FTC Oregon Update: Dean's List Submission Issues - FIRST IT issues

12/13/17 - UPDATES/CHANGES AS WE LEARN ABOUT THEM: 
As more mentors try to submit for Dean's List we are learning about new issues. Rather than send an email each time, I will post new information here to help you.

1. Only the Primary Coach and Asst. Coach can upload FTC Dean's List submissions from their FIRST Dashboards. If a submission is written by a different registered mentor, it must be uploaded by either the registered Primary Coach or registered the Asst. Coach. The author's name should appear at the bottom of the essay. 
2. If you have an issue and you call FIRST, 800-871-8326 during 8 am - 5 pm EastCoastTime, ask for Erin Fadden. She is the staff person in charge of FTC Dean's List 
3. Deadline for submitting to FIRST and the back-up copy to Cathy Swider is  12/15 -11:59 Eastern Standard Time. That's 8:59 Pacific Time 
4. Character count issue  -  a new line character was being counted as two characters instead of one and even though the word count was 4000 or less, it would end up going over. Erin Fadden at FIRST is working the issue but is not sure if it will be fixed in time. If people were to eliminate new lines/ para breaks while submitting or keep the character count low, (so there are at least 1 or 2 characters left), they should be good to go.

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FIRST Tech Challenge Mentors and Coaches:

 Deadline to submit for the FIRST Tech Challenge Dean's List is Friday, December 15th at 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time. 

 I am receiving reports of issues with the submission process through the Mentor's FIRST Dashboard.  As a precaution, I would like to initiate a double submission process so all submissions are received and if they aren't I have something to show to FIRST saying that they were submitted by the deadline of December 15th. 

The process will work like this. 

• #1) Make every attempt to submit online according to the FIRST procedures outlined in the FIRST Dean's List Submission Guidelines.  
• If you have issues call 800-871-8326 during 8 am - 5 pm EastCoastTime, and let them know you are having issues so it can be recorded. Ask for Erin Fadden 

• #2} Please have the mentor who is submitting for the team member to send a copy of the submission to cathy-swider@ortop.org  as a Word document or pdf or Google Doc. All submissions to me must be received by December 15th at 8:59 PM Pacific Time. 

• EMAIL SUBJECT LINE: DEAN'S LIST SUBMISSION - Name of Team Member - Team #.  Using that subject line will allow me to find and collect them. 
• Each submission to me should include: 
•  Nominee Name
• Nominee Grade
• Nominee GPA
• Qualifying Event for the Dean’s List Interview to take place
• Nomination essay of no more than 4,000 characters (spaces and punctuation are included in this limit)
• Student Address/Email  (if the student is not registered in the Student Registration System)
• Coaches can use the address of the school/Organization

Regards, 

Cathy Swider
FIRST Tech Challenge, Affiliate Partner, Oregon

cathy-swider@ortop.org

LAST CHANCE TO WIN A 1/4 Relic Recovery Field! 

We hope our FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Community had a
wonderful Thanksgiving.  Now that our turkey break is over, take time to read this week's FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon newsletter.

How did we do in League Meet Week ONE?

Check the Event Results - the link is on the HOT TOPICS page! 

League Meet Two Week 
Nov 27 - Dec 9  / League Meet TWO Week  - complete schedule here   
11/27 (Monday) - Columbia Basin
11/29 (Wednesday) - Central Oregon
12/1 (Friday) - Rose City
12/2  (Saturday)- Silicon Forest
12/3  (Sunday) - Tualatin Valley
12/7 (Thursday) - Mid-Columbia
NON-LEAGUE TEAMS: Your are always welcomed at League Events as spectators! 


League Meet TWO & THREE Week
These leagues will run Leagues Meet 2 in the morning and League Meet 3 in the afternoon.
12/9 - Capitol League, Mid-Western, SOAR

Requirements for League Meet TWO
Bring a printed copy of your Team Roster from your FIRST Dashboard with any additional paper copies of FIRST Consent and Release form. 

We are tightening up the Inspection Requirements.

• Teams will not be entered into the Match Sheet to play unless Field Inspection is passed. 
• League Meet #2 will require all teams to comply with all criteria points of the Field Inspection and pass Field Inspection. 
•  Robots should also pass all criteria points of Robot Inspection but it is up to discretion of the Lead Robot Inspector and FTA  to determine if a robot is safe and is very close to passing and allow the team to be entered into the Match Sheet. 
• Why? It's the rule. And to be fair,  teams must demonstrate that the robot can move on the field during matches to be a helpful member of their alliance to earn the awarded points. 

Resources to help you 

• Programming Resources 
• Robot Wiring Guide    (other resources from the same page) 
• Robot Inspection and Field Inspection Checklists & Inspector Manuals & Illegal/Legal Parts Lists 
• PLEASE NOTE:  "The Main Power Switch is installed properly, labeled, readily accessible, and visible to competition personnel. The TETRIX, REV, and MATRIX switches are the only allowed Main Power Switch. <RE01> 
•  8.3.3 Robot Electrical Parts and Materials Rules 
• There are many possible ways to build and wire a Robot. These rules provide specific requirements on what is and is not allowed. Teams must ensure that electrical and electronic devices are used consistent with manufacturer's requirements and specifications. Teams are encouraged to review the FIRST Tech Challenge Robot Wiring Guide for suggestions on how to build a Robot with safe and reliable wiring. 
•  <RE01>  Main Power Switch - The Robot Main Power Switch must control all power provided by the Robot main battery pack. FIRST requires Teams to use either the TETRIX (part # W39129), MATRIX (part # 50- 0030), or REV (REV-31-1387) power switch. This is the safest method for Teams and Field personnel to shut down a Robot.
• The Robot main power switch MUST be mounted or positioned to be readily accessible and visible to competition personnel. A Main Robot Power label must be placed near the Main Power Switch of the Robot. Attach the image (“POWER BUTTON”) to your Robot near the Main Power Switch. To be easily seen by field personnel the label should be at least 1 in x 2.63 in (2.54 cm x 6.68 cm, Avery Label # 5160) and placed on a flat surface (not wrapped around corners or cylinders).
• IMAGE FILES for POWER BUTTON sticker and Robot Moves Sticker

SPECIAL NOTE TO NON-LEAGUE TEAMS:  Non-League Teams will need to be fully prepared to pass all aspects of Robot Inspection and Field Inspection at their tournament. Teams will have approximately 2 hours upon arrival to go through inspection, fix anything that did not pass, and go through re-inspection for a final PASS/FAIL. Teams who do not pass inspection by the deadline will not be entered into the Tournament Match Sheet and will not play on the Relic Recovery field.

