All FIRST programs are a “GO” this season. FIRST in Michigan is committed to keeping our 32,000 students on nearly 3,000 teams engaged in our PreK- 12 programs. With the support of our sponsors and teams, we’ve collectively been able to put FIRST within reach of every school and district, whether big, small, urban, rural, or suburban. Students in just about every county are being prepared to pursue careers in STEM, whether college-bound or in skilled trades.

This season, we are reinventing how to play together so that no team sits the season out. Schools taking even a single gap year can break the momentum that we’ve all worked so effectively to build.

It’s more important than ever to deliver the life-changing experiences of FIRST to students in our state. As an organization that teaches young people how to solve problems and innovate, we are committed to adapting to these circumstances and enabling our community to stay engaged with FIRST programs in the challenging year ahead.

ADAPTING OUR COMPETITIONS

  • The length of the season has been extended for each program to allow teams to meet in small subgroups and/or on alternating days. Dates for States and Worlds have been adjusted to accommodate the extended season.
  • Events will be smaller with fewer teams in attendance at one time, or teams playing remotely from home/school/HUBs.
  • All Judging will be virtual using online video conferencing platforms like Zoom.
  • Establishing local HUBs around the state where small groups/single teams can access a competition field to play official matches.
    • Social distancing, gathering size adherence, PPE usage, and strict sanitization will be mandated.
    • Team travel and event time commitment will be minimized while preserving the essence of the FIRST experience.

MODIFIED EVENT STRUCTURE
Traditional multi-team events that are smaller:

  • Our events have been scaled way down, both in number of teams/people allowed to attend, and duration.
  • Webcasting will keep in-person head count to a minimum.
  • Event duration reduced to eliminate the need for overnight stays.

Remote competition format introduced:

  • FLL and FTC will use the new FIRST Remote Event competition format for events. Teams will videotape or record match scores from home/school/hub and will participate in virtual judging sessions.
  • For high school teams that cannot even build a robot, FIRST is creating purely remote competition alternatives that continue to meet FIRST’s mission. Specifics will be announced at kickoff in January.

BONUS: All teams have access to FIRST at Home which is an online list of STEM resources for teams to use free of charge. The list has been available since quarantine began in the spring and is constantly being updated.

CELEBRATING FIRST TEAMS IN THE NEWS