2023-2024 Season Updates

Welcome to the FIRST® in ShowSM season! Are you ready for some fun? Here are some updates for FLL and FTC teams in Alaska.

2023-24 MASTERPIECE FLL Qualifier Sign Up
2023-24 CENTERSTAGE FTC Qualifier Sign Up

11/7/23 Update 

  • FIRST Tech Challenge tournament registration is open!  Use the button above to register for one or more qualifiers. 

11/6/23 Update 

  • FIRST LEGO League Challenge tournament registration is open!  Use the button above to register for ONE qualifier. The calendar on this website is up-to-date, if you want to know when everyone is playing, but the dates are also on the sign up sheet. FTC teams, yours is coming as soon as we fix a bug. FLL Explore teams, we’ll open free registration as we get closer to your events. 
  • FIRST LEGO League Challenge coach training is online. Modules are in a playlist on the FIRST in Alaska YouTube channel and will be added to the training page of our website shortly.
  • The FIRST in Alaska Raffle is available to help fund your team. Coaches can request books of tickets on the FIRST in Alaska homepage. Tickets sell for $10, and your team will earn $5. 
  • FLL Challenge and FTC coaches were sent an email about a funding opportunity from the Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). All teams need to let Alyson know if they have any qualifying students (12 years or older that meet the criteria on the form) or not, and submit forms for qualifying students. Teams and the overall program receive significant funding from this, so we need responses from each team. Please shoot a quick email to acooper@jedc.org if you don’t have any qualifying students so that we can check you off the list. 
  • Are you getting Team Blasts from FIRST? Make sure the adults who need the info are registered as Lead Coach 1 and Lead Coach 2. Helpful information is going out, and you don’t want to miss out! Likewise, the FIRST in Alaska email goes to Lead Coach 1, Lead Coach 2, and usually the Team Administrator. If you aren’t getting email, please check to make sure you are registered with the correct email address. Let us know if you need help correcting it.
  • Office Hours are starting next Monday. Alyson will be available on Zoom every Monday from 4-5pm to answer questions, help with problems, or just talk about how it’s going. Please join us!

10/9/23 Update 

  • Thanks for the great response for FIRST Professional Development coach training!  We had around 45 coaches join us in Anchorage (some had to be quite persistent) and we had a great couple of days of learning and networking. If you traveled to attend training, keep an eye on your email for a link to a form to upload receipts. As a reminder, we have very limited funding for travel, so we’ll do what we can, but unless I made arrangements with your school district in advance, please don’t anticipate that we can fund all of your travel. 
  • Other FIRST LEGO League coach training is coming soon. If you are interested in our standard two hour FLL coach training, email Alyson at acooper@jedc.org to arrange to attend a session. I haven’t gotten a lot of requests for this, so this is likely to be a series of recorded videos that you can watch at your leisure unless there is a group that is asking for training. But I don’t know that you want training unless you tell me, so please reach out!
  • Help is available! Whether you are an FTC team, FLL Challenge, or FLL Explore, we have volunteers and other teams that are eager to help you out if you could use a hand- but we need to know that you’d like some help! Please don’t wait until you are frustrated. Email Alyson at acooper@jedc.org and make sure you let me know which program you are with, where you are located, and when your team practices. We all want to see every team have a fantastic season, and I have had a number of teams and volunteers asking me who they can help. Let me know if they can help you!
  • Funding opportunities are coming soon. FIRST in Alaska is preparing to launch our annual raffle so that your team can earn money for equipment, supplies, and travel. Keep an eye on your email. We also have another funding opportunity from the state Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for teams with members who are 12-18 years old. More info is coming soon.

9/18/23 Update 

  • Don’t forget to sign up for FIRST Professional Development Team coach training!  Coach Professional Development will be held at UAA September 29 and 30. Trainers are coming to deliver FIRST LEGO League Challenge and FIRST Tech Challenge training. In order to attend this training, you must register in advance and complete some paperwork to fulfill our grant requirements. Teachers will be able to submit this training for Continuing Education credit. Sign up by completing this form. Details, including the agenda, are on our Training page.
  • Other FIRST LEGO League coach training is being scheduled. If you are interested in our standard two hour FLL coach training, email Alyson at acooper@jedc.org to arrange to attend a session.

