Thank you for your continued support of FIRST Chesapeake through the 2022-2023 season. Here is a round-up of what has been going on and what we look forward to for the rest of the season.
FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Program
FIRST Tech Challenge continues to offer high quality STEM-based activities and competitions in the district. We had 212 teams register to compete, leading to an unprecedented 17 FTC in-person qualifying events and a final championship event that took place December 2022 to February 2023. Thank you to all who participated and we have already started planning the 2023-2024 FIRST Tech Challenge season.
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)
The FIRST Robotics Competition season began in January and district competition planning is underway. Six district events and the District Championship will be in-person, free and open to the public in March and April 2023, and we’d love to have you join us to cheer on our future technology leaders at “the ultimate Sport for the Mind.”
Volunteers
Volunteers are the backbone of the FIRST Chesapeake programs and our success depends on their generosity of time and talent. We appreciate all the people who made the FIRST Tech Challenge qualifiers a success and look forward to working with everyone who has registered for FIRST Robotics Competition event roles!
We are always glad to welcome new volunteers for our FIRST Robotics Competition events- whether your skills are technical or not, all are needed, and we would love for you to join us. A qualifying tournament in the FIRST Robotics Competition or the FIRST Tech Challenge can require up to 100 volunteers each day. The Championships need more than 120 volunteers, both technical and non-technical, per day. For more details go to: https://www.firstchesapeake.org/volunteer
Outreach and Partnerships
As always, we appreciate the support of individuals and corporations who help us continue to do what we do best - build a strong and engaged community of future technology leaders in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Thank you again - donors, volunteers, mentors, teachers - for partnering with FIRST Chesapeake.
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We are excited to share with you the upcoming season for FIRST Chesapeake, a regional competition for elementary, middle, and high school students. This year, we anticipate reach over 8,000 students and 2,000 adult volunteers across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C.
Through FIRST Chesapeake, students have the opportunity to participate in workshops, build and compete with robots, and learn from industry professionals. This is an incredible opportunity for children to develop their STEM skills, gain confidence, and make lasting friendships.
Support from donors like you to make this season possible! Your financial contribution will help us cover the cost of materials, travel, and other expenses associated with competition.
Our 2022-2023 Season is back to in person events! This years events are listed below and, in addition to your support, we hope you will consider attending one our our events!
FIRST Technical Challenge
The FIRST Technical Challenge (FTC) program is a great way for FIRST Chesapeake students to get involved in STEM learning and competition. Through this program, students design, build, and program robots to compete in tournaments. Not only does this provide valuable hands-on experience, but it's also a ton of fun! The program is always in need of funding to help cover the costs of supplies and equipment, so any support from donors is greatly appreciated.
There are 15 events in the 2022-2023 FTC Season!
FIRST Robotics Challenge
The FIRST Robotics Challenge (FRC) is a competition season organized by FIRST Chesapeake that pits teams of high school students against each other in engineering challenges. Students have to design and build a robot to compete in various tasks, such as moving objects or shooting balls into targets. The competition season culminates in a large tournament where the best teams from around the region compete against each other.
The FRC competition season is a great way to get high school students interested in engineering and robotics. It's a fun and competitive environment where students can showcase their skills. The competition season also relies heavily on volunteers, so it's a great way to give back to the community.
There are six events included in the 2023 FRC Season!
Women in STEM
Annual Women in STEM Scholarships are Sponsored by Dominion Energy. These scholarships will be awarded to three outstanding high school juniors and seniors who identify as women and who are currently registered with a FIRST team in the FIRST Chesapeake District (FTC or FRC in DC, Maryland, and Virginia). Finalists will be notified no later than December 16, 2022 and will attend an interview with the selection committee in early January 2023. Scholarship recipients will be notified no later than January 20, 2023.
Scholarships will be presented at the annual Reaching for the Stars: Women in STEM Breakfast Sponsored by Leidos in February 2023.
FIRST Alumni Ambassador Program
The FIRST Chesapeake Alumni Ambassador program provides an opportunity for alumni of the FIRST Robotics Competition to give back to the next generation of FIRST Robotics Competition teams. Alumni Ambassadors serve as mentors and role models, providing guidance and support to teams as they prepare for competition. The program helps to ensure that teams are able to compete at their highest level and provides an opportunity for alumni to stay connected to the FIRST community.
Thank you for your consideration and we hope you will join us in supporting the students of FIRST Chesapeake.
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Friends, thank you for your continued support of FIRST Chesapeake.
This past year had its share of challenges, but also joys and successes. As we enter the summer months, here is a wrap up of the 2021-2022 season.
We have just finished compiling our annual press binder. We are pleased with the coverage of our organization and teams, and hope you enjoy it as well.
Here are some fun facts that show how your support has helped FIRST Chesapeake continue to grow over the past year.
Our FIRST Chesapeake community is an incredible assembly of thousands of dedicated and creative individuals, without which our growth and impact would not be possible. We are grateful for our volunteers, donors, and sponsors, and we thank YOU for all that you are doing to help build tomorrow's technology leaders!
“FIRST has helped me grow in ways I have never thought possible. I attribute a majority of my accomplishments in life to the experiences gained while participating in the program.”
~ FIRST Chesapeake 2022 Alumni Ambassador~
Thank you for being a part of the FIRST community!
We are mid-season and are happy to report our STEM education leadership programs are thriving.
Since our last report, the FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) season began on January 8th with Kickoff and Kit Pick Up Sponsored by InSource Solutions. One hundred twelve teams are working hard to build their robots in anticipation of the district events beginning in March.
An impressive 266 teams competed in the FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge) qualifier season for 2021-2022, which ended on February 6th. Teams attended a record 16 events (2 of which were remote) across the district.
Here are some other highlights:
We are always glad to welcome new volunteers—whether your skills are technical or not, all are needed, and we would love for you to join us in 2022. A robotics event requires many volunteers- for more details visit https://www.firstchesapeake.org/volunteer.
As always, we appreciate the support of individuals, foundations, and corporations who help us continue to do what we do best—building tomorrow’s technology leaders, today.
Links:
The 2021-2022 season has begun, and FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams, composed of over 7,000 middle and high school students in hundreds of school districts and communities throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, have begun the process of registering and preparing for competition.
Thanks to our corporate and community partners, VirginiaFIRST dba FIRST Chesapeake is hard at work planning another year of high-quality STEM education leadership programs.
Here are some highlights:
As always, we appreciate the support of individuals, foundations, and corporations who help us continue to do what we do best - build a strong and engaged community of future technology leaders in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Thank you.
Links:
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