Hello FRC Team Leaders in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota,
Important reminder: This email is sent to the lead (2) mentors listed in each team’s registration via the FIRST Dashboard. It does not go to all mentors on a team. Please share this information with mentors and your teams as is appropriate. Thank you to everyone who is reading these emails.
Happy Holidays! We hope you find time this week to enjoy spending time with family and friends.
This week’s update:
  • Event Wait-Lists
  • Regional Event Hotels
  • Deadline Approaching: FIRST Choice
  • Jumpstart SCSU, December 4
  • December FUM Mentor Meetup – December 16
  • Save the Date: 3rd Annual FIRST Alumni Reconnect, Sponsored by Medtronic
  • NEW! FIRST in Upper Midwest Newsletter
Event Wait Lists: Team Leads, we recognize that we have teams still waiting on slots at events. Please respond promptly to notifications from FIRST HQ as quickly as possible. Please bookmark this link for ongoing information about the 2022 events.
Regional Event Hotels: Teams, please call the hotels directly in the cities where your team is registered to compete. When contacting hotels in Duluth, MN and in Grand Forks, ND, please state that you are with the FIRST Robotics Competition to get the rate reserved for FIRST.
 
FIRST Choice Deadline – December 2 at 12 noon Eastern Time
FIRST Choice items can be viewed by anyone on a FIRST team. HOWEVER – only Teams that are registered for at least one event or have secured season registration fee payment with FIRST can populate their priority list (the team’s password is visible to Lead Mentors 1 and 2 with the voucher codes). For a priority list to be included in processing once Round 1 ends, the team must have secured payment by noon eastern time, December 2, 2021. Lots of details are available in the FRC Blog. Questions? Please email Ken Rosen, Minnesota RD, krosen@umn.edu.
Jumpstart SCSU is back for 2021!
Jumpstart SCSU is back IN PERSON, on the campus of St Cloud State University, Saturday, December 4.  Two FIRST Suppliers have joined the day’s lineup. AndyMark’s Andy Baker will be making a second appearance at this event, as well as REV Robotics will have booth to showcase new FRC products (many that teams have pre-ordered b have not yet received. There’s still room at the event! Head to https://www.jumpstartrobotics.org/jumpstart-scsu to sign up. Added bonus: the appearance by AndyMark and REV Robotics will be live-streamed on the JUMPSTART Robotics YouTube channel. See jumpstartrobotics.org for the latest updates.
FUM Mentor Meetup – Thursday December 16
This will be our last meeting before the 2022 Kickoff! This meeting is your chance to discuss organization and/or technical topics. We will divide into breakout rooms, depending on where we need to focus attention. Links will be Check back for the updated link and information.
SAVE THE DATE: Third Annual FIRST Alumni Reconnect Event
Live, in-person – THURSDAY, JANUARY 6. We are excited to announce that Medtronic is now sponsoring this year’s event and we are busy planning an out of this world experience!  Teams, please reach out to your alumni and make sure they have this not to be missed experience on their calendar.  Registration information will be available in December.
NEW! FUM FIRST Robotics Competition Updates

Starting the week of November 30, FIRST in Upper Midwest will begin a regular newsletter for FIRST Robotics team mentors. Topics will include: offseason events, training opportunities for teams and mentors, the FIRST/MSHSL State Championship, team outreach requests, State Fair participation, and more. This additional newsletter is opt-in only; it will not be sent automatically to team mentors. This weekly email to all Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota FRC Team Leads registered via the FIRST Dashboard will continue to receive this FIRST Robotics Competition Team Leads email. For the FUM FIRST Robotics Competition Updates Newsletter, sign up now at FUM FIRST Robotics Competition Updates.

Regards,

Laurie Shimizu

FIRST Senior Mentor || ​Minnesota

Chief Volunteer Coordinator, ​FIRST Robotics Competition

Pronouns: she/her/hers