FIRST Global Challenge

[Roboshant]

apply to join the Global Stem Corps here:

group: http://bit.ly/GSCgroupApplication
individual: http://bit.ly/GSCindividualApplication

[Monochron]

Robot sizes look similar to that of Vex/FTC? Interesting way to compete against Vex . Seems like they are keeping the barrier to entry low, and borrowing the theme-ing from FLL. And using so many REV parts is pretty awesome!
It really seems like it came out of nowhere too. Really interesting, but not all that fleshed out yet, I really want to know more.

[tjf]

Now that I've had time to recover from the panic of a water game, a few observations:

• It seems to be more similar to FTC than to FRC.
• It uses REV, rather than NI or IFI parts.
• It is not referenced on the official FIRST social media yet, I found it through FUN.
• Dean is still the lord and sav-I mean founder.
• Seems to be either another nonprofit legally, or a branch of FIRST that hasn't been updated on the firstinspires.org site.
• Seems to have a higher production value than their other media.

All in all.... competitor to VEX... with a WATER GAME. Huh.

[jaredhk]

• Interesting that the copyright is "International FIRST Committee Association" and they are their own 501(c)(3). FIRST is 22-2990908 and Global is 81-1060352. Also, FIRST Global received nonprofit status in October of 2016.
  
  

  Originally Posted by tjf

  • Seems to be either another nonprofit legally, or a branch of FIRST that hasn't been updated on the firstinspires.org site.

• There is absolutely no mention (as far as I can tell, so far) of FIRST .
  
• The only thing I see that they share is a partial logo, Dean Kamen, New Hampshire (FIRST Global shares an address with DEKA), and robots (well...More Than Robots).

[Roboshant]

Looks like this will replace the FIRST Future Innovator Award.

Teams are welcome to continue building all the way until the team arrives in Washington, DC for the competition on July 13, 2017.

No stop build day lol

[itsjustjon]

Originally Posted by jaredhk

• Interesting that the copyright is "International FIRST Committee Association" and they are their own 501(c)(3). FIRST is 22-2990908 and Global is 81-1060352. Also, FIRST Global received nonprofit status in October of 2016.
  
  
  
• There is absolutely no mention (as far as I can tell, so far) of FIRST .
  
• The only thing I see that they share is a partial logo, Dean Kamen, New Hampshire (FIRST Global shares an address with DEKA), and robots (well...More Than Robots).

This might be akin to Google's Alphabet in the sense that there is an overarching organization which oversees programs of varying content. With FIRST having a parent organization such as this, there is flexibility with leadership roles administratively,

Basically, FIRST's name is a franchised product. Slap a logo on a new competition and it's a part of the FIRST Family of Programs, but it doesn't necessarily have to be directly linked to FRC, FLL, FTC, etc.

[cadandcookies]

Originally Posted by Roboshant

apply to join the Global Stem Corps here:

group: http://bit.ly/GSCgroupApplication
individual: http://bit.ly/GSCindividualApplication

For those that aren't planning to look through the entire website, GSC looks like a great way for individuals or teams to help the FIRST Global teams (many of which appear to be from areas with little or no FIRST presence). Since the US team has already been chosen (it's Schrodinger's Hat, an FTC team from Alaska), it would be a great way to get involved and support this new program.

[Tyler Olds]

Opening Ceremonies is on a Sunday? Is this for teams/countries that might have religious restrictions?

Schedule:

We arranged that the total cost of 6 nights of lodging actually costs less than the total costs for 4 nights, so rooms will be available for teams from July 14 to July 20. The Opening Ceremony will be on July 16 and the Closing Ceremony on July 18. Teams should make travel arrangements in order to arrive on July 14 and leave on either July 19 or July 20.

[Ben Martin]

Anyone have any idea why @FIRSTweets hasn't said anything about it yet?

[bobbysq]

Originally Posted by Steven Smith

I see it more as a marketing/PR type of thing that is intended to drive growth in the other FIRST programs, versus getting growth purely within itself. As noted, they won't be striving for team growth as much as visibility/exposure, both for the FIRST program tree as well as individual efforts to expand FIRST into areas in the developing world.

In addition, there doesn't appear to be much difference than this and FTC just looking at the control system and building system. I even wouldn't be surprised if the current FTC stuff gets dropped for the Rev control system whenever the Modern Robotics deal is up.

Also, what are you willing to bet it'll be in Tokyo in 2020?

[FTC5110]

So this is very much independent of FIRST and zero communication made to existing program partners about it. Aparently New Zealand has a team http://first.global/uncategorized/team-new-zealand/
Funny thing is there was no selection process and despite organizing all the other FIRST events down here this is news to me....
Don't see how this displaces or complements existing truely global programs like FLL and growing programs such as VRC or VIQ. Aside from great video production exactly what is on offer?

