn More – https://www.firstinspires.org/ways-to-help/volunteer

Here is a handy .pdf file explaining the system – https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource_library/volunteer/volunteer-registration-user-guide.pdf

Scholarship Portal/Tallo

The FIRST Scholarship Portal opens on September 1st.  Please make sure to let all high school students know this.

Another fantastic service for FIRST students in Indiana is Tallo.  Students starting at age 13 can set up a Tallo account and earn badges, create resumes, and build out an online portfolio that universities, internship sites, and employers can use for evaluation.

Have your kids sign up today!  Make sure to go to the FIRST/Tallo site: www.tallo.com/first

Upcoming Events

FIRST Tech Challenge Kickoff – Saturday, September 10th
Boiler Bot Battle – FRC Off-season event – Saturday, October 15th – Register