In today's update:

•  FIRST Tech Challenge national registration is now open.  What you need to know.
•  ORTOP financial team support awards and FIRST grants. What is the difference?
•  Your opinions count! Survey of FTC Mentors about FTC Workshops for Mentors. We've received a modest grant and we are developing mentor workshops. We want to hear from our mentors to help guide our direction 
• OMSI Fun Family Night at OMSI - June 4th - Free ticket download

ADDED 5/16/18 -Weight limit for robots will be 42 pounds for the 2018-2019 season. Read about it here 

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FIRST Tech Challenge national registration is now open
It is a requirement for competition that every team have a paid national registration with two mentors who have passed background screening.

 In the interest of blog space .....
                              Q&A and detailed info about FTC National Registration can be found here 

• Basic Information 
• National registration for FTC- Rover Ruckus season - cost $275 per team (overview page) 
• Detailed registration instructions for Rookie Teams 
• Detailed registration instructions for Veteran Teams 
• ORTOP Team Support Awards and FIRST Grant impact on national registration
• click here for detailed information 
• Click here for FTC equipment information - what is available through FIRST Storefront  

ORTOP financial team support awards and FIRST grants. What is the difference?

• FIRST Grants available through this page and the MJ Murdock Charitable Trust Grant via FIRST but initiated by the FTC Affiliate Partner in Oregon result in CREDITS for the team in the FIRST Storefront. Depending on the grant, these will be a CREDIT for national registration and/or a CREDIT for equipment product purchased through the FIRST Storefront. 
• Warning: If you apply for either of these FIRST organization related grants, your national registration must remain unpaid until notified if you received or did not receive the FIRST grant or MJ Murdock Charitable Trust Grant 
• ORTOP Team Support Awards (OTSA) - ORTOP, as the FTC Oregon Affiliate Partner and a separate organization from FIRST, fundraises money for teams from sponsors such as Rockwell Collins, Qorvo, Garmin, Google, etc and funds from the Oregon Department of Education grant to ORTOP. Teams complete an ORTOP application and if awarded, ORTOP sends a check to the team to spend on allowable items including national registration, FTC Oregon tournament fees, Robot parts, tools, travel, etc. Sometimes, the award will be a waiver of tournament fees instead of a check. 
• ORTOP Team Support Award Application will be available online by May 17th - click here 

Survey of FTC Mentors about FTC Workshops for Mentors 
Your opinions count!  We've received a modest grant and we are developing mentor workshops. We want to hear from our mentors to help guide our direction.
CLICK HERE TO EXPRESS YOUR OPINIONS 

 OMSI - Fun Family Science Night - June 4th - 6 pm - 8 pm -- FREE! 
ORTOP is taking over OMSI for two hours on June 4th.
Come see the fascinating and informative Robot Revolution traveling exhibit.
Team Members, Mentors, Volunteers, Sponsors, Alumni, and Friends and Family Supporters are invited to come.   This event is FREE Admission but tickets are required, please share the ticket link with you team members and their families. CLICK HERE 

    

It's TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK!
And we SO appreciate our Teacher Mentors and Volunteers. You are amazing. Your dedication to your students, the red tape and paperwork you wade through to make it happen,  the extra mile you go to help your students experience and  succeed in this unconventional learning program we call FIRST.  THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Springing into fall.....
Before you know it, FIRST Tech Challenge Kickoff  for ROVER RUCKUS will be here on September 8th at 9:00 am PDT and soon we'll all be rolling across some unknown planetary surface picking up rocks, digging up soil, taking cool selfies....having tons of fun. 

• National registration will be open soon. How soon? Although I do not have an exact date, I imagine it will open in the next 2 weeks, if not sooner.   
• ORTOP is MAY 15 as the targeted date to open ORTOP Team Support Award Application. 
• Again, we'll have a one application that covers the Oregon Department of Education funding as well as corporate and private foundation funding.  
• JULY 1 - Mark your calendars! Rover Ruckus Game Manual 1 is released. Take it to the beach and read it.
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Preparing for the new season 

• If your team is offering a summer camp for FIRST Tech Challenge or FIRST LEGO League, let us know and we'll promote it for you. Send pdf flyer for posting to Cathy Swider. 

• Chick Tech/ ORTOP - Robotics Bootcamp for Girls - July 16 - 20, 2018 - PCC Rock Creek Campus 
• Designed for middle school and high school young women interested in or plan to be on a FIRST Tech Challenge or FIRST Robotics Competition team for the first time in fall 2018.  Hands-on fun for this fall's rookie team members! 
• Link with more information and sign-up! 
• PCC Rock Creek - Robotics Shop Training 
• CO-ED Camp: July 23 - 27 
• Girls Only: August 6 - 10 
• only two team members per FTC or FRC team will be accepted (read application) 
•  only open to FIRST team members 14 years of age or older. 
• Deadline to apply is May 30th 
• Link with more information and sign-up 

AND HAVE YOU SAVED THE DATES? 
 We're working with OMSI in Portland to have an exclusive ORTOP night at the museum, including the Robot Revolution exhibit! Mark your calendars for June 4th! Details to follow.  All FIRST Teams, mentors, volunteers, sponsors, family and friend supporters in Oregon are invited. Online Registration will be required-- target date is May 15 to open up ticket sign-ups.  I saw the exhibit a few  weeks ago. It is AMAZING!

In connection with the Robot Revolution exhibit, ORTOP has been asked to contribute to an add-on special event on June 16th and 17th. We'll be looking for teams to be at our table and demo a bot and talk to the public about being involved in FIRST. Will be setting up shifts.  Interested? email Cathy Swider.

FACEBOOK FUN!! LIKE US   - And see us first  :-)   (sorry, I'm not much of a tweeter)

 Interesting links, see what other FTC Programs are doing, informative tutorials, see helpful news that is not usually included in the blog.