Hello FRC Team Leaders in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota,
Happy New Year!
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 your mentors and your teams as is appropriate. Thank you to everyone who is reading these emails, and sharing the information with other mentors on your teams. 😄
This week’s update:
  • Kickoff – January 8, 2022
  • Event Information Links
  • Regional Event Hotels
  • FUM Mentor Meetup – January 20, 2022
  • Youth and Mentor Registrations
  • Have you subscribed to the FRC Blog?!?
  • Signup for FIRST in Upper Midwest Newsletter
  • Thank you to our Regional Program Sponsors!
Kickoff – January 8, 2022 – All times stated are central time:
10:45 am Pre-show
11:00 am Broadcast begins
11:45 am Q&A and Field Tour Videos
~1:00pm Conclusion
For all Kickoffs:
  • One designated adult (18+/graduated from HS), with photo ID needs to bring a copy of your Team’s roster (printed from your team dashboard) in order to receive the Kit of Parts.
  • This individual will be signing the receipt for your team’s Kit of Parts.
  • The Kit of Parts cannot be picked up nor released until the game manual decryption code is released, which will be around 11:45am.
  • Teams that have submitted a surrogate letter: your Kickoff coordinators will have received the official letters from FIRST and your designated surrogate should be ready to show ID and to sign the receipt on your behalf.
Event Information Links
Bookmark this link to find updated information regarding FRC Competition events. The site is easily sortable by event weeks or alphabetical order of events. Each event page has a link to a specific webpage with additional information about the particular event. Event pages are in process of being updated, so check back frequently for additional information. 
 
COVID-19 Policies and Procedures for Minnesota Regional Events: Planning Committees for the Duluth and Minneapolis FIRST Regional Competitions have released their initial COVID-19 Policies and Procedures.  The policies are posted on the firstuppermidwest.org website, under Duluth Regional events and Minneapolis Regional events, respectively. These policies and procedures will be updated throughout the coming weeks. Important Note: Nationwide, all the FRC events are being planned with a new lens for this season, focusing on the robotics competition and evaluating all the supplemental activities to determine what is truly needed this season as we go back to in person events. Please keep this in mind as you plan your team’s travel to events this season.
 
Event Hotels: FIRST is not running a local events hotel program this season. Teams are encouraged to call hotels, using the local phone numbers, to get rates/amenities/services. Suggestions for Duluth: Check the hotels listed in Canal Park and those connected via walkway and/or skyway to the DECC. Suggestions for Minneapolis: The Graduate Hotel (on the U of MN campus), Hampton, Inn, Days Inn, and Hilton Garden Inn are close to the event venues.
 
FUM Mentor Meetup: Thursday, January 20, 7 PM – via Zoom. A chance to ask questions of other mentors! Please see this link for the information and the opportunity to add items to the agenda.
 
Youth and Mentor Registrations

All Youth Team Members are required to complete the online youth registration to participate in FIRST remote AND in-person team meetings, events, regional competitions, World Championship. This online registration includes the FIRST Consent & Release form. Online registration is required for students to be nominated and interviewed for the Dean’s List Award. Please reference this blog as well as this information page. It will save you precious time at events!

Also: All Team Mentors must be are registered with FIRST and need to have a current season online consent form on file.  Any/all mentors, volunteers and students with your team that are NOT registered online, Team Leads must have signed, paper consent forms attached to all team rosters. You must have a team roster and any/all paper consent forms to complete your team’s check-in at regional events. Questions? Please email Ken Rosen, krosen@umn.edu.

 
Have you subscribed to the FRC Blog?!?
So much season-critical information is released via the FIRST Blog! Please subscribe and bookmark this page.
FIRST in Upper Midwest Newsletter
Updates for Teams in our region from FIRST Upper Midwest, covering off-season events, activities, and outreach opportunities. This is a separate, opt-in mailing from this weekly email sent to Team Leads, only. Sign up at FUM FIRST Robotics Competition Updates.
Special thanks and appreciation to our Regional Program Sponsors to make our 2022 FIRST Rapid React season a success!

 

  • Medtronic
  • USBank
  • 3M
  • Best Buy
  • Target
  • Boston Scientific
  • Marvin
  • Digi Key
  • University of Minnesota
  • North Dakota State University
  • Northern Clearing
  • John Deere
  • Emerson Solutions
  • Hartel’s
  • University of North Dakota
  • Infor
  • Komatsu
  • Newcon Co.
  • Saturn Systems
  • TKDA
  • Barr Engineering
  • Visit Duluth

Regards,

 

Laurie Shimizu

FIRST Senior Mentor || ​Minnesota

Chief Volunteer Coordinator, ​FIRST Robotics Competition

Pronouns: she/her/hers