Engineering Notebook Resources

• Did you know that keeping an up-to-date and compliant Engineering Notebook is a path toward FIRST Tech Challenge Judged Awards which count toward advancement?  |
• Note to Rookie Teams - You are required to surrender your Engineering Notebook at Team Check-in at your League or Non-League Qualifying Tournament and every other tournament after that. 
• On my road trip to visit League Meet 1 at Central Oregon, Midwestern and SOAR, I encouraged teams to look at Engineering Notebook resources for assistance. Mark pages of the Engineering Notebook with post-a-notes that stick out like tabs.  

Let Judges know where they should look in your notebook to find out:

•  why your robot is Innovative, 
• why it is well Designed, 
• how the Control System worked (separate entry form) 
• and how your team Connected with your community. 

Look on this page for resources 


FIRST Tech Challenge Dean's List
Submissions for the FIRST Tech Challenge Dean's List is required by Friday, December 15th. Submissions are uploaded through the Coach/Mentor's FIRST Dashboard. Carefully read the submission requirements.  
Complete information on this page 

• Nominees for Dean's List Semi-Finalists must be Sophomores or Juniors.  Seniors are not eligible. 
• All candidates will be interviewed at their League Qualifying Tournament or Non-League Tournament in January. No interviews will take place at Super-QTs. 
• FTC Oregon will select 4 FTC Dean's List Finalists to represent us at the FIRST World Championship-Houston. Announcement will be made at the FIRST Tech Challenge State Championship. 

FIRST Scholarships
Mentors- please let your juniors and seniors know about the $50M in college scholarships available for FIRST students.   Click here for information 
The deadlines vary - it is not a single deadline on November 27th.

_______________________________________________________________________

HOT LINKS to make life easier!  

• We have a FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon website! 
• FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon HOT TOPICS! 
• FTC Relic Recovery Game Materials 
• FIRST Tech Challenge Game and Season Info
• FIRST Tech Challenge Game Forum 
• Know what the Referees, Inspectors, Judges and FTAs know 
• Help with getting team members signed up electronically and get parents/guardians to sign the FIRST Consent and Release form electronically 
• "LIKE" US! on FACEBOOK ! - fun stuff gets posted here and messages passed through by FIRST HQ. 

FIRST Tech Challenge Community

Q: Who is on this blog/email list?  A: Everyone - all coaches, mentors and team representatives and some volunteers 
After some thought I have decided not to break out League teams from Non-League teams when sending out the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Update during the League Meet season.  I feel non-league teams can benefit from reading about tournament preparations in advance of their January non-league events.

REMINDERS FOR EVERYONE!
League Payments were due on Oct 31 and Non-League are due on November 15
Are you paid - League? Are you paid - Non-League
Payment information - League  and Non-League 

REMINDERS FOR LEAGUE MEET ONE 
11/11 – Capitol League, 11/15 – Central Oregon & Columbia Basin, 11/16 – Mid-Columbia & Mid-Western, 11/17 – Rose City, 11/18 – SOAR & Silicon Forest, 11/19 – Tualatin Valley

If you are registered with a league your team should attend all three official scoring meets. At the end of December the scoring system will select the best 10 of 15 matches played to compile a ranking list for the start of the League Tournament in January.   League Teams should come to the League Meet even if their robot is not ready to play.  Help will be provided to all teams who attend.

• FIRST Consent and Release Form at Check-in 
• Every team is required to bring the official PRINTED Team Roster  from the FIRST Dashboard to every Meet.  This must be handed in at Team Check-in. Saying you did it online isn't enough. You need to print it and bring it 
• listed on the printed team roster will be every registered coach and mentor 
• listed will be every student who is signed up electronically 
• also for each person under the Consent Column will be
•  a check mark = YES, an electronically signed Consent and Release form is on file or 
• an "X" = there is No Consent or Release form on file, this means a paper FIRST Consent and Release form must be attached to the back of the roster and the names hand written onto the bottom of the form 
• What if our whole team is submitting only paper Consent forms? 
• The Printed Roster from the FIRST Dashboard listing the two registered mentors must be presented, all students and other coaches hand written on the bottom of the form and all paper copies of the signed FIRST Consent and Release forms stapled to the back of the roster. 
• LINKS FOR MORE HELP AND THE PAPER FORM 
• Bring and wear Safety Glasses over your eyes in the PIT and at the Field. It is a rule Game Manual 1 - <T15>  No backtalk to volunteers who tell team members to put on their safety glasses. Doing so could result in  Game Manual <T2> infraction. 
• Read your emails from our League Manager. They are important. 

TIPS for DOING YOUR BEST AT LEAGUE MEET ONE 

• Do a Robot inspection at your last meeting prior to the meet - using the Robot inspection sheet  - bring the sheet with you to go over it with the Inspector 
• Do a Field inspection of your robot  at your last meeting prior to the meet - using the Field Inspection sheet - bring it with you to go over it with the Field Inspector 
• Expectation for League Meet One: All robots must go through Robot and Field Inspection in the time period allotted by the League Manager in order to play. 
• Robots will play in the matches as long as the robot is safe to operate but might not have passed all aspects of Robot Inspection. (the requirement to fully comply increases with every meet) 
•  Robots must pass Field Inspection. Your robot must move to play and be a contributing member of an alliance. 
• Practice the transition from Autonomous to Teleop
• Read Game Manual 2 - The points count and so do the penalties in League Meet One. 
• Read the Game Forum and ask questions relevant to your team - print it and bring it to show a referee 
• When the League Manager is making announcements, show respect, be quiet and listen. 
• LABEL EVERYTHING with your team number so that it can be returned to your team when you forget it. Specifically batteries, phone chargers, phone charger cables, tool boxes, safety glasses. 
• Write what happens during your meetings and at the meets in your Engineering Notebook. 

