[FVC]: Will there be an FVC Next Year?

[billw]

As I understand it, FIRST has not yet signed off on sponsoring FVC next season. I believe it requires a vote by the board of directors.

In any case, I am trying to assemble kids in preparation for next season and posible training over the summer. It is a little pointless, however, if there will not be a competition.

Does anyone know the true status and/or when it will be determined?

--Bill Wiley
Coach, Vexy Things

[gblake]

Bill,

Like you I am more than just a little bit curious why having a permanent program would be anything other than a forgone conclusion; but....

Regardless, I think that even in the unlikely event that FVC did not get an official blessing this next school year, there will at least be another year of Potomac Vex League competition. If FIRST doesn't supply a game, we can devise our own.

I recommend putting your pedal to the metal.

Blake

[fredliu168]

After FVC has recruited over 500 teams this year, as well as successfully inspired so many youths, I highly doubt they will take away the program next year.

Also, IFI robotics will put pressure onto FIRST to continue this program.

I'm almost certain that FIRST will continue the VEX program. However, they may make some adjustments in terms of tournement structure and times. My advice is to continue training students this summer as planned.

[dlavery]

Originally Posted by fredliu168

At least 70% of vexlab's sales comes from FVC related purchases.

They do??? I think that is going to surprise some people in Greenville, TX. Do you have any explicit knowledge of the Vexlab sales figures that has provided you with this information? Can you cite a reference from IFI that validates this data or are you just making up numbers?

If you don't KNOW something as fact, please do not state it as fact.

-dave

[fredliu168]

Originally Posted by dlavery

They do??? I think that is going to surprise some people in Greenville, TX. Do you have any explicit knowledge of the Vexlab sales figures that has provided you with this information? Can you cite a reference from IFI that validates this data or are you just making up numbers?

If you don't KNOW something as fact, please do not state it as fact.

-dave

Point taken. Statement retracted.

Still I think a significant amount of purchases from vexlabs is from FVC.

[Ben Mitchell]

Vex is such a great teaching tool that I cannot fathom it not being made into a full fledged program.

[thefro526]

I second Ben. The entire FVC experience is such an excellent learning tool, leadership opportunity, and all around good time that FIRST would be crazy to not continue the FVC program. If FIRST does not sponsor FVC next year they will be robbing the world's youth of the opportunity to build awesome robots and learn about themselves and the field of science and technology and that will make me (and many others) very sad. Also the FVC program is so cost effective from a team standpoint that it could open up another world to many 8-12th graders throughout the world and someday soon I predict, given the proper resources, that The FIRST Vex Challenge will be larger than FRC or even FLL.

Also I think that if FIRST stops FVC the true Vex Enthusiasts and Addicts (like me) will find a way to keep the competition alive. Whether that will be through something organized like the Potomac Vex League or through backyard battles will be ours to decide…

[nonother]

I'm almost certain the program will continue. Talking to members of the FIRST organization (when our team was in Washington DC) made it clear how happy they were with the program. This was the opinion of everyone in FIRST I talked to about FVC, including Dean Kamen and John Abele (FIRST Chairman). I could be confusing who said this, but I believe it was John Abele, who said he saw this year as a large beta test of sorts for FVC. They liked what they saw for the most part, but that some tweaks were likely in order (I have no idea what those might be.) My overall impression is that not only will FVC be around next year - but that it will be even better.