Youth Robotics Programs in DC, MD, VA - FIRST Rob

Title: FIRST Chesapeake 2022-2023 Season: Igniting the Spirit of Innovation

Dear Valued Donors,

We are excited to share the triumphs of the 2022-2023 season, which marked a resounding return to in-person Robotics Competitions. This season brought together over 6,000 students across 367 dynamic teams within the FIRST Chesapeake district, reigniting the spirit of teamwork, collaboration, and innovation.

Our teams have proven yet again that they're not just building advanced robots, they're building a future. The FIRST values of collaboration, community engagement, and peer leadership were deeply embodied. These students aren't merely participants in a competition; they're young entrepreneurs leading their own miniature start-ups, gearing up to excel as the STEM and business leaders of tomorrow.

This season also saw an unprecedented number of events, with each of the 25 competitions across Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia attracting dozens of teams. The buzz of excitement and innovation reverberated through school districts, touching thousands of students and strengthening the pathway to STEM education.

Our district teams made us proud on the global stage as well, with 26 teams advancing to the world competition. These tenacious students competed against the finest from over 26 countries, demonstrating resilience, ingenuity, and the drive to excel.

Moreover, FIRST Chesapeake emerged as a global hub for innovation, hosting teams from across the United States and as far away as Puerto Rico and MIT in Massachusetts.

The exceptional work of our teams also garnered the attention of global leaders this year. Notably, English Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited our teams in Washington DC. Eager to learn more about the importance of STEM education in a technologically advancing world, he engaged in vibrant discussions with our teams and even took the opportunity to operate one of our robots. His experience with FIRST Chesapeake solidified his admiration for hands-on STEM education, commenting on its unmatched value in preparing students for the future. This recognition from a global leader further affirms the significance of our mission and the far-reaching impact of our work.

We sincerely thank each of you for your continued support in driving this mission forward. Together, we're lighting the spark of curiosity, encouraging the spirit of innovation, and fostering the skills and capabilities of the leaders of tomorrow. Here's to another successful year of learning, growing, and innovating!

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

• On February 14th, Leidos sponsored the fifth annual Reaching for the Stars: Women in STEM Breakfast Sponsored by Leidos. This inspirational event was attended by 55 people and celebrated the outstanding contribution of women in STEM, especially Dr. Julie Rosen, this year’s Reaching for the Stars: Outstanding Women in STEM Award winner. Over 50 very impressive young women applied and four scholarships, sponsored by Dominion Energy, were presented to young women on FIRST Chesapeake teams. Canon Virginia sponsored the robotics demonstration at the event. A video recording of the presentation can be viewed here.
• FIRST Chesapeake also continues to work with its alumni pool to develop mentoring and team funding opportunities. For a third year, FIRST Chesapeake and Booz Allen Hamilton are partnering on the Alumni Ambassador program that will provides professional development training to 21 alumni and culminate in about $20,000 in pass-through grants to FIRST teams.
• Since the fall FIRST Chesapeake has been broadcasting regular Virtual Town Hall meetings for teams, volunteers, and the whole FIRST Family, providing pertinent information and updates on the current and future seasons.

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.

Links:

• FIRST Chesapeake Volunteer page