Other items for League Play  

• Adult Coaches/Mentors cannot stand with their team's  Drive team in the Queuing Line, at the Queuing Table or at the Field.  Mentors and other team members must sit/stand in the audience.  Keeping the playing fields clear of extraneous people was a problem at League Meet Zero at some locations. 
• Holding phones during Autonomous is not allowed  - At some locations we did not have a stand for the phones/controllers. We are correcting that. 
• Don't take stuff that doesn't belong to you. -  Mentors at the Silicon Forest League, please look for two Rev Robotics batteries that do not belong to your team. They are not marked with a team number but were removed from a team's pit table, not the charging station.
• As far as I know we had two impressive scores at League Meet Zero - a 147 scored at the Tualatin Valley League and a 156 scored at the Mid-Columbia League.  Go Teams!
• Offer to help set-up or clean up at your league meet. It is much appreciated

SUPER-QUALIFIERS - Feb 10 & 11 
Traditionally we have advanced* 96 teams to Super-Qualifier Weekend (4 tournaments)  to determine the field of 48 teams to compete in the State Championship (Feb 24-25 Liberty HS, Hillsboro).  This season is it going work a bit differently. Instead of four 24-team tournaments, we will hold three 32-team tournaments. 
These will be:
Delta - Saturday, Feb 10 at Evergreen Middle School, Hillsboro
Theta - Sunday, Feb 11 at Evergreen Middle School, Hillsboro
Pi - Sunday, February 10 at Benson Polytechnic High School, Portland

Why the change? 
We submitted multiple building requests over the past 6 months to a variety of schools and other types of venues. Either we were turned down because venue was booked for basketball or after our permit was approved, it was rescinded so that a basketball** event could be run. So the best we could do was come up with three venues and divide the teams differently. 96 teams will still compete and 48 will advance to the State Championship.  Our thanks to Hillsboro SD and Portland Public SD for welcoming us to hold our events. 
* advancement rule - Game Manual 1 - Sec 7.4 Order of Advancement. page 24 
**In 2016  624K tech jobs went unfilled and 92 men and women were drafted to play in the NBA and WNBA

HOT LINKS to make life easier!  

• We have a FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon website! 
• FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon HOT TOPICS! 
• FTC Relic Recovery Game Materials 
• FIRST Tech Challenge Game and Season Info
• FIRST Tech Challenge Game Forum 
• Know what the Referees, Inspectors, Judges and FTAs know 
• Help with getting team members signed up electronically and get parents/guardians to sign the FIRST Consent and Release form electronically 

FIRST Tech Challenge Update for November 1, 2017

UPDATE: November 2nd 

1. Version 3.5 of the FIRST Tech Challenge Software is Now Available!

Version 3.5 of the FIRST Tech Challenge software is available.  The new software includes the following important changes:

1. Fixes were implemented to prevent random Op Mode stops.
2. The file size of the Robot Controller app has been trimmed to reduce the required install time.
3. A fix was implemented to ensure that log files get properly updated and saved.
4. Support for using the Modern Robotics Touch Sensor as an analog device was added to the FTC Blocks Programming Tool.

Instructions on how to update your FIRST Tech Challenge software can be found on the Programming Resources web page:

https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource_library/ftc/updating-ftc-software-instructions.pdf

Detailed information regarding the release can be found at the following link:

  https://github.com/ftctechnh/ftc_app#release-information

NOVEMBER 1st

EVENT SIGN-UP
League and Non-League event sign-ups are officially closed for the 2017-2018 season.
There are 141 teams participating in 12 Leagues and 56 teams participating in 3 Non-League events.

Non-League Qualifying Tournament Assignments were posted this morning.
Check here to see where you'll be competing. 

FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon EVENT PAYMENT TO  ORTOP
Now the next step is to pay ORTOP for your event/program participation. 

Just a reminder, national registration payment is different from local event payment.  FIRST HQ keeps your national registration payment for themselves and ORTOP needs your event payment to run the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon program.

Want to check if ORTOP has received your payment? 

• LEAGUE participation 
• click here to see if your LEAGUE  payment was received
• League payments were due October 31st.  
• It is obvious that this deadline has slipped for many of you due to trick or treating. Let's set a goal of November 8, 2017 for all league payments to be in. 
• Click here for all payment options; credit card, check or purchase order followed by check. 
• NON-League participation 
• click here starting 11/2/17 to see of your NON-LEAGUE  payment was received
• Non-League payments are due November 15th 
• Click here for all payment options; credit card, check or purchase order followed by check. 

 YOUTH REGISTRATION SYSTEM  (formerly known as STIMS) 

• It is required that a printed copy of the Youth Registration System Roster be brought to every league meet, league tournament, non-league tournament and every tournament after that; not just the 1st one.
• It lists all registered coaches/mentors and all team members with electronic registrations and electronically signed FIRST Consent and Release forms.  
• Stapled to the back will be paper FIRST Consent and Release forms for team members whose parents did not sign on electronically.  Either electronically or on paper, we must see that a FIRST Consent and Release form has been signed for every team member, coach, mentor; for every event.
• Students (age 13 -17) can electronically fill out the registration themselves and then invite a parent to electronically sign the FIRST Consent and Release form.
• Get started by going to your FIRST Dashboard – firstinspires.org  upper right – Log In
• Here are some HELP SCREENS to assist you.
• Youth Registration System Overview 
• Youth Registration System Guide with screen shots 
• Paper copy of the FIRST Consent and Release form for downloading and printing or it also is available (English and Spanish) on the Contact page on the Dashboard by Youth members  

 SAFETY GLASSES

"There is no more important safety rule than to wear your Safety Glasses! "  

• Must be worn in the pit by team members, mentors, volunteers and visiting guests. 
• Must be worn at the field by drive teams and volunteers. 
• Best advice: invest in reasonable quality safety glasses for visual acquity and find a storage method to keep them unscratched.   

ORTOP Website for FIRST Tech Challenge OREGON !

• We have one! It has lots of reference information on it to help you find things fast.
• Check out the Hot Topics page for key resources and links to critical information. 

FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Community:
Just a friendly reminder, deadline to sign-up for League is Monday, October 16 at 11:59 pm. 
Q: What about NON-LEAGUE QUALIFYING TOURNAMENTS ? You promised to open sign-ups  on Friday, Oct 13th? 
A: True. My apologies. I'm still waiting on Oregon State University to confirm the dates. I know it will be either Jan 20/21 or Jan 27/28.  There will be a 3rd Non-League QT as well. Having locations and dates are very important. I have forecast the need for 3 non-league tournaments counting on about 140  teams signing up for leagues.  I will open Non-League Sign ups on Tuesday, October 17 at 3pm , with or without confirmed dates from OSU. No worries, there will be non-league tournaments.

Q: I don't really know the difference between League and Non-League. What is the difference?

• A:  League teams participate in casual but official 3 short meet events in November and December, play 5 matches at each event, have the benefit of support from other teams and mentors, and try out their designs in real competition. Teams start with basic designs that evolve other the course of season.  League teams compete in a League Qualifying Tournament in January  It supports iterative design and keeps a teams moving and developing their robot.
•  A Non-League team conducts team meetings in the fall on their own to develop their robot and competes in one Non-League Qualifying Tournament in January.  
• Both League and Non-League teams advance to Super-Qualifier Weekend and the State Championship. 

Q: Why do we have to sign up for a League when the team is already nationally registered? 
A: Where your team is going to compete at an event in Oregon was never asked on the national registration form. And I can't assume or guess where your team wants to compete or if your team wants to be part of a league or go the non-league route. I have almost 200 teams to sort and I need your information. If your national registration is in progress but not complete, go ahead and sign up for a League if that is your preference.

Q: Why else do I need to submit the information to you? If our team is in [insert city] can't you just assume we'll be in [insert league]?

A: No, I can't assume that. And I need to know your team's preferred name, how many kids are on the team so I can order pins, and a lot of other information necessary to prepare materials for the league meets. We are handing out League Crates at volunteer training on Oct 21. That is not much time to prep. 

Q: How do I know if I've submitted a League event form to tell you we want to be in League? 

A: Right now only the League Sign-up is available and it is closing tomorrow. 
You can check this list to find out if your team has already submitted a form. 

Q: Which Leagues still have room? A: Here is the League Schedule.

• Rose City at Madison HS in Portland needs one more team to BE a League and room for 5 more teams 
• Capitol League in Salem needs one more team to BE a League and has room for 5 more teams. 
• Central Oregon League has 6 sign-ups and has room for 6 more teams. 
• Columbia Basin League - Pendleton -  -has 6 sign-ups and room for 18 more teams 
• Mid-Columbia -Hood River - has 7 sign-ups and room for 9 more teams. 
• Mid-Western -JunctionCity - has 8 sign-ups and room for 4 more teams.
• SiliconForest -Hilsboro - has 22 sign-ups and room for 2 more teams. 
• SOAR - Roseburg - has 20 sign-ups and will make room for 6 more teams. 
• Tualatin Valley - Tigard - has 14 sign-ups and is CLOSED. 

Q: Okay, I checked the list and we're not on it and we want to be part of a league? What do I do now?  
A: 

• Look at the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon League Schedule 
• Read through the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Sign-up worksheet to know what is asked, prep your answers and know what your options are.  
• After preparing, go online and submit an online FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon LEAGUE Sign-up for your team.
  • ONE TEAM = ONE SIGN-UP FORM. The form is not designed for multiple teams. Submit one form per team
• Pay for your League Membership  —  includes League Meets & League Qualifying Tournament
  • Sliding scale from $400 (full cost of program) <—–> $200 (minimum for teams who cannot afford to pay the full cost).
    • You can select a discount of $50, $100, $150 or $200.
  • Payment options for FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon 
    • ONLINE CREDIT CARD PAYMENT for League- Visa, Mastercard, or Discover
    • PAY BY CHECK for League 
    • PAY BY Purchase Order followed by a check for League
• SIGN-UP FOR LEAGUES OPENS ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6th at 3:00 pm

ONLINE SIGN-UP FOR LEAGUES ENDS ON Monday, OCTOBER 16th at 11:59 pm, but you have until Oct. 31 to pay. 
_______________________________________________________________________

BENSON BOT FEST is on OCTOBER 21
- WORKSHOPS FOR LEARNING!!! - CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION 

Thank you for your cooperation in moving event registration forward. 

--Cathy

Hello FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon!

3 ITEMS -
#1 - National Registration
#2- League Sign-up/Non-League Signup
#3-Benson BotFest Signup 

We are about one month out from kickoff! Time to get all of the paperwork (or online submissions in line) and move on to dedicated business of building robots!

Here is your checklist!
#1 - Are you Nationally Registered and Paid?  Here is a list to check - there is a 48 hour delay from the time you pay and the time it shows up on my list. There are 171 teams on the list, I'm expecting a total of about 186. 

     Not on the list?  Either you are not registered, or you haven't updated your team profile for 2017 or you are a new team who has not gone into the FIRST Storefront to complete your national registration 
#2 - Have you registered yet for a League?  I'm expecting about 130 teams to be registered for leagues but as of today only 62 teams have sign up for Leagues as of today. [insert puzzling gif here] 
Here is the list to check if your online league sign up was received. 

Not on the list, and want to be part of a league? 

 Don't delay, sign up today. Payments are not due until the end of the month but League Sign-up is supposed to end on Monday, October 16th. 

FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon League Sign-up Procedure 

• Look at the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon League Schedule 
• Go online and submit an online FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon LEAGUE Sign-up for your team.
  • ONE TEAM = ONE SIGN-UP FORM. The form is not designed for multiple teams. Submit one form per team 
• SIGN-UP FOR LEAGUES ENDS ON Monday, OCTOBER 16th at 11:59 pm  
• Payment are due at the end of the month 

NON-LEAGUE Team Event Sign-up will open on Friday, October 13th at 3pm. I'm still waiting to hear from Oregon State University Robotics Club on dates. And we are close to confirming a 3rd Non-League QT. 

