A couple of updates and announcements.
- Teams, please make sure to arrange for your state championship payment with your school office BEFORE heading out on spring break. If your team doesn’t qualify for state, payment won’t be necessary, but if you do qualify and your school office is closed, making payment could be problematic.
- State Championship payment will be due Monday, April 1st (many of you will be on spring break)
- FIRST Championship payment will be due Monday, April 8th (that is the day of the eclipse!)
- Make sure your students have their own safety glasses. We will not provide your students with safety glasses, and we won’t be selling them. Our loaners will be for guests only.
- Make sure everyone on your team is wearing close-toed and close-heeled shoes. Crocs will not be allowed in the pits or on the field.
Now, for updates specific to Columbus
Please pass this message along to the adults on your team coordinating team travel and students managing your social media posts.
There is a lot of information here—please read it all thoroughly.
————— EVENT DETAILS —————
Location:
230 S Marr Rd
Columbus, IN 47201
Load-in: March 15th, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm ET
Competition Days:
- March 16th, 7:00 am – 8:00 pm ET
- March 17th, 7:00 am – ~6:00 pm ET
Event Page: https://frc-events.firstinspires.org/2024/INCOL
FIN Event Page: https://www.firstindianarobotics.org/frc/2024-fin-columbus-frc-district-event/
Share this on your team’s social media and post team photos as you prepare for the event in the upcoming weeks. Share it with your parents, fans, and sponsors.
Social Media: Tag @FIRSTINRobotics on Facebook and Instagram and use the hashtags #INCOL #OMGRobots #FINFAM #CRESCENDO
———————MAPS———————-
————– FOOD —————————–
Food Trucks will be available on Saturday and Sunday. So far, the vendors include:
- Party Chef – Burgers, Hot Dogs, Brats, Pretzels, Fries
- Antojitos Rosita – Tacos
- Spud Bank – Loaded Baked Potatoes, Fries, and Tots
- Miss Rachel’s Neat Treats – Frozen Treats
- Java Goat – Coffee and Tea
- Pigs and Tasty – BBQ
- Theo’s Pop Up Brunch – Brunch Sandwiches (Saturday Only)
- Flavors of India
- Snappy Tomato Pizza
Should you decide to order on your own and have it delivered to Columbus East High School, we suggest telling them to deliver to DOOR 1, by the flagpole, which is located on the venue map.
Finally, if you want to drop off food supplies, please use DOOR 31 on the venue map. This door is located right by the cafeteria.
————— SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER—————
Adult volunteers are needed!
Please encourage your families to register and volunteer via their FIRST dashboard at www.firstinspires.org. Only able to help for a shorter shift? Let us know when you are available in the comment section when signing up.
New for the 2024 competition season:
All teams are asked to provide one adult volunteer at each event they attend. This helps our events run smoothly for your students!
Please have someone from your team complete this form letting us know who is volunteering from your team – https://forms.gle/7gNvDmdLmhxVzheUA
—————-INVITE OTHERS—————
We want to encourage every team to personally invite your principal(s), superintendents, locally elected officials (https://iga.in.gov/information/find-legislators), and reach out to nearby schools to invite teachers, principals, etc., to come to learn about FIRST. The true impact of our program is when we can bring more FIRST programming to more Indiana youth.
We can handle VIP tours on both days, but day 1 is usually the best. Encourage your invitees to come on Day 1 after opening ceremonies (usually about 10:30 AM). If you are inviting local people, invite them to join you for lunch!
Please make sure to introduce your special guests to FIN staff!
We’ve attached a pdf file you can use as an invitation card. There is room for you to write in details for your invitee.
—————-QUESTIONS—————-
Event: Monica Bravo Hochstein mbravo@firstindianarobotics.org
Local Support: Amy Liimatta aliimatta@firstindianarobotics.org
Team Support: Chris Osborne at cosborne@firstindianarobotics.org
Best Regards,
Monica Bravo Hochstein
FIN Competition Committee Chair
mbravo@firstindianarobotics.org
Other information:
Roundtable Conversations
At each of our events we will have round table conversations.
LGBTQ+
Women in STEM
Student Board of Directors will have multiple topics
How to become a FIN certified Rookie Quickbuild Training Team
Riverboat Rumble – Save the Date
FIRST Indiana Robotics and FIRST Kentucky Robotics are partnering to put on an FRC off-season tournament this summer.
Date: Saturday, June 22nd, 2024 (load in Friday)
Location: Louisville Central High School
Registration, Costs, Rules, etc. TBA
FIRST Alumni Event to be held at the FRC State Championship
Who can attend?
- Any invited guest of a FIRST alum
- Past participants of any FIRST program for at least one season
- All FIRST alumni with a connection to Indiana (e.g., geographic, past participant, current mentor, volunteer, coach, or currently living/working in Indiana)
- any graduate of high school-level FIRST programs (i.e. FIRST Tech Challenge and/or FIRST Robotics Competition)
All guests must be 18+ to attend.