 

9/7/23 Update 

  • FTC teams, join us for kickoff this Saturday! Southcentral teams, kickoff starts at 8am sharp at the UAA Engineering & Industry Building (EIB) Room 316. We’ll watch the FTC HQ livestream at 8, then the remote teams will join at 9 via Zoom to walk through the field and start working on strategy for the season. The Fairbanks kickoff will begin at 10 in the IDEA office, and the Juneau kickoff will start at noon in the TMHS Purple Commons. Link for the 9am remote kickoff is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81681364001?pwd=MWVzbFFwT2FmUEVXV0tqVDJNT29PZz09
  • Don’t forget to sign up for FIRST Professional Development Team coach training!  Coach Professional Development will be held at UAA September 29 and 30. Trainers are coming to deliver FIRST LEGO League Challenge and FIRST Tech Challenge training. In order to attend this training, you must register in advance and complete some paperwork to fulfill our grant requirements. Sign up by completing this form. For more info, look at the 8/30 update.

8/30/23 Update 

  • The FIRST Professional Development Team is coming to Alaska!  Coach Professional Development will be held at UAA September 29 and 30. Trainers are coming to deliver FIRST LEGO League Challenge and FIRST Tech Challenge training. Both sessions (FLL Challenge and FTC) are two full days of hands-on learning, and we are expecting to hear back from the state to allow it to count as Continuing Education for teachers. There is limited funding for travel expenses. In order to attend this training, you must register in advance and complete some paperwork to fulfill our grant requirements. Space is limited, so if you would like to attend, complete this form. Please spread the word about this awesome training opportunity!
  • FIRST LEGO League products ship by UPS. If UPS shipping is a significant problem for your community, contact Alyson (acooper@jedc.org) BEFORE you place your order (register your FLL Explore team, order your FLL Challenge set, or order any Spike sets) so that we can talk about options. If it is too late and you have already ordered, contact Alyson right away and send any email you have received about your order. Please get this information out to anyone you know that might be affected.
  • Register your teams. FLL teams, you will want to get your material for this super-fun season. FTC teams, planning is incredibly difficult when teams don’t register until just before their events, and if you register now you’ll be in a nice FTC drawing. Everyone, communication often goes to coaches of registered teams, so in order to  keep from missing valuable info, be sure to register.
  • Keep an eye on our calendar for the event schedule. Tournaments, festivals, scrimmages, kickoffs, and other events will be updated on the website calendar as soon as information becomes available. You can stay abreast of the season’s schedule at www.jedc.org/firstinalaska/calendar.
  • FTC teams, are you ready for kickoff? Kickoff events are being planned for September 9th in Fairbanks, Juneau, Palmer, Anchorage, and a Remote option. Details of each will be available on our website as we get them worked out. Please join us as we reveal this year’s game.
  • Fundraising opportunities are coming soon. Keep an eye out for email on two upcoming opportunities for your team to earn some money to buy parts and supplies or travel. We’ll be kicking off our annual raffle shortly. We are also partnering with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, who will provide funding for our program (and your team) if you have students aged 12 and up who qualify. More information on both programs will be coming out shortly.
  • Help is readily available! Watch your email for Team Blasts with great resources and tips from FIRST, and be sure to check out the FIRST website for Game and Season info on your program. More information and resources are available on our FIRST in Alaska website, and please reach out to acooper@jedc.org if you have any questions or difficulties at any point during the season.

8/15/23 Update

  • We are so excited for the new season!  A lot is happening, so take a look here, and check back soon.
  • FLL Masterpiece is live!  Check out the new game info for FLL Explore teams here and FLL Challenge teams here. How about the new game?!  You can see that video here!
  • FTC Kickoff is September 9.  More info to follow on that.
  • Register your teams. Please register your teams as soon as you can. You can do that in firstinspires.org. Note- you might want to wait on registering your individual members, because the online registration is getting a complete makeover and will be a much better experience in about a month.
  • We are setting up FLL and FTC coach professional development training for September 29 and 30 in Anchorage!  This is top-of-the-line training provided by the FIRST HQ Professional Development team, and space will be limited. Please let me know if you are interested in attending or sending a coach. Send an email to acooper@jedc.org. More info to follow.

