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A monthly newsletter to keep you informed. Dig it.
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It's a brand new month and a brand new Virginia
FIRST
newsletter!
And it's more exciting than a barrel of hair.
Slather on some sunscreen and kick back in a lawn chair- we have a load of interesting articles to stimulate your synapses.
COSPLAY!
This month we are featuring part one of a two-part article about
mascots, cosplay and costumes!!
And if that isn't enough, we are also recapping some great recent STEM events and updating you about our VISTAs and our new
Technology intern.
And please pass this newsletter on to teams, parents and students!!
(a web link is at the top of this email- the "click here")
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FIRST
® Senior Mentor Emeritus Group
|
for graciously accepting a distinguished spot in
the 2015
FIRST
Senior Mentor
Emeritus
program
.
The
FIRST
Senior Mentor
Emeritus
distinction is intended to provide recognition of exceptional service from individuals who have served as
FIRST
Senior Mentors in the past. This honorary "
FIRST
Senior Mentor
Emeritus"
title is earned through dedication to advancing
FIRST
and the
FIRST
Senior Mentor Program during and after service as a
FIRST
Senior Mentor. A
FIRST
Senior Mentor
Emeritus
exemplifies the best of what
FIRST
Senior Mentors provide to
FIRST
, and FIRST wishes to recognize these individuals as esteemed members of our
FIRST
Senior Mentor community.
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| VirginiaFIRST AmeriCorps VISTA News |
VirginiaFIRST AmeriCorps VISTA members are committed to their mission of bringing individuals and communities out of poverty. Each summer, our VISTAs make a year-long, full-time commitment to support FIRST programs and outreach in under-resourced communities. This summer we say good-bye to
Kelli Lucas
and
Samantha Fleming
. Kelli worked tirelessly at many events and focused her outreach efforts in the Tidewater Region. Kelli also acted as interim Alumni Relations Coordinator through the Virginia Regional. Kelli has been promoted to Regional VISTA Leader for our area. She will work with FIRST headquarters and liaison with local VISTA Volunteers regarding management and professional development. Samantha Fleming also helped with many events and outreach throughout Virginia. In addition to working as a general volunteer, Sam also stepped up and acted as a referee at the FTC Qualifiers! She was an indispensable member of the FRC Regional planning committee and was also the unofficial VirginiaFIRST webmaster. Samantha will be attending TC Williams School of Law at University of Richmond in the Fall. We are so grateful for the enormous contributions of these two extraordinary individuals and wish them the best.
Two new VISTAs begin at VirginiaFIRST this July. If you've been to an FTC competition, you've probably seen Kevin "KP" Pardus working as a judge or event volunteer. As a retired engineer and longtime VirginiaFIRST volunteer, KP is a much welcome asset to the program team and all of VirginiaFIRST. Delilah Gilliam returns for a second round as a VirginiaFIRST VISTA. Working as an outreach VISTA in 2013-2014, Delilah was at almost every competition and outreach event of the season. This year she has agreed to help the Development department pilot a sustainability program in Richmond City public schools. Welcome KP and Delilah! |
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| Mascots, Costumes, Cosplay and FIRST |
| If you've ever been to a robotics competition, you may have wondered why DO the participants dress up in costumes? We reached out to many, and this is what they said. |
So, like many people, one of the first things I noticed at a competition was what participants wore. Wild colors and tutus and feathers and beads! Bears and bees and dragons!! Why did people dress like this? So I decided to find out.
One of the first responses I got when asked why a team dresses up for competition, is FUN. Just to have fun! Whether it's just to be a little crazy, or to help teammates relax and open up, teams put on costumes for the sheer enjoyment of it all. The costumes also make the competition that much more enjoyable for the onlookers too.
The outfits also foster camaraderie and bonding. By everyone wearing the same or similar outfits, the teammates experience a boost in confidence. Gwynelle Condino, with Ed Too (FTC 519), said her team wanted the "dress for success" professional look with polo shirts, but then they realized that team spirit was influenced by what they wore.
They added in a Pokémon theme because it was a TV show most teenagers watched as children. In this way, the team bonded not only with each other, but with students on other teams as well!
Another interesting aspect to a team's costumes, is creativity. Most people are not single-minded, and robot design and programming is often not the only talent our FIRST students possess. Her Majesty's Engineers (FTC 9202) is a perfect example of this. This team has a mentor, Courtney, who was eager to show her team that STEM can be STEAM, including the arts. She, along with team members Brynn and Gayathri, designed, sewed and accessorized HME's steampunk theme. Said Brynn, "we believe the passion in our costumes is inspired by our love of everything about FTC."
HME is not the only team with detailed, handmade outfits. Hamilton Ibbeken and her committee took on the task of making their team, the Geek Gods (FTC 6124) stand out with handmade togas and painted helmets with ziptie Mohawks.
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| Nerd Herd- decorating t-shirts |
The Nerd Herd (FTC 8390) decided the use their outfits as a way to bond but show individual creativity within their theme. They printed a general cow design on their t-shirts, but let each team member draw their own designs with Sharpies.
On an immediate level, costumes make a team memorable.