_________________________________

BENSON BotFest 2017
Our annual workshop for rookie team members (rookies on veteran teams are welcomed) held at Benson High School in Portland on Saturday, October 21st, 9am - 2:30 pm ALL of the information, schedule, online sign-up is posted at on the ORTOP Website under Team Resources/Workshops 

If you have a question about Benson BotFest 2017- contact John DeLacy at johncdelacy@gmail.com

NEEDS for BotFest 
1) I am looking for an adult Mentor to teach the OnBot Java workshop. You should have familiarity with OnBot Java.
2) Also, looking for two more FTC Teams that have any kind of a robot to participate in the referee training scrimmage. Needs to have a 30 second autonomous program (required only to wiggle and stop at 30 seconds) and a teleop. Contact Cathy Swider if you can be there for about one hour the morning. 

3) Veteran team members to be at the Help Desk in the Cafeteria to help rookie teams with their robots. Can have more than one team to do shifts. 

--Cathy

FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Community:

I've decided to open the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon League Sign-up today- October 6th. It will close October 16th. 

And wait to open the Non-League sign-ups until next Friday, October 13th at 3:00 pm. This is because I am waiting on dates from Oregon State University.  It will close October 31st. 

FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Event Sign-up

• Eligibility for FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Events 
  • FIRST Tech Challenge teams must meet in Oregon or Skamania/Klickitat Counties in Washington.
  • Must be a current nationally registered paid team, with two adults as primary and assistant coaches who have passed background screening
    - click here for national registration information
• FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon teams must choose between being part of :
  • a League (League Meets with League Qualifying Tournament)
    • This includes 3 or 4 short League Meets in Nov/Dec with a culminating League Qualifying Tournament in January
  • a Non-League (attending one Non-League Qualifying Tournament)
    • Teams work on their robot in the Fall and attend one Non-League Qualifying Tournament in January
  • Both Non-League and League Teams will advance to the Super-Qualifier Weekend in February for a chance to advance to the State Championship

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FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon League Sign-up Procedure 

• Look at the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon League Schedule 
• SLOW DOWN, Read through the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Sign-up worksheet to know what is asked, prep your answers and know what your options are.  
• After preparing, go online and submit an online FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon LEAGUE Sign-up for your team.
  • ONE TEAM = ONE SIGN-UP FORM. The form is not designed for multiple teams. Submit one form per team
• Pay for your League Membership  ---  includes League Meets & League Qualifying Tournament
  • Sliding scale from $400 (full cost of program) <-----> $200 (minimum for teams who cannot afford to pay the full cost).
    • You can select a discount of $50, $100, $150 or $200.
  • Payment options for FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon
    • ONLINE CREDIT CARD PAYMENT for League- Visa, Mastercard, or Discover
    • PAY BY CHECK for League 
    • PAY BY Purchase Order followed by a check for League
• SIGN-UP FOR LEAGUES OPENS ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6th at 3:00 pm
• SIGN-UP FOR LEAGUES ENDS ON Monday, OCTOBER 16th at 11:59 pm 

---

FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Non-League Qualifying Tournament Sign-up Procedure 

• There will be 2 or 3 Non-League Qualifying Tournaments depending on number of registered teams. A team can compete in only one event.  There will be 2 events on a Sat/Sun at Oregon State University. Date to be announced. A 3rd event will be created if there are more teams than can be accommodated at OSU. All events will occur on January 20/21 and Jan 27/28.
• (when released) Read through the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Sign-up document to know what is asked, prep your answers and know what your options are.  
• (when released) After preparing, go online and submit an online FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon NON-LEAGUE Sign-up for your team.
  • ONE TEAM = ONE SIGN-UP FORM. The form is not designed for multiple teams. Submit one form per team
• Pay for your Non-League Qualifying Tournament 
  • Sliding scale from $300 (full cost of program) <-----> $150 (minimum for teams who cannot afford to pay the full cost).
    • You can select a discount of $30, $60, $90 or $150.
  • Payment options for FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Non-League Qualifying Tournament
    • ONLINE CREDIT CARD PAYMENT for NON-LEAGUE- Visa, Mastercard, or Discover
    • PAY BY CHECK for Non-League 
    • PAY BY Purchase Order followed by a check for League
• SIGN-UP FOR NON-League Events OPENS ON Friday, OCTOBER 13th at 3:00 pm 
• SIGN-UP FOR Non-League Events ENDS ON Tuesday, OCTOBER 31st at 11:59 pm 

• QUESTIONS???? - I'm here for you! Email me - I'll monitor email until 4pm and then check after I get home at 6pm (yes, I have a 2 hour commute on Friday afternoons)  

Welcome to FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon - 
This morning I added many new email addresses to our information list.

FIRST Tech Challenge OREGON - League/Non-League Sign-up

FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon had planned to launch League and Non-League Sign-up later this afternoon (10/3). Due to technical difficulties beyond my control I've been unable to access critical data from a FIRST HQ site. This is forcing me to delay the launch.  

The New Launch Date will be Friday, October 6th at 3:00 pm for both League and Non-League. 

• League Sign-up will close on October 16th. (closes earlier because I need to prepare roster for meets) 
• Non- League Sign-up will close on October 31st. 

 TIPS and TRICKS for a Successful Event Sign-up

• Decide which adult on your team will be responsible for completing the online sign-up. 
• Know your official national FIRST Tech Challenge team number, coach names and coach email addresses that match the ones on your national registration. 
• Know your decision to go League or Non-League. 
• Number of team members per team.  Some demographics about your team members. 
• Which League you wish to join.  League Schedule  
• Choices include Pendleton, Hood River, Hillsboro, Tigard, Salem, Bend Area, Junction City, Roseburg.  
• At this time we are seeking an adult volunteer to be League Manager for the Rose City (Portland)  League. Contact Cathy Swider if you are interested. We have a NE Portland location but need a manager to go forward.  Willing to discuss options. 
• Want to join a league but one is not close Tell us on the online sign-up and if there are enough teams expressing a similar viewpoint in that area, we may start one. 
• If you wish to go Non- League the events/locations do not yet have specific dates. We will be at Oregon State University, which weekend is still being decided - either Jan20/21 or Jan 27/28. A third Non-League event will be added if needed. 

National Registration 
If you haven't nationally registered for this season and plan to play, this week is the time to log on and finalize your national registration for the 2017-2018 FIRST Tech Challenge season. Returning teams are required to update their national registration every season. 

