The document summarizes a town hall meeting about transitioning the New England (NE) FIRST robotics region to a district model. It discusses the past work done by the NE FIRST committee to plan for districts, presents the current and future plans, addresses common questions and concerns, and discusses how NE teams could benefit from districts through more matches, centralized support, and a stronger sense of community. The NE FIRST committee promises to work in the best interest of teams, keep everyone informed and treat each other with gracious professionalism as they continue to evaluate and improve the district model for New England.

1. NE FIRST
Town Hall Meeting
Middletown, RI
6/16/12

2. Agenda
∆ Introduction
∆ FIRST’s plan for transition
∆ Where does NE fit in?
∆ Questions and Concerns
∆ How to we use this to make NE
better?
∆ Moving forward

3. Town Hall Meetings
∆ Rules:
o No judging
o All comments and ideas are valued
o Remember FIRST values: Gracious Professionalism
Date Location Status
6/16/12 Middletown, RI Completed
6/23/12 Falmouth, ME Scheduled
7/21/12 New Britain, CT In-process
August 2012 Boston, MA In-process
Summer / Fall 2012 Worcester, MA Planned
Summer / Fall 2012 NH/ VT Planned

4. What is the District Model?
FRC District
Qualifying Qualifying
Qualifying District
Events
Events Championship
∆ Replacement of current “Regional” events with
Qualifying Events and District Championship Event
∆ Advance from Qualifying Events to District
Championship Event to World Championship

5. What is FIRST’s vision?

6. What is the District Model?
2012 FRC Season
FRC Regionals
(US - 47 / Int’l - 5) Qualify, Register, or Wait List
FIRST in Michigan (FiM)
District State
Events Championship
(9) Qualify (1) Qualify
FIRST
Championship
Mid-Atlantic Robotics (MAR)
District District
Events Championship
(5) Qualify (1) Qualify
6

7. What is the District Model?
Even More Future FRC Seasons
FRC District
District
Qualifying District
Events
Events Championship Qualify
FRC District
District
Qualifying District
Events
Events Championship Qualify
FIRST
FRC District Championship
District
Qualifying District
Events
Events Championship Qualify
FRC District
District
Qualifying District
Events
Events Championship Qualify
7

8. What is the District Model?
Future FRC Season Growth
FRC District
District
Qualifying District
Events
Events Championship
Super Regional
FRC District Championship
District
Qualifying District
Events
Events Championship
FIRST
FRC District Championship
District
Qualifying District
Events
Events Championship
Super Regional
Championship
FRC District
District
Qualifying District
Events
Events Championship
8

9. Why District Model?
∆ Status quo in FRC business planning of adding 3 to 5 new FRC
Regional events each year is unsustainable
∆ Shift focus of fund raising from FRC events (Regionals) and to
FRC teams
∆ Lower FRC event and FRC team costs
∆ Make the FRC Program delivery more efficient and effective
o More affordable for teams: lower cost (2 district events for same FRC
registration)
 Lower threshold for new teams
 Make it more sustainable for returning teams
o More accessible: more events/closer to home (multiple FRC events
across region)
 Reduced travel costs
 Improves access to local FRC competitions for families, schools, local
government, businesses and media
o More rewarding & more ROI: play more (2 events/team, 10 – 12
rounds/event)
 Allow teams to fix technical problems and continue playing

10. Why District Model?
∆ Easier, less stressful for volunteers (especially FRC team
mentors) supporting the FRC Competition events with fewer
competition days (2 vs. 3) and more local travel
∆ Maintain FRC as a financially viable FIRST Program
∆ Cost effective, scalable FRC Competition event structure more
consistent with other FIRST Program competition event
structures
∆ Provide the opportunity for more students to participate in the
FRC Program
∆ Quality remains high and very little change observed
o Two biggest cost savings
 Lower venue cost
 Lower production (A/V) cost, same number of screens
o Same size pits
o Same exact FRC field
o Practice field
o No change in rules
o No change in awards/medals

