![]() |
Re: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League
Quote:
|
Re: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League
Quote:
|
Re: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League
Tom,
First, thanks for helping me get my facts straight. The silence from FiM has been deafening here. Lemme ask a few related questions. Hopefully you are well enough informed to answer confidently: There is a lot of talk about grant money helping get new team started. Is that correct? Are grant dollars being dispersed for that? For any other purposes? In what amounts? I read a grant figure of 3M dollars (to FiM? to teams?) somewhere. Do you know if that was correct, and (if it was) do you know whether it was a one-shot deal, or the first of a series (if the programs are successful)? Where did those grant dollars come from? What/who is the donor? Who decides how the grant dollars get spent, both big picture, and from day to day? What conditions were built into the grant's stipulations by the donor, and what other criteria have been put in place by the dispersing entity (if it isn't the donor)? For example, are non-school teams eligible to receive some of the $? Is it true that all FRC and FTC teams that claim Michigan as their home state, *have* to compete within the FiM tournament structures and may not go elsewhere (unless/until they qualify through FiM processes for further competition)? Is it true that FiM does not allow FTC teams containing HS age students to participate in FiM FTC activities? Blake |
Re: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League
Quote:
http://www.firstinmichigan.org/Docum...IRSTgrants.pdf http://www.techplan.org/downloads/pd...4_105933_3.pdf |
Re: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League
Quote:
|
Re: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League
Quote:
On the other hand, I am sad that we aren't talking about similar Michigan grants for communities that want to participate in more than one STEM program, or in some other single program. And, I am sad that in addition to not describing grants for other programs, they further narrow communities choices by not helping to start HS FTC teams in Michigan. I hope someone can confidently answer those other questions I posted. Blake |
Re: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League
Of the questions you asked, these are the two I can most confidently answer...
Quote:
Quote:
Now, one important caveat to this is that teams that accept State of Michigan Grants that cover the cost of their teams registration MUST compete in the 2 in-state district competitions they get as part of that registration or they have to pay back the grant money. There was one instance this year where a rookie team came to the first day of a district, competed, and packed up at the end of the day thinking that they had covered this requirement. They were promptly notified that it did not and sent a single student and mentor to compete for the rest of their event (other teams that helped fill other roles as the rest of their team was unable to attend for various reasons). |
Re: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League
Quote:
|
Re: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League
Quote:
Michigan FRC teams can compete out-of-state (I think a couple went to Indiana this year, for example, along with 27 again at Duluth). Success at Regionals counts toward CMP, but only in-state district events count toward the State Championship (same as with all other districts, not just FIM). |
Re: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League
Quote:
Anybody can approach their State legislature and ask for their favorite programs to be funded. FIRST in Michigan did that a number of years ago to help fund and expand FIRST programs in Michigan with a well thought out plan that has the highest chance of success that will benefit the most number of people in Michigan. Like many other things, it is not possible to please everybody and benefit everybody who may have a narrower interest, but it is for the common good of the whole community in general. I don't understand why you think FIRST in Michigan should have petitioned to get grants for other competing robotics program also. Perhaps I misunderstood what you said. |
Re: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League
Quote:
That leaves #4 and #6. |
Re: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League
Quote:
Who decides how the grant dollars get spent, both big picture, and from day to day? What conditions were built into the grant's stipulations by the donor, and what other criteria have been put in place by the dispersing entity (if it isn't the donor)? For example, are non-school teams eligible to receive some of the $? I am assuming the grant dollars here refers to the State of Michigan grant. This grant is for FIRST Robotics programs only, more specifically FRC and FTC. This was answered in question #1. The money comes from Michigan Department of Education. MDE decide the rules who gets the money and how much with input from FiM so MDE understands what the needs are. I don't know what he means by big picture and from day to day. The money is not a check book that they write checks every time somebody ask for money. The rules are clear who gets the money. Only teams associated with public schools are eligible for the grant. The money is transferred to the school district in monthly installments as part of the State Aid payment to the school districts. To receive money, teams have to field a robot and compete in two district events. They do not want schools to take the money and not compete. I don't know what he meant by donor. The money comes from Michigan taxpayers. Non public school teams are not eligible to receive any of this grant dollars. Is it true that FiM does not allow FTC teams containing HS age students to participate in FiM FTC activities? The short answer is yes. However high schools that want to do FTC can still do it on their own, but they will have to compete outside of Michigan or in non FiM sanctioned events. They can also decide to do other robotics programs. FIRST is not the only one available. |
Re: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League
Quote:
|
Re: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League
Quote:
|
Re: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League
Quote:
|
| All times are GMT -5. The time now is 22:54. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © Chief Delphi