LINK TO NATIONAL REGISTRATION PAGE with Registration Instructions. These instructions include how to invite coaches.
FIRST Storefront Instructions - Paying for the Registration and purchasing product in the FIRST Storefront

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Robot Skills Workshop designed for newer team members by FTC Team #4412-Shower Handles -Sunday, October 8th - 9:00 am - noon - Hood River Valley HS

Tech Talk by FTC Team #9769 Total Chaos  - Fast Forward into the Future - October 21st - @ Puppet Labs.

BensonBot Fest - Saturday, October 21 - Benson High School, Portland - 9:00 - ~3:00 pm  by Benson HS Robotics Club #187, #267, #4560 
Lots of workshops for Rookie Teams, League Meet Training for Volunteer.
Schedule SOON!

Update for FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon

FIRST Tech Challenge National Registration 
As of  today, September 26th, FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon has 119 registered and paid teams. There are an additional 7 teams with temporary numbers making their way through national registration.
If you have not yet registered your team, or finalized your national registration, please do so soon. It helps us plan the number of needed leagues and tournament events. Really hoping to reach 200 teams. If you need help or assistance, please do not hesitate to email me.

LINK TO NATIONAL REGISTRATION PAGE with Registration Instructions. These instructions include how to invite coaches.
FIRST Storefront Instructions - Paying for the Registration and purchasing product in the FIRST Storefront

 Youth Team Member Registration System
(formerly known as STIMS - Student Team Information Management System) 
 Youth Team Member Registration System will replace STIMS as the application FIRST uses for Coaches to issue invitations to parents of team members, to be part of the team. Parents fill out an form and electronically sign a FIRST Consent and Release Form required to participate in meets and tournaments.  The Coach will generate a Youth Team Member Roster(formerly known as STIMS Roster showing all team members) listing the team members and a checkbox showing the student's parent/guardian has electronically submitted a FIRST Consent & Release Form.
PLEASE NOTE: The Youth Team Member Registration System has not yet launched. We expect launch in early October.

SIGN UP to Join a FIRST Tech Challenge League or Non-league Qualifying Tournament
Change to Launch Date: At kickoff I announced Sign-ups would start on October 1. I didn't realize that was a Sunday, an inconvenient day. I'm moving our launch date to Tuesday, October 3rd at 5:00 pm. 
What you need to know prior to signing-up for a league or tournament. 

•  Your team must be nationally registered and Paid ($275) prior to signing up for an Oregon FIRST Tech Challenge League or Non-League Qualifying Tournament. 
• You'll be asked to select your preference to Join a League or attend a  non-league qualifying tournament. It's one or the other, but not both. 
•  The Sign-up Form is going to ask for information about your team. #of students and demographic profile. Please be prepared to answer those questions. We need it for awards ordering and grant reports. 
•  There is a separate charge for being part of a League or competing at a Non-League Qualifying Tournament. Those payments are made to ORTOP (Oregon Robotics Tournament & Outreach Program). Please know that when you make a payment, you are helping to pay for more than just that event. Expenses for FTC Oregon include events and much more to make this happen. We have office space, storage space, insurance, staff, equipment purchases to name a few.   
• ORTOP has a sliding payment scale for FIRST Tech Challenge events. It ranges from the Full Cost of the Program (FCP) to a minimum amount. We understand that not all teams can afford to pay the Full Cost of the Program. Assess your situation and pay what you can afford. We try to find sponsors to pay what teams cannot afford to pay. 
• League Participation - includes all Meets and League Qualifying Tournament  
• Full Cost of Program - $400  <---------> $200 Minimum payment 
• Non-League Qualifying Tournament 
• Full Cost of Program - $300  <---------> $150 Minimum payment 
• If your team advances to the Super-Qualifier level 
• Full Cost of Program - $400 <----------> $200 Minimum payment 
• And if your team advances to the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Championship!!! 
• Full Cost of Program - $500 <-----------> $250 Minimum payment 

TEAM SUPPORT AWARD FUNDING UPDATE
ORTOP Team Support Award - Round One is closed. Applicants will be notified sometime on Friday, September 29th if your team(s) were or were not selected to receive an award.  
ORTOP Team Support Award - Round Two applications will be accepted until midnight Saturday, September 30th.  Click here for application information

National FTC Veteran and Rookie Grants - FIRST HQ is giving out grant credit to cover the $275 national registration. If your team has not yet paid for their $275 national registration, you are eligible to apply and receive a grant credit. Click here for more information 

BENSON BOT FEST - October 21st 
Save the Date  - Preference given to Rookie Teams for the Workshops
Volunteer Training for Head Referees, Referees, Scorekeepers, FTA, Inspectors
Time: Check-in at 9:00 am - runs to about 3:00 pm / Schedule of Event: TBA
*****Looking for 4 Veteran Teams to run a 30 second Autonomous Program into Teleop to give the Referees a chance to practice the new format change.  Autonomous does not need to accomplish much, just run for 30 seconds and shut down using the proper SDK protocol.  Email Cathy Swider to commit.

Start of a new season

Four items for you today

Resources from FIRST Relic Recovery Kickoff 
Our thanks to our teams at St. Mary's teams in Medford, Summit Robotics teams in Bend, Intel in Hillsboro for hosting FIRST Relic Recovery Kickoff events last weekend. And a thanks to and Hood River Valley HS teams for trying to host.

There was a ton of information communicated during kickoff. I have consolidated much of it on our FIRST Tech Challenge Team Resources page on www. ortop.org

Major Rule Change to FIRST Tech Challenge 
This is HUGE!!
"Starting in the 2017-2018 season, there will no longer be a hard stop following the autonomous period to transition to the driver controlled period of the match."
Read all about it and watch the video.... click here 

League Meet Schedules 
Most of our Leagues have submitted a date and location schedule. We are waiting on a few more. Here is the schedule as of today.  

BENSON Bot Fest - October 21st at Benson Polytechnic HS, NE Portland
Rookie Workshop/Scrimmage  

• For too many years to remember the FIRST Tech Challenge teams at Benson High School have hosted the Benson BotFest. This is a very valuable event for our community.   This event is for Rookie teams, rookie team members on veteran teams and rookie mentors/coaches to attend programming workshops, strategy workshops, have hands-on time with their robots and get the advice of seasoned veteran mentors/team members.  
• Veteran team/team members wishing to mentor/lead a workshop... contact Cathy 
• And for the 2nd year, this will be LEAGUE VOLUNTEER TRAINING and League-in-a-Crate Pickup.  We'll be holding training for Head Ref and Referees, Inspectors, FTAs and Scorekeepers. 
• Mark your calendars - There will be on online Sign-up posted on the FTC Team Resources Page and Workshop Page early next week.  

