In our excitement we mislabeled an FRC Kickoff photo- the top photo is actually 4472 SuperNOVA (we bet RoboLoco still had a great kickoff as well)

January 2023

Hear FIRST!

A quarterly newsletter to keep you informed. Dig it. Did you miss us?

It's a brand new quarter and a brand new newsletter!  And it's more fun than a bucket full of door knobs. And We Are Off! We know you are as excited as we are to have in-person events for both the FTC and FRC seasons. As always, FIRST Chesapeake has important news to share- Town Hall Meeting, FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff, Volunteer Info, FRC Dean's List, Events Calendar, Hails and Farewells, Teams Social Media Survey, and more- whew!! So grab your Kevlar gloves- and keep reading for these topics and more. And please pass this newsletter on to teams, parents and students. (To subscribe to the newsletter, just fill out this form.) 

Virtual FIRST Chesapeake Town Hall Meeting January 17th You are invited to tune in to our next virtual Town Hall meeting 6:30pm, Tuesday, January 17th on our Twitch channel https://www.twitch.tv/firstchesapeake. Want to submit a question beforehand? Enter it here. You may also ask questions during the meeting in the Twitch chat. A video recording will be available on our YouTube channel after the Town Hall broadcast. 

2023 FIRST Robotics Competition CHARGED UP Game Reveal FIRST Inspires revealed the FRC Charged Up game on January 7th and teams all over the district gathered to watch. If you missed the broadcast, watch the game animation here. Good luck teams, as you work hard strategizing and building your robots!

FRC Team 4472 SuperNOVA said, "We are #CHARGEDUP for the season ahead. Great day of brainstorming and strategy discussion. Let's Go!"

FRC 1418

FRC 2537 The Space RAIDers

Thank you teams for posting your kickoff photos and tagging FIRST Chesapeake.

2023 Reaching for the Stars Awardee Announced

FIRST Chesapeake is pleased to announce the 2023 Reaching for the Stars: Outstanding Women in STEM Award will be presented to Dr. Julie Rosen at the fifth annual Women in STEM Breakfast Sponsored by Leidos on February 14, 2023. Click here for more information and to read Dr. Rosen's bio.

We Need YOU to Volunteer for Upcoming Events

Thank you volunteers for your continued support that makes these events possible. We could use their help at these upcoming events: Jan 21- FTC FIRST Tech Challenge McHenry MD Qualifier Jan 21- FTC FIRST Tech Challenge Laurel MD Qualifier Jan 21- FTC FIRST Tech Challenge Harrisonburg VA Qualifier 1 Jan 22- FTC FIRST Tech Challenge Harrisonburg VA Qualifier 2 Jan 28- FTC FIRST Tech Challenge Union Bridge MD Qualifier Jan 29- FTC FIRST Chesapeake Norfolk VA Qualifier Jan 29- FTC FIRST Tech Challenge Herndon VA Qualifier Feb 05- FTC FIRST Tech Challenge Potomac MD Qualifier Go to our webpage for more information, or click here to sign up NOW. 

FRC Dean's List Submissions If you are planning on submitting nominations for the FIRST Robotics Competition Dean's List Award, the submissions deadline is February 9 at 3:00 pm EST. For more information about the Dean's List, click here.

Upcoming Events Calendar Here are some upcoming* FIRST and STEM-related events. Click through the links for more information or visit the FIRST Chesapeake Events Calendar for even more event listings. *subject to change Jan 17- Virtual Town Hall Meeting Jan 19- We3 Event Jan 21- FTC FIRST Tech Challenge McHenry MD Qualifier Jan 21- FTC FIRST Tech Challenge Laurel MD Qualifier Jan 21- FTC FIRST Tech Challenge Harrisonburg VA Qualifier 1 Jan 22- FTC FIRST Tech Challenge Harrisonburg VA Qualifier 2 Jan 15- FRC Back to Build 2023 (MD Robotics Alliance) Jan 28- FTC FIRST Tech Challenge Union Bridge MD Qualifier Jan 29- FTC FIRST Chesapeake Norfolk VA Qualifier Jan 29- FTC FIRST Tech Challenge Herndon VA Qualifier Feb 5- FTC FIRST Tech Challenge Potomac MD Qualifier Feb 11- FTC FIRST Chesapeake FTC Championship Sponsored by Capital One (Severn MD) Mar 3-5- FRC FIRST Chesapeake District Blacksburg VA Event Mar 10-12- FRC FIRST Chesapeake District Bethesda MD Event Sponsored by Leidos Mar 17-19- FRC FIRST Chesapeake District Alexandria VA Event in Partnership with U.S. Department of Energy Mar 17-19- FRC FIRST Chesapeake District Portsmouth VA Event Mar 24-26- FRC FIRST Chesapeake District Glen Allen VA Event Sponsored by Dominion Energy Mar 24-26- FRC FIRST Chesapeake District Timonium MD Event Apr 5-8- FRC FIRST Chesapeake District Championship Sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton (GMU- Fairfax VA) Apr 19-22- FIRST Championship in Houston

Hails and Farewells Congratulations to coach and mentor David Hairston, who will be honored in February by The Northeastern Maryland Technology Council with a 2023 Visionary Award. This award is given for contributions to the promotional organization's STEM-educated workforce and helping advance technology and innovation in the realms of the economy and national security. Dave is primary coach for FTC Team 7 (Tactical Sheep), and FTC 11215 (Checksum), and is a mentor for FTC Team 4234 (Engineered chaos) and FTC Team 19876 (N-1). One of the original FRC Team 410 (Copperhead Robotics) coaches, Mr. Dan Swafford, passed away in early January. A fellow coach remarked, "Dan kept our kids safe and could always convince students that what they were doing was important and could make the world a better place." Since 2006 Team 401 has awarded students the "Dan Swafford Safety Award" at their annual team picnic.

2022-2023 Team Information FIRST Chesapeake loves to follow and recognize our teams on social media. But, we need your help to get the most up-to-date information. Please have your communications team member fill out this form and let us know where to "find" your team so we can tag you.

Looking for current FIRST Chesapeake news, information and announcements? Check our FIRST Family Blog at https://www.firstchesapeake.org/news/first-family-blog

Some recent topics: FIRST Chesapeake Releases RFP for 2024 FIRST Robotics Competition Championships Celebrating Our Love for STEM with Respect and Inclusion Tune in Jan 12th for Voices of STEM: Discussion with Department of Energy- Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Employees Introducing The 2023 Alumni Ambassador Cohort Sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton Announcing the 2023 Honoree FIRST Chesapeake’s Reaching for the Stars: Outstanding Women in STEM Award Sponsored by Leidos 2023 FIRST Robotics Competition CHARGED UP Game Reveal

Keep up with all things FTC and FRC by liking and or following FIRST Chesapeake on all our social media accounts!  

In January 2023 FIRST Chesapeake will discontinue use of Textedly to disseminate information by text to teams, volunteers, and the FIRST Family due to a lack of interest. Please visit our website for information about our competitions and other events.

It's never too early to search for scholarships for rising seniors  and FIRST Alumni.   https://www.firstinspires.org/alumni/scholarships Check it out!

AmazonSmile: You shop. Amazon gives. Shop at smile.amazon.com using this link and Amazon will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases to FIRST Chesapeake—no fees, no extra cost.

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