HD18: Staying in the Flow

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

In this update, you will find:

1. Set Your Coordinates for INTO ORBIT^SM
2. Showcasing FIRST LEGO League in March - HELP NEEDED!
3. Congratulations Championship Teams
4. Sponsor Thank Yous
5. #HDsecretmissions
6. Oregon Featured Teams
7. Jump Start into FIRST Tech Challenge

Use this link to read this update as a blog post

Oregon Update: 18

Welcome to the official FIRST LEGO League Oregon Update. All Oregon FIRST LEGO League Coaches are automatically added to this list weekly! In each update, which you can read in an email or on our blog (cross-posted on both G+ and Facebook), you will find out what is happening in Oregon, the important things from Headquarters in NH, and tips to keep your team on track. This blog will be posted nearly weekly and all posts are archived. All official updates this season will be numbered HD# If you've missed an update, please read the archive to catch up!

1) Set Your Coordinates for INTO ORBIT^SM
We couldn't be more excited about next year's theme of INTO ORBIT! We hope your team is excited too. ORTOP has already started working with OMSI and other space experts to create some resources for all of Oregon's teams this fall. You will want to stay connected and get your team ready NOW!

• Registration for INTO ORBIT opens in May - don't let this stop you from exploring now!
• ORTOP Team Financial Support WILL Open in May! We hope to have the awards out earlier this year, but that means we need earlier applications.  We are also looking for additional sponsors, if your sponsor would like to help more teams, we'd love to help them.
• Coach, Mentor, and Parent Workshops are being designed now! Plan on attending the workshops this June through September. Teams who have engaged parents have greater success!
• Kickoff for INTO ORBIT internationally will be August 1 <-- this is earlier than in the past! 
• September through October - be watching the update and Facebook pages for exciting events and opportunities for Oregon FIRST LEGO League and FIRST LEGO League Jr teams to learn all about space!

Missed the announcement about INTO ORBIT? Here is what we know so far:

Gather your crew and get ready to explore, challenge and innovate in the demanding and inspiring expanse we call space! The 2018/2019 FIRST LEGO League season requires you to work together to break out of your earthly constraints. Do you have what it takes to go INTO ORBIT?

2) Showcasing FIRST LEGO League in March - HELP NEEDED!

FIRST LEGO League teams are needed to help showcase the program to FIRST LEGO League Jr and Girl Scouts in March! Please keep an eye out as we are adding more exciting opportunities around Oregon all the time, and we need YOUR team's help!

• 4-8 teams are needed to showcase FIRST LEGO Leauge at the FIRST LEGO League Jr Expos at OMSI on March 17 & 18. Teams should bring a robot that can complete at least 1 HYDRO DYNAMICS mission and their Project/Core Values boards and prototype if applicable. 2 Adult coaches are also needed to talk with coaches about FIRST LEGO League and how to prepare for the competitive program. Please use this form to sign up!
• 3 teams of girls are needed to showcase FIRST LEGO League at the Girl Scout event Girl Fest!  Your team does not need to be a girl scout team or an all girl team, but we'd love to have teams with a strong girl presence to meet with the girl scouts and share FIRST LEGO League. Teams will be selected to fill a 2-hour time slot on March 24th. Girls should be able to operate and explain their robot which can complete at least 1 HYDRO DYNAMICS mission and the team's project and core values. Please use this form to sign up!

We are working on more opportunities around the state. Please watch your email for more sign ups!

3) Congratulations Championship Teams

In January and February, Oregon teams shined at both the Intel Oregon FIRST LEGO League Championship Tournaments presented by Rockwell Collins and at the South Idaho FIRST LEGO Leauge Championship presented by Micron.

See All the Award Winners Here

Special Congratulations to Team 31009 Wacky Water Whales from Alameda Elementary in Ontario for Winning Core Values: Gracious Professionalism and to Team 31010 Water Mollo Mellons also from Alameda Elementary in Ontario for winning the Project: Presentation Awards.

Do you have photos from the Oregon State Championship? Are you looking for photos? Please share or download from our Yogile page!

Continuing on to represent Oregon:
At the World Festival in Houston Texas April 20-22
11688 Pink Fluffy Unicorns from Wyeast Middle School in Hood River
15701 The Fearless Builders from Bethany Neighborhood in Portland

Entering the Global Innovation Award:
25503 Brickwizards from Bethany Neighborhood in Portland
24456 Tech Town Rangers from Portland
10102 JuggerBots from Abiqua Academy in Salem

At the Razorback International Invitational in Arkansas May 17-20
20540 The Master Builders from Stoller Middle School in Portland
23765 Blark from Springfield Robotics Club in Springfield

At the LEGOland International Invitational in California May 18-20
32071 Hydro Automatons from Hood River
23221 Kidobots from Portland

Good Luck Oregon Champions!