UPDATE  - Thursday, September 7th Hood River Kickoff - POSTPONED UNTIL A LATER DATE
Due to the increasing Eagle Creek Wildfire in the Columbia Gorge we are forced to postpone the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon - Kickoff Event at Hood River Valley High School scheduled for Saturday, September 9th.
 3 out of 5 area school districts have cancelled school and all activities due to increasing levels of hazardous air caused by smoke and evacuation notifications.  Out of concern for the safety of our team members and volunteers the event will be rescheduled for a later date.

______________________________________
 News for you and your team!
1) RELIC RECOVERY KICKOFF
2) Other FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon News: $$$Team Support and Event Registration
3) FIRST Tech Challenge HQ News from Manchester, NH: Software Release and Android Control System documentation

IT'S FIRST TECH CHALLENGE KICKOFF WEEK!!! 

The wait is almost over!
The 2017-2018 FIRST Tech Challenge season RELIC RECOVERY Game Animation Video and Game Manual II will be released on Saturday, September 9th at 9:00 am Pacific Time.
Doors open for Live Kickoff events in Oregon starting at 8:30 am

How you can join in on the fun!

• Attend a live Kickoff event in Oregon (see list below) 
• or gather your team together to watch the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Live Stream Event  from Medford. Including Relic Recovery Game Animation Video, Game Manual II Highlight Video by FTC Oregon Championship Head Ref Aaryn Curl!  &  presentation from  Matt Heverly from NASA!  Medford will go live at 8:50 am. 
• or distribute link information to team members to watch at their leisure 

Can't be there for the kickoff?  
If you miss the launch, no worries the Game Animation video, Championship Head Ref Aaryn Curl's Game Manual II highlight video will be available online. 

FOR ROOKIES and ROOKIE TEAMS:
Why is this all so important?  This Saturday, September 9th  is the day the FIRST Tech Challenge community learns the specific details of the 2017-2018 annual challenge. So far teams were given access to Game Manual I (non-specific challenge rules/guidelines and a video teaser for Relic Recovery.   On Saturday, the actual game field will be revealed and the annual challenge revealed via a game animation from the FIRST HQ in Manchester, NH via YouTube and Game Manual II will be released.
Also, at the live kickoff events, several are offering workshops and presentations to help your teams get off on the right foot. We will try to make as many of these presentations available online post-kickoff. 

LIVE Kickoff  EVENTS
Medford – 8:30 am – 2:30 pm 
St. Mary’s School, 816 Black Oak Dr, Medford, OR 97504 – EVENT FLYER 
FTC Relic Recovery Kickoff at St. Mary’s School in Medford on Sept 9th: Teams will get to watch the Relic Recovery animated video, followed by Game Manual II Highlight Video by Championship Head Referee Aayrn Curl, see the arena in person, listen to Matt Heverly from the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab and Mars Curiosity Rover driver talk about the methodical steps routinely used in solving an engineering challenge, brainstorm solutions in a breakout session, have lunch (yes, there are free lunches!) with other teams, and participate in practical educational sessions for old and new teams. Topics may include programming, control system, Vuforia, engineering notebook, presentations to judges, season organization, SolidWorks CAD, 3D printing, etc. Let us know if your team is interested in making a presentation. Every effort will be made to make it a worthwhile and action-packed day. Contact Kent Dauterman if you plan to come and how many are coming so that we can order the right amount of food. Just bring your positive energy and a good appetite.

Bend 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Summit High School, 2855 NW Clearwater Dr, Bend, OR 97703
FIRST Tech Challenge – Game Animation followed by Game Manual II Highlight Video by Championship Head Referee Aayrn Curl,  game/field viewing and discussion.
FTC Blocks Programming Workshop 10 AM – 3 PM, bring your lunch,(taught by Bruce Schafer, ORTOP).
We encourage veteran FTC programming students to attend the workshop so that you will be able to help mentor rookie teams throughout the season.
If you can – bring a laptop & a basic FTC Bot for the programming workshop.
Adult mentor & coaches networking discussion on Fundraising & Team Building

Hillsboro – 8:30 am – noonIntel Jones Farm Conference Center Auditorium, 2111 Northeast 25th Street, Hillsboro, OR 97124
FIRST Tech Challenge – Game Animation followed by game/field viewing, followed Game Manual II Highlight Video by Championship Head Referee Aayrn Curl and live discussion with Championship Head Referee Aaryn Curl. Presentations include Strategic Design: How to make the most of your season, and be as effective as possible by Shishir Pandit-Rao,  Being a Rookie Team Member by Rachel Weirnick & Rispa Vranka Wafula,  Championship Field Technical Advisor Update by Dale Jordan and Krishnan Duraiswami

Hood River - POSTPONED DUE TO THE EAGLE CREEK WILDFIRE Hood River Valley High School, 1220 Indian Creek Rd, Hood River, OR 97031
FIRST Tech Challenge – Game Animation followed Game Manual II Highlight Video by Championship Head Referee Aayrn Curl,  by game/field viewing and discussion. Breakout sessions: How to succeed in FTC Notebook/outreach,  Intro to Block programming, Do’s and don’ts of building a FIRST Tech Challenge robot.     EVENT FLYER

Gladstone 
Kraxberger Middle School – 17777 Webster Rd Gladstone Oregon 97027FTC Teams 8188 and 8132  is hosting a breakfast kickoff – Watch the Game Animation video, followed Game Manual II Highlight Video by Championship Head Referee Aayrn Curl and eat waffles served by the teams. Chat and brainstorm Relic Recovery strategy. Learn how Kraxberger teams fundraise via their tech recycle program.   Physical field will not be available at this site

OTHER FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon News 

• So far 71 Oregon teams have registered for this season.  Hoping for about 140 more.  Link to National Registration  
• Applications for ORTOP Team Support Awards for funding are still being accepted. This includes funding from the Oregon Department of Education.  
• Applications received by September 15th will be processed as ROUND #1.  
• Applications received after September 15 and by September 30th will be processed as ROUND #2, using any remaining funds. 
• FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon EVENT REGISTRATION -  Teams that are nationally registered can register for:
•  a LEAGUE October 1st  - 15th. This includes participation in 3 - 4 League Meets and one League Qualifying Tournament. 
• a Non-League Qualifying Tournament October 1st - 30th. This includes competing at one Non-League Tournament. 
• LINKS to Event Registration will be released via email to coaches and this blog. 
• FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Event Fees  - links to pay for events will open on October 1st with event registration. 