[Greg Needel]

I am excited about this announcement as everyone else, and am extremely humbled that FIRST Global choose REV to work with to provide the parts for these robots.

There is alot of information that has been released, but much more is coming in the upcoming weeks and months. The main goal of this organization is not to compete with other robotics programs both inside and outside of FIRST, but to provide a new method of reaching students and countries that have not been represented or given the ability to participate in STEM robotics before.

As you might have read on the website there is going to be only one team from each country represented at these events allowing for a fair and balanced competition where anyone with ingenuity and hard work can compete on the big stage. This follows closely to the Olympics model, where no matter how big or small a country is there are limited spots at the games.

While I would like to answer any/all of your questions, I will likely defer most of them off to the folks at FIRST Global, as REV is just the partner for supplying the platform* which teams will use. As with any new program there are always more questions than answers, but I am sure that everything will be cleared up soon.

If you are interested in getting involved the best ways are to signup to volenteer for the event in July or become part of the Global Stem Corps to help support the teams around the world.


*Parts used in FIRST Global were designed specifically for FIRST Global and they will eventually become available to anyone interested in using them for personal projects, classroom materials or competition robots, depending on availability after FIRST Global is taken care of and pending what the rules of programs allow.

[smitikshah]

So, wow.

Maybe I can try helping to answer some questions, though I am not in any way a representative of FIRST Global or any affiliates, I'm not an official and I'd only listen to me at your discretion.

That being said, I have a network of 6-7 friends in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. I've known them for a little over a year through our participation in the New York Academy of Sciences programs (http://thejunioracademy.org/). After meeting them for the first time in July, we had a chance to speak about the HUGE STEM gap, especially in Tanzania, between the haves and have-nots (for lack of better term at 10 pm.)

Long story short, I helped coordinate some outreach efforts between my team and the group. Overtime I got a bunch of messages from the group asking all about our robot, and FIRST and the build season. Noticing how they were so keen, I resolved to bring FRC to them, and we were working on plans for starting a pre-rookie team until about just under a month ago. They said that they were now starting this thing called FIRST Global competition, and they wanted to focus on that, and would resume work on bringing an FRC team after July.

Having never heard of this before I researched it for a long while, and came to find nothing. I tried asking him what they did and it seemed to be just a mix of FTC with a humanitarian aspect (as some pointed out). I guessed it was just a small region specific competition, but I was wrong.

After learning about this here today, it all makes sense. They have a period to build (not sure about bag and tag type day), and according to one member of the Tanzanian team, they only come to DC if they "qualify", and I think they said something about an interview but I'm not too sure. They are getting shipped a robot kit and are going through much of the same design process as other FIRST competitions. They were also assigned a mentor whom they had not previously known, but the mentor seems to be extremely qualified.

I don't believe it's as much of a stepping stone after FRC as some are thinking. I think FIRST might have wanted to create this as an opportunity to be able to bring the organization to various countries. In all honesty, trying to start a pre-rookie Tanzanian FRC team is probably one of the hardest things I've done, aw there was a STEEP learning curve for the students on the receiving end. This seems to be less of a competition that needs that thing, and an easy way to get into various countries with no FIRST exposure a starting point to eventually bring FRC to.

So far my friends love it, and will not stop talking about it!

If you have any casual questions about what kids think of it, please dm or respond to me. I'll pass it along to the team I know. Though I would definitely rely on FIRST before sourcing anything too serious out of me.

I'm so excited to see what this program brings, specially for international STEM students!

[jaredhk]

Originally Posted by itsjustjon

This might be akin to Google's Alphabet in the sense that there is an overarching organization which oversees programs of varying content. With FIRST having a parent organization such as this, there is flexibility with leadership roles administratively,

Basically, FIRST's name is a franchised product. Slap a logo on a new competition and it's a part of the FIRST Family of Programs, but it doesn't necessarily have to be directly linked to FRC, FLL, FTC, etc.

Although when Google did that, it came with an announcement to investors and the public shortly thereafter. It also didn't actually change anything major from a public perspective. They did some reorganizing internally but didn't really change, add, or remove any programs.

BUT I do see where you're going with this -- it is definitely an option it is just weird that there has been no word from HQ, regardless.

Originally Posted by Tyler Olds

Opening Ceremonies is on a Sunday? Is this for teams/countries that might have religious restrictions?

This problem continues to exist in all of the other FIRST programs. I have seen some creative solutions in FRC. In FLL here in LA, teams fought for years to add Sunday events - they finally won.

Israel already does this by having midweek events (Tuesday-Thursday) so if it is a concern, this is definitely another way to handle it.


I'm sure we'll hear more about all of this soon.