Hello FRC Team Leaders in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota,
Housekeeping 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:
  • COVID-19 Policies posted for Minnesota and North Dakota Events
  • Important Update Regarding Judged Awards
  • St.Paul /Hmong Academy Practice Field Survey
  • 2022 Season FIRST Train Music Video
  • Week Zero Events
  • Team Status Survey
  • THANK YOU REGIONAL PROGRAM SPONSORS
  • Email Blast Archive
  • FRC Blog and season updates
  • FIRST in Upper Midwest Newsletter
COVID-19 Policies and Procedures for Minnesota and North Dakota Regional Events: The Regional Planning Committees for the FRC Regional Competitions in Duluth, Grand Forks, ND, and Minneapolis have released COVID-19 Policies and Procedures.  The policies are posted on the firstuppermidwest.org website, under Duluth Regional events; Minneapolis Regional events; and Grand Forks, ND events, respectively, and will be updated as needed in the coming weeks.
  • Important Note 1: The RPC COVID guidance is not the same in every regional event.  Please reach the policies carefully. The RPC rules will be enforced by venue staff, event management, and volunteers at the event. This includes restricted entry into team pits and properly worn face masks, whether required or welcomed.
  • Important Note 2: Bring your own Safety Glasses and proper Face Masks! At all Regional Events in Minnesota and North Dakota, there will be very limited supplies of safety glasses.ALL Teams are required to outfit all members, mentors, parents associated with their teams with the proper masks and safety glasses.
  • Important Note 3: 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.
  • Important Note 4: Please also refer to FIRST’s Event Rules, which are in effect for all official FIRST events.
  • Important Note 5: All of the Minnesota and North Dakota events will conduct Dean’s List Award interviews via remote interview. These interviews will take place BEFORE team-load in day for all events. More information will be coming to teams shortly.

Please remember that to receive a Dean’s List Award interview, students must have a signed 2022 FIRST Consent and Release Form filed online. Visit the Submitted Awards Page for more information.

Dean’s List Award Remote Interviews: The list of Regional and District Events holding remote interviews have been updated on the Submitted Awards page. All of the events in Minnesota and North Dakota are now conducting Dean’s List Award Remote Interviews.

Important Update regarding Awards and Judging Plan for the Lake Superior, Northern Lights, Minnesota North Star, and Minnesota 10,000 Lakes Regional presented by Medtronic.

The Judging for ALL awards, Chairman’s Award, Dean’s List, Team Attributes and Machine Attributes, will be conducted online the week prior to the in-person robot competition.
Week One Judging: February 22 – March 1, 2022
Week Six Judging: March 29-April 5, 2022
All teams in these events will receive an email from the applicable Judge Advisor in these events:
Bart Johnson, Northern Lights
Jim Moran, Lake Superior
Rachel Earl, Minnesota North Star
Shawn Kelley, Minnesota 10,000 Lakes presented by Medtronic
The Remote Judging Plan does not apply to Teams competing at the Great Northern Regional Event, Grand Forks, ND.
Judging for this event, with the exception of the Dean’s List, will be live and in-person.
A request from the St. Paul/Hmong Academy Hub
Teams in the St. Paul area, please fill out this interest survey. Organizers are attempting to gauge interest and get the practice field set up. Thank you for your time!
2022 Season FIRST Train Music Video: The 2022 FIRST Train project is underway, with a new song and a new music video.  We invite your team to be part of the music video!!  Click here for information on how to submit team videos and photos.  Submission deadline is Feb. 17.
Week Zero Events: 
Team Status Survey

Team Leads, a request from Ken Rosen, our Minnesota Regional Director. Please email Ken (krosen@umn.edu) a season update, including how many students are on your team this year; their reaction to the game, and how things are coming along so far.  

 
 

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
  • Cirrus Aircraft
  • University of Minnesota
  • North Dakota State University
  • Freestyle Productions
  • Essentia Health
  • The Toro Company
  • Minnesota Power Foundation
  • Northern Clearing
  • John Deere
  • Emerson Solutions
  • Hartel’s
  • University of North Dakota
  • Dunwoody College of Technology
  • Infor
  • Joy Global
  • Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation
  • Newcon Co.
  • Saturn Systems
  • Marsh & McLennan Agency, LLC
  • Minnesota Power Employees Credit Union
  • TKDA
  • Barr Engineering
  • North Shore Bank of Commerce
  • Visit Duluth

 

 

Email Blast Archive: These email blasts are archived! Please see this link on the firstuppermidwest.org website.
FRC Blog and Season Updates
Season-critical information is released via the FIRST Blog! Please subscribe and bookmark this page.
FIRST in Upper Midwest Newsletter
Updates for FRC teams in our region from FIRST Upper Midwest, covering off-season events, activities, and outreach opportunities. This is a separate, opt-in, weekly mailing from FUM.Sign up at FUM FIRST Robotics Competition Updates.

Regards,

 

Laurie Shimizu

FIRST Senior Mentor || ​Minnesota

Chief Volunteer Coordinator, ​FIRST Robotics Competition

Pronouns: she/her/hers