11. Why District Model?
FIRST’s Roll-Out Plan
Strategic Vision
Transition the current FRC Competition Event structure from a mix of
Traditional FRC Regional events, Flex events, and a District/State
Championship pilot to a structure consisting of only District Events,
leading to a State or Region Championship, within the next 4 years (FY
2012 – FY 2015) or sooner in states and/or regions, when and where it is
appropriate to convert to a District Event structure without breaking the
current FRC Competition Event structure.
Objectives
∆ 45 to 50 State and/or Region Championships with the appropriate number of district events, as
determined locally to support current FRC teams and future FRC team growth
∆ Cost effective, scalable FRC Competition structure
∆ Maintain FRC as a financially viable FIRST Program
∆ Provide the opportunity for more students to participate in the FRC Program
∆ Provide more robot play time while driving the overall cost to get in the game down
∆ Offer a cost effective, high quality FIRST experience for the FRC Competition event
∆ Ensure fairness for all FRC team participants
∆ Integral part of an overall scalable FIRST Programs Competition Event structure to carry FRC into
the future
∆ Easier, less stressful for volunteers supporting the FRC Competition events, while training FRC
volunteers to take on more local ownership, planning, and execution of FRC Competition events

12. Why District Model?

13. "Knowledge and timber shouldn't be used
until they are seasoned."
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Born and Died in Massachusetts
Poet & Author (1809 - 1894)

14. Where does NE fit in? (The Past)
∆ Nov 2011: Introductory Meeting with FIRST HQ & NE
Mentors, Volunteers, and Key Players
∆ Jan – May 2012:
o NE FIRST Committee formed, split into two subcommittees
(Field Ops and Organization)
o Organization: Filed for non-profit status
o Field Ops: Brainstormed on how to improve Rules
Supplemental
o Organization-wide
 Launched nefirst.org
 Met with other district committees in process
 Reviewed all documentation from FiM and MAR
 Interviewed FiM and MAR mentors, students, and volunteers
 Created simulations to predict effects of districts in NE

15. Where does NE fit in?
The Present The Future
∆ Town Hall Meetings ∆ Year 0
∆ Meetings with sponsors o Scout sites
∆ Agree as a committee o Pick committees for
District Events
to the district format for
o Pick committee for
New England District Championship
∆ Reroute regional ∆ Year 1
fundraising through NE o Roll out the District
FIRST Model in New England
o Reiterate and Evaluate
as necessary

16. What would a district model look like?
District Events District Championship
∆ $6500 for rookies, $5000 ∆ $4000 for event
for veterans ∆ Top X teams qualify
∆ Two district events ∆ Awards at districts allow
included you to compete at the
DCMP for the award,
∆ Additional events in even if robot does not
district for $X qualify
∆ Points accrue in two ∆ 30 teams advance to FRC
events for: Championship
o Qualifying Match o 5 Chairman's Award
Performance o 3 DCMP Winners
o Elimination Match o 1 / 2 Rookie All Star
Performance o 1 Engineering Inspiration
o Awards o Remainder recalculated
with DCMP Performance

17. Questions and Concerns
∆ “Fundraising and securing travel in such a short
window is expensive and a hassle.”
∆ “I don’t want to play the same teams over and over”
∆ “We really enjoy traveling to other regions and don’t
want to have to give it up”
∆ “I feel like the excitement of FIRST will be smaller if we
go to districts”
∆ “I’m scared that we won’t be able to reach as many
students if we move to a district model.”

18. How can NE benefit from districts?
∆ More matches, more matches, more matches
∆ Less vacation days
∆ Centralized organization to assist in:
o Fundraising
o Travel Reservations
o Growth and Sustainability
∆ Qualification is based on merit
∆ Greater sense of community

19. Welcome to
Hotel New
England!

20. NE FIRST’s Promises
∆ We will work in the best interest of the teams.
∆ We will keep everyone informed and involved.
∆ We will treat everyone with Gracious
Professionalism.
∆ We will consider every idea.
∆ We will evaluate and iterate.
∆ We will do everything we can to create the
best environment for our students to succeed.

21. Moving Forward
∆ Email
o jboucher@nefirst.org, msperber@nefirst.org
∆ Web
o www.nefirst.org
∆ Social Media
o Twitter, Facebook, etc – see nefirst.org for links

22. NE FIRST
Town Hall Meeting
Thank you!