3/1/23 Update

1/23/23 Update

  • All FLL and FTC teams, we hope that you had a fantastic season. FIRST emailed a teaser for next year’s game in the Team Blast- did you see it?
  • Congratulations to our advancing teams! From FLL, Gadget Girls will represent Alaska at the Razorback Open Invitational in Arkansas. Hungry Robots and Banana Botz will attend the WPI FLL Open in Massachusetts. FTC Teams Lightbotics and Scrap Metal will be attending the FIRST World Championships in Houston, Texas.
  • Check out the Event Results Page. Here you can see all the awards won by teams at the state championships.

1/9/23 Update

  • Volunteers are needed. Our Alaska Robot Rendezvous FIRST LEGO League Championship tournament is this Saturday at Goldenview Middle School, and we need volunteers! If your team is not playing, please help us out. Coaches, being a judge or referee is extremely enlightening and will make a huge difference in your experience next year. Invite your friends, team parents, friends of team parents- anyone who would like to be a part of this very exciting and fun day. Email acooper@jedc.org for info and to volunteer!
  • FLL and FTC teams that earned advancement to the Championship tournaments, check your email for registration links. Notify Alyson asap if you will not be attending the championship, and register for the tournament as soon as you can. We need to finalize registration so that we can finish planning. Thanks for your help! 
  • All FLL and FTC teams, we hope that you had a fantastic season. FIRST emailed a teaser for next year’s game in the Team Blast- did you see it?

12/14/22 Update

  • FTC Dean’s List Nominations are due 12/15 at 7:59pm. Coaches, please nominate your outstanding 10th and 11th graders so that we can recognize them as Dean’s List Semi-Finalists. We will select three deserving team members to represent Alaska as our Dean’s List Finalists. 
  • Southcentral Alaska is a winter wonderland, and we are aware that it is making things difficult for our teams. The FIRST Tech Challenge teams persevered last weekend, and the last group of Anchorage and MatSu FIRST LEGO League teams will play Saturday unless we are simply unable to run the tournament due to ASD’s directives or safety issues. Keep an eye on your email for further updates.
  • Volunteers are needed! We still need volunteers for this weekend’s FIRST LEGO League tournaments in Anchorage and Juneau, and for the FIRST Tech Challenge tournament in Fairbanks. Contact the appropriate Tournament Director or email acooper@jedc.org to volunteer. Forward this info to your friends!

11/7/22 Update

10/31/22 Update

  • Event registration opening delayed. Due to some technical difficulties, event registration will not be open tomorrow. We hope to have it up by the end of the week. Watch your emails for a link to register. Make sure your teams are registered, so you can register for competitions. Check the calendar at https://www.jedc.org/firstinalaska/calendar/ to find events in your area. If you don’t see an event for you, email acooper@jedc.org for a status update.

10/28/22 Update

  • Event registration will open November 1. Coaches, watch your emails for a link to register. Make sure your teams are registered, so you can register for competitions. Check the calendar at https://www.jedc.org/firstinalaska/calendar/ to find events in your area. If you don’t see an event for you, email acooper@jedc.org for a status update.
  • JEDC/ FIRST in Alaska raffle tickets are available. Tickets cost $10 and teams earn half the revenue from their sales. Coaches should have received an email with information on October 3rd. The form to request tickets is here: https://forms.office.com/r/ffDqi598ka. For questions about the raffle, contact jcheng@jedc.org.
  • Volunteers are needed! This year more than any other in recent memory, we need extra help recruiting tournament volunteers. We especially need help with judges, referees, and people to help with tournament planning and organization. This need will be particularly great in Anchorage where FLL and FTC events will be happening simultaneously. Volunteers can sign up at www.firstinspires.org or by emailing acooper@jedc.org and cfox@jedc.org.