4) Sponsor Thank Yous

To all of the teams who have already sent thank yous to your sponsors or to ORTOP, THANK YOU! This means the world to our sponsors and helps them see how their funds are really making a difference for the teams in our community. If our team was sponsored, by Murdock Foundation, FIRST, Rockwell Collins, Intel, Google, Umpqua Bank, Wildhorse Foundation, Juan Young Trust, Oregon Department of Education, Bill Healy Foundation, Maxim Integrated, or Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians through the ORTOP Team Support award, please make sure your Thank You arrives at ORTOP by March 23, 2018.  We would like to get your physical and electronic thank-yous packaged and sent to your sponsors by April!  If your tournament fee was matched by an ORTOP sponsor, please send a Thank You as well!

 Please send physical Thank Yous to:
ORTOP
ATTN: FIRST LEGO League Thank you
4800 SW Griffith Drive Suite 215
Beaverton OR 97005

Send your digital Thank You to: fllthankyou@ortop.org

If you received funds outside of ORTOP, please thank your sponsor - it means a lot!

5) #HDsecretmissions

FIRST LEGO League is running a fun video contest for ALL HYDRO DYNAMICS teams. Your team will need access to Twitter or Instagram to participate - and a place to upload a video. As a team you are invited to program your robot to complete any or all of the new secret missions and upload the video with the #HDsecretmissions tag to be entered to randomly win a NASA Apollo Saturn V LEGO kit. Get all the details and the missions here!  Even if you don't enter the contest, these missions are a great off-season challenge for your team. Can you do them using a new sensor or sensor technique? What about a different kind of attachment, or no attachment!

6) Oregon Featured Teams

We definitely do not get enough time to see all the amazing things that teams in Oregon are doing! I hope to keep this as a regular newsletter feature, please keep sharing your exciting news with me via email at Loridee-Wetzel@ortop.org
February's featured teams are:

• Team 27006 Fin-Tastic Fish from Oak Grove Elementary School in Albany has been very busy getting their innovative solution into hands that can use it! They were recently featured by FIRST (you can read about it here) and we look forward to sharing more as they are busy working with Heifer International to continue their work!
• Team 25503 Brickwizards from Portland are very busy continuing the development of their innovative solution, and applying for the Global Innovation Award! Here is what they have shared with ORTOP: 

We want to improve existing ways to transport storm-water runoff so that we can efficiently manage human water cycles. Storm-water runoff is recognized nationally as the leading cause of fresh water pollution today. 3.5 million Americans get sick each year after swimming, boating, fishing or otherwise using water that they thought were safe. We have come up with an innovative solution that is eco-friendly, sustainable, and cheap. We also use smart ways to warn people by using an LCD for people who are deaf and a buzzer for people who are blind. This is an early warning system water management. Our innovative solution consists of 3 main parts: Eco-roofs, sensors, and filtration and storage systems. Our solution is meant to be implemented into commercial buildings. We have talked to lots of experts about this idea and they have supported us and would like to bring this solution to solve real life problems . We are excited to be a  small part of improving our community and help manage human water cycle.

To help make their idea a reality in Oregon they have started a petition and a blog to share their idea.

•  Team 24456 Tech Town Rangers from Portland who are also busy continuing their innovative solution, and applying for the Global Innovation Award! Tech Town Rangers have created a Porous Pot which is a new low-cost way to clean water for potable uses. Recently they reached out to Charity Water to help get their solution into the hands of people who need access to clean water. Tech Town Rangers are working with Charity Water through their Go Fund Me for this project, where you can learn more about how this Porous Pot can make a difference for those without regular access to clean water by removing minerals, pesticides, and chloroforms.

Want to share what your team is working on? Did your team do a recent outreach? I'd love to highlight your team here!

7) Jump Start into FIRST Tech Challenge

FIRST Tech Challenge organization announced the JumpStart Program for FIRST Tech Challenge.  This program allows you to register a FIRST Tech Challenge team right now (2017-2018 season) and have it also cover the national registration fees for 2018-2019 season ($275).  This offer will be available for January - mid-March.  You can order a Tetrix kit at a discount along with the electronics and jump-start learning prior to next season. After March, you'll need to wait until registration opens in May. Your team may still apply for team financial support from ORTOP even if you choose to jump-start!

Is your team currently in 6-8th grade? You should make attending a FIRST Tech Challenge event a priority! Unlike FIRST LEGO League the pits are fully accessible with safety glasses (please bring your own)
Join Us at an upcoming Oregon event:  Better yet, Volunteer - team members can field reset!

• March 10, Super Qualifier Delta, Evergreen Middle School, Hillsboro 
• March 11, Super Qualifier Theta, Evergreen Middle School, Hillsboro
• March 11, Super Qualifier Pi, Benson Polytechnic High School, Portland
• March 25, Oregon FTC State Championship, Liberty High School, Hillsboro

The best time to see robot action is afternoon! I hope to see you there!

Our updates are now on their monthly schedule. Look forward to more fun off-season ideas to keep your team growing and learning next month!

Best Wishes,

Loridee