FEBRUARY FIRST!
New England, the Power is Yours

To prepare a generation capable of solving the world’s most complex and critical problems
New England teams were featured in the FRC Kickoff broadcast on January 7, 2023!
A Letter from NE FIRST Executive Director Michael Fantom

Dear NE FIRST Family, Happy New Year and a warm welcome to 2023!

I am no longer new to NE FIRST, however I still have much to learn. I feel proud that I am part of a very active district! We had fun with WE ARE NE FIRST flags in Houston, visiting FLL Explore, FLL Challenge, FTC and FRC teams present. Please share thoughts on how we can bring all New England teams together in 2023, both home and away: in your own state, at the growing NE District Championship and at the FIRST World Championship.

NE FIRST Board leadership has written a strategic plan covering 2022–25. The new vision in New England: “To prepare a generation capable of solving the world’s most complex and critical problems.”

Our leadership team wishes to invite our entire FIRST community to participate in upcoming town hall meetings to meet our board members and hear about the critical success factors that make up our new strategic plan. Read the full post to view and download this plan and keep an eye on our calendar and Facebook page for the town hall dates.

The entire New England community is what we need to support and our NE FIRST values and behavior will guide our decision-making. It is our desire to create that trust with our families, volunteers and students. I wish you all a productive and successful and healthy year!

Thank you,
Michael
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Congratulations to all of our FLL Challenge teams on an excellent season! We are especially excited to recognize each state's SUPERPOWERED Champions Award Winners:

Connecticut
  • 1st Place Champions: FLL3532, Shelton Vipers from Shelton
  • 2nd Place Champions: FLL55877, Speedy Snakes from Woodbridge
  • 3rd Place Champions: FLL38721, Incredibots from Stamford
  • 4th Place Champions: FLL3530, Resistors from Shelton
Massachusetts
  • 1st Place Champions: FLL44355, The Gummy Bears from Westford
  • 2nd Place Champions: FLL37960, Lazer Robotics from Newton Center
  • 3rd Place Champions: FLL52042, Goofy Gyros from Ashland
  • 4th Place Champions: FLL44645, Challenging Cheetahs from Sharon
New Hampshire
  • Champions: FLL33728, SAUCE Box from Windham
Rhode Island
  • Champions: FLL55245, Team Gold from Barrington
Vermont
  • Champions: FLL55889, Green Mountain Homeschool from Williston
You can find FTC POWER PLAY qualifiers near you throughout almost all of February! Then cheer on the teams that advance to all of the upcoming State Championships:

FRC kicked off a few weeks ago, and teams all over New England are hard at work designing and building their robots to play the 2023 game.

This year, there are many local half- and full-size practice fields being made available by teams, for teams. Click below to inquire with these teams about their spaces, or let us know if you have other practice spaces that are open to teams:


Later this month we'll be watching Week 0 in New Hampshire (thank you to host FRC811!), and just a few weeks later, New England will host 10 district events and 1 New England District Championship before the official FIRST World Championship in Houston, TX. We can't wait to be CHARGED UP!
EXTRA ENERGIZING OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteering
Volunteers make FIRST in New England possible! FTC season is underway and FRC competitions are right around the corner. It takes hundreds of volunteers to make NE FIRST events a success every single season. The FIRST Volunteer Registration System is open for FRC 2023!

NE FIRST is looking to grow our volunteer pool to make amazing events possible for all of our teams and students. If you have questions about volunteering, reach out to our Senior Volunteer Coordinators to learn more about different options for helping events or paths to leadership roles.
Share Your News!
Keep an eye on our calendar for more information about events all over New England, or check out what our teams are up to in real-time with the hashtag #NEFIRSTNEWS! Teams, use this hashtag on Instagram for your community involvement and team news to be featured on our website.
States of New England Advocacy Conference
At the States of New England Advocacy Conference (SNEAC), all FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge teams in New England are invited to learn about how state laws are made and how to talk to politicians in a way that can effect change in your local community.
Attend the FREE conference on February 26, either in-person at WPI or virtually online!
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
McKenzie Brunelle
PTC

McKenzie is an alum of FRC2648, Infinite Loop from Oakland, ME. She graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a degree in Biomedical Engineering and has spent her career working at the software company PTC. She leads the PTC Education Partnerships and Outreach team which develops resources for student teams using the CAD platform Onshape. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Learning Design and Technology from Purdue University. McKenzie credits FIRST with helping her to develop the technical, interpersonal, and project management skills needed to succeed in her job. She has remained involved in FIRST, volunteering as a Referee, Scorekeeper, FTAA and FTA! She also helps mentor FRC125 in Boston. She encourages alumni to stay involved, whether through volunteering at an event or mentorship: "It is highly rewarding to help students succeed in such an impactful program."
GET INVOLVED
We are always recruiting new teams and mentors to support programs for all ages within our FIRST community:

  • FIRST Lego League (FLL) PreK-8
  • FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) 7-12
  • FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) 9-12

Do you want to help FIRST teams build their skills all year long?

Do you know someone who is looking for a local FIRST team?
THANK YOU to our 2023 Season Sponsors!
Stay connected with NE FIRST