10/7/22 Update

  • Events are being added to the calendar as we are able to schedule them. Check the calendar at https://www.jedc.org/firstinalaska/calendar/ to find events in your area. If you don’t see an event for you, email acooper@jedc.org for a status update.
  • JEDC/ FIRST in Alaska raffle tickets are available. Tickets cost $10 and teams earn half the revenue from their sales. Coaches should have received an email with information on October 3rd. The form to request tickets is here: https://forms.office.com/r/ffDqi598ka. For questions about the raffle, contact jcheng@jedc.org.
  • Please register your teams! We are trying to finalize the tournament schedule, but we need to know how many teams are playing. Please go ahead and register all of the teams that will be playing this season. If you aren’t ready to do that, please email Alyson at acooper@jedc.org to help with planning. Thanks so much for your help with this!
  • Volunteers are needed! This year more than any other in recent memory, we need extra help recruiting tournament volunteers. We especially need help with judges, referees, and people to help with tournament planning and organization. This need will be particularly great in Anchorage where FLL and FTC events will be happening simultaneously. Volunteers can sign up at www.firstinspires.org or by emailing acooper@jedc.org and cfox@jedc.org.
  • FIRST LEGO League Coach Training will be held Monday, October 10 from 6-8pm. Juneau coaches can attend in person at JEDC. Statewide, join us by Zoom. A recording will be made available. Contact acooper@jedc.org or cfox@jedc.org for more information.

9/7/22 Update

  • FIRST Tech Challenge teams, join us this Saturday for the season kickoff and game reveal. We have three live options, plus a statewide Zoom option for teams to join from around the state.
    • Matanuska Valley teams, join us in person at Colony High School at 7:50am to kick off the POWERPLAY season. We will stream the event live via Zoom. Other live events and team members will join us at 9:30 to meet teams from around Alaska. Hosted by Colony High School FTC.
    • Anchorage teams, join us at West High School at 9am to see the game reveal and have an opportunity to really look at the field for this year’s POWERPLAY game. We’ll connect with other Alaskan teams via livestream at 9:30. Hosted by West High FTC and FRC 568 Nerds of the North.
    • Juneau, join us from 2-4pm at Thunder Mountain for our in-person kickoff to see the game reveal and have an opportunity to really look at the field for this year’s POWERPLAY game. Hosted by the Thunder Mountain FTC teams.
    • For the Remote Statewide Kickoff, use this link to join us at 7:50am: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89599425334?pwd=Tld2VTRHc2YyOEZqUi9KL1VGK041QT09
  • And just a quick reminder, please REGISTER YOUR TEAM at firstinspires.org! FTC has a sweepstakes happening now for teams that register before kickoff, and it would really help us in our event planning and team support to know that you are playing this year. Thanks!
  • And as always, please see the program resources pages for FLL and FTC, check this page frequently for updates, and contact Alyson at acooper@jedc.org if you have any questions. Thanks!

9/1/22 Update

  • FIRST Tech Challenge teams, kickoff is almost here! Kickoff is September 10. Information will be released in the coming days.
  • FIRST teams, watch the calendar for competition information! FLL and FTC competitions will begin filling up the calendar over the next few weeks.
  • Please register your team and members. Register your team for the season on your firstinspires.org dashboard. If you are new to FIRST, you can get started here.
  • And as always, please see the program resources pages for FLL and FTC, check this page frequently for updates, and contact Alyson at acooper@jedc.org if you have any questions. Thanks!

8/10/22 Update

  • FIRST LEGO League teams, the SUPERPOWERED season has begun! Check out the Season Launch video and the material you need for a great season here. Use the Quick Links to reach your FLL Explore or FLL Challenge documents and videos. Don’t miss the FLL Explore Set video and FLL Challenge Game video.
  • FIRST Tech Challenge teams, yours is coming soon! Stay tuned for more information about Kickoff on September 10.
  • Please register your team and members. Register your team for the season on your firstinspires.org dashboard. If you are new to FIRST, you can get started here.
  • And as always, please see the program resources pages for FLL and FTC, check this page frequently for updates, and contact Alyson at acooper@jedc.org if you have any questions. Thanks!

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