NEWS from the FIRST Tech Challenge HQ in Manchester, NH 

Scheduled Software Release

There is a scheduled release of the new FIRST Tech Challenge software, for Wednesday, September 6th.  The new release will include usability and reliability improvements for the 2017-2018 season.  Features include a new "OnBot Java" programming tool that lets kids program using Java without the need for Android Studio.  The new software will also have some enhanced Vuforia features.  Note that teams are not required to upgrade to the newest software.  Updated software will be available from Google Play and on the public GitHub Repository (https://github.com/ftctechnh/ftc_app).

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

 Online Document for Android Control System

FIRST Tech Challenge now has an online, "evergreen" document for the FIRST Tech Challenge Android control system.  This online document is a centralized repository with up-to-date information about configuring, using, and troubleshooting the FIRST Tech Challenge Android control system.  The community can access the documentation at the following address: https://github.com/ftctechnh/ftc_app/wiki.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

THE NEW ORTOP WEBSITE COMETH!!!  

After 17 years and coinciding with the total eclipse of the sun, ORTOP will launch a brand new website on Monday, August 21st.  

We hope everyone will benefit from a streamlined website that will allow you to access materials quicker. 

We expect a few bad links and some 404 messages as we work out the bugs.  If there is something you'd like to see included on the FTC Oregon part of the new site or would like to report a bug issue, please email Cathy Swider. 

_______________________________________________________________

SOLAR ECLIPSE OF THE SUN - Monday ! 
FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon extends a huge congratulations and good luck wishes to Tigard Tech for their NASA Solar Eclipse Balloon Project. The team which includes FIRST Tech Challenge team members and alumni will culminate their 14-month project by  launching a scientific weather balloon with attached video payload on Monday morning, August 21st from Culver High School in Central Oregon.   KPTV highlighted their project on their newsbroadcast on 8/15/17. 

In celebration of the Solar Eclipse, ORTOP Executive Director David Perry, declared Monday, August 21st as an official ORTOP Science Holiday. Our office will be closed  allowing staff to scatter throughout Oregon to their spots on the red line.

RELIC RECOVERY KICK-OFF!  Saturday, September 9, 2017

It's official! We have locations and times for our LIVE  Kick-offs.
Please plan to attend and please invite others who might be interested in starting FIRST Tech Challenge teams. I have MJ Murdock Grants for brand new teams! Please help us outreach to potential new teams. 

• The following locations will have Relic Recovery fields set up for teams to explore and plot their path to a successful season. 
• DOORS OPEN AT 8:30 AM / Game Animation at 9:00 am 
• Each Kickoff site will feature a showing of the Game Animation video and Relic Recovery field.

• BEND 
• Summit High School 2855 NW Clearwater Dr, Bend, OR 97703
• Additional details on presentations TBA
• HILLSBORO 
• Intel Jones Farm Conference Center Auditorium 
• 2111 Northeast 25th Street, Hillsboro, OR 97124 
• Additional details on presentations TBA 
• HOOD RIVER 
• Hood River Valley High School 
• 1220 Indian Creek Rd, Hood River, OR 97031
• Additional details on presentations TBA 
• MEDFORD 
• St. Mary's School 
• 816 Black Oak Dr, Medford, OR 97504
• Teams will
• watch the Relic Recovery animated video, see the arena 
• listen to Matt Heverly from the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab and Mars Curiosity Rover driver talk about the methodical steps routinely used in solving an engineering challenge 
• brainstorm solutions in a breakout session, 
• have lunch (yes, there are free lunches!) with other teams
• participate in practical educational sessions for old and new teams.  Topics may include: programming, control system Vuforia, engineering notebook, presentations to judges, season organization, SolidWorks CAD, 3D printing, etc.  
• Let us know if your team is interested in making a presentation.  Every effort will be made to make it a worthwhile and action-packed day.  Let us know if you plan to come and how many are coming so that we can order the right amount of food.  Just bring your positive energy and a good appetite.  
• CHECK OUT #8372 TNT - YouTube FTC Workshop Presentations Channel 

ORTOP Team Support Awards $$$$

To date we have received a relatively small amount applications for financial team support. For that reason, I have changed the grant deadline/notification schedule.   :-(
What you need to know:

• ODE: In case you are just tuning in, ORTOP was awarded the Oregon Department of Education: FIRST Robotics Grant.  In past years, public school teams applied directly to ODE for these funds. This year, public schools will complete an ORTOP Team Support Award Application for ODE funding. There are different applications for each FIRST program; FLL, FTC and FRC. 
• ELIGIBILITY: If your team is not affiliated with a public school, you are still eligible to apply for a number of the corporate sponsored grants. 
• THE ORTOP FTC APP: The ORTOP Team Support Award Application: FIRST Tech Challenge  acts as a "Common Application" that covers ALL sources of funding that ORTOP has available for FIRST Tech Challenge including ODE, corporate grants and corporate giving dollars. 
• There are two types of applications 
• NEW Team/School/Organization Application - brand new teams at new locations (referred to as  Rookie App)
• EXISTING Team/School/Organization Application - locations where FIRST Tech Challenge already exists (referred to as  Veteran App).  If location (school or organization) wants to ADD additional new teams to their existing teams this is the application to use. 
• NEW Deadline/Notification Schedule
  • Applications accepted from NOW - September 30th. No applications will be accepted after September 30th.
  • 1st round notifications will begin Sept 30th for all awards for applications submitted by September 15th. 
  • 2nd round notifications will happen on October 10th for all awards for applications submitted by September 30th. 
• LINK TO THE ORTOP Team Support Award Information/Application page for FIRST Tech Challenge