Whether at a competition or during outreach in the community, a distinctive brand or image helps a team be recognized. Notes Isabelle Marchand, Tuxedo Panda (FTC 4924) Outreach Coach, this is not only important for alliance selection but also for sponsors and outreach opportunities!
Oftentimes being memorable involves having a mascot. Mascots attract attention, are easy to spot in a crowd, and are "notable, iconic and flashy" said the Orange Hornets (FTC 5308).
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FRC Regional mascot round-up
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Like the Orange Hornets, the iCATZ (FTC 4323) name and theme is a direct link back to their own school mascot the "WILDCAT." Mascots can also interact with the crowd and other mascots, to increase the excitement of FIRST competitions.
~Tune in next month for PART TWO of our costumes article!!~
Thank you to all the FTC and FRC teams, FIRST adult volunteers and photographers who generously shared their thoughts and photos with us. Without your help, this research would not have been possible.
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Are you an alumnus or alumna of a FIRST program?
Well hot diggity-dog- you need to keep in touch!
Visit the VirginiaFIRST
or like us on Facebook
to learn more about exciting alumni information and events in your area.
Be on the look-out for upcoming exciting crowd-funding news!!!
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| Summer Intern- Molly Powers |
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We are happy to announce that Virginia
FIRST
has a Technology Intern for the summer.
Thanks to a
donation from Clifford Barcliff and generous matching donation from
VERITAS,
Molly Powers
will do
research involving successful team sustainability models across the country. 
She's been involved with FIRST since her Freshman year of high school (she is now a rising Junior). Molly is on an FTC team (5429), an all girls team from Saint Gertrude High School, and an FRC team (1033) which is a joint team between Benedictine College Preparatory and Saint Gertrude. After high school she plans to study engineering.
We appreciate Mr. Barcliff's and
VERITAS's
support of Virginia
FIRST
and up-and-coming students like Molly.
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Virginia
FIRST Receives Award from Brookfield Foundation
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Virginia
FIRST is pleased to announce a $35,000 grant award through the
Brookfield Foundation to help support a groundbreaking pilot sustainability program in several Richmond Public Schools.
We thank the
Brookfield Foundation for their generous support
and for all that they do for the youth of Metro Richmond.
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| National Girls Coalition Conference and Wallops Island |
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Just because competition season is over, doesn't mean there aren't other STEM and robotics events taking place in Virginia! Here is a brief look at two that took place in June.
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- VirginiaFIRST demonstrated at the National Girls Coalition (NGCS) International Conference June 22-24th. NGCS is a leading advocate for girls' education with a distinct commitment to the transformative power of all-girls schools. Teachers had fun in our technology playground playing with our road show robots, and many took part in our exciting hands-on FTC workshop. The highlight for participants was competing in an FTC mini-season in just one hour! We also showcased the new technology platform, a big hit at the event.
- VirginiaFIRST also participated in the Wallops Island 70th Anniversary Open House on June 27th. This family friendly event, expected to draw 12,000 guests, was to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the first rocket launch at the NASA Wallops Island facility. Fourteen FTC and FRC teams from across Virginia came to demonstrate how exciting STEM can be! All four FIRST programs were represented and provided demonstrations and hands-on activities to engage visitors of all ages. The VirginiaFIRST roadshow robots were a hit with "kids" of all ages, who loved driving the robots and earning a robot driver's license. Teams were invited a day early for a special VIP tour of the facilities including the NASA machine shop, the Control Center and even Wallops Island where the launches take place. During the Open House guests and teams were able to enjoy presentations, tours, speakers, aircraft and entertainment.
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FTC 2015 - 2016 Season News
The countdown is on:
- Registration of new and returning FTC teams for the 2015-16 season began May 13th. Go here.
- Sept 12th is the kick-off for the new FTC season, in which they reveal the 2015-16 game. Exciting!! More info to come.
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Attention All Volunteers!
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| Now is the time to start thinking about how you want to be involved in this upcoming season of fun. Both FTC and FRC will have multiple events across the state and we'd love to see you at one (or more) of them.
Something new that we are going to start this year is a "Senior" role. There are several roles that require continuity across the events so that every team experiences the same game, regardless of the location. Among these roles are Lead Hardware/ Robot Inspector, Head Referee, Judge Advisor and others. There will be one person per program who will hold the title of Senior for each designated role. Using Lead Hardware Inspector as an example, the Senior Lead Hardware Inspector will be staying up-to-date with all information released by FIRST throughout the season concerning Hardware Inspecting. The Senior Lead Hardware Inspector will then ensure that all Lead Hardware Inspectors are informed of any changes or new information. Should there be a "gray" area in the rules, the Senior Lead Hardware Inspector will determine how all events will handle that situation. Anyone who has held the Lead role in the past can apply for these roles.
In August I will be reaching out to anyone who has held an applicable lead role. I will provide a role description and more information at that time. Between now and then, think about if an increase in responsibility is something you are interested in. This is not just for Senior roles. With our growth, we need more individuals trained in all roles. I'd love to chat with you about how you'd like to be involved in the upcoming season. Just contact me at jsodell@virginiafirst.org to get the ball rolling. Janet Sodell FTC and FRC Volunteer Coordinator, VirginiaFIRST |
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