Hello Teams and Volunteers,
This is the sixteenth in the continuing series of Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics emails. Previous emails can be found on our website in the COMMUNICATION Archives.
https://www.ftcpenn.org/communications
Coaches/Mentors – For the most effective communications, please feel free to forward and share this email with your students, their parents, sponsors, coworkers, friends and acquaintances.
Dean’s List Overview – In an effort to recognize the leadership and dedication of the most outstanding secondary school students from FIRST®, the Kamen family sponsors awards for selected 10th or 11th grade students known as the FIRST® Robotics Competition and the FIRST® Tech Challenge FIRST Dean’s List Award.
The students who earn FIRST Dean’s List status as a Semi-finalist, Finalist or Winner, are great examples of current student leaders who have led their teams and communities to increased awareness for FIRST and its mission, champion FIRST Core Values such as Inclusion, and embody Gracious Professionalism®. Dean’s List Award Winners also reflect the diversity of the FIRST community. It is the goal of FIRST that these individuals will continue, post-award, as great leaders, student alumni, and advocates of FIRST. For more information:
https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/ftc/deans-list
Please reference the FTC Dean’s List Nomination Guide for student criteria and instructions for detailed information. Each team may nominate up to 2 students per team who would then become semi-finalist in PA. This season, PA will advance four (4) PA Finalists to FIRST for consideration at the FTC Championship in Houston, TX.
Nominations by Coaches and Mentors are due to FIRST by Thursday, February 15th, 2025 at 11:59pm at which time the system will not take additional submissions.
Special Note: A mentor or coach of the team who is unrelated to the student being nominated can submit the nomination for the Dean’s List Award. This can either be done by the lead coach 1 or 2, or by a role called “Dean’ List Award Submitter”.
In instances when a student’s parent(s) is listed as the lead coach 1 and 2, but the non-relative coach/mentor is writing the nomination, FIRST Tech Challenge has required that the non-relative mentor or coaches name be added to the end of the nomination essay.
Dean’s List Interviews – As with previous years, the interviews are an “Interview Only” event and will be conducted remotely, scheduled and executed through the FTC Scoring System or equivalent. Interviews will primarily take place on Saturday and Sunday, Mar 1st and 2nd, 2025. If other days or times are needed to accommodate Interview Judges and Students, we will schedule accordingly.
https://www.ftcpenn.org/ftc-events/2024-2025-season/deans-list-interviews
We are also accepting volunteers for Dean’s List Interviewers who ideally would not be related to any of the student candidates or have a team associated with conflict of interest. If interested, please volunteer through your FIRST Inspires login and search for the FIRST Tech Challenge Dean’s List event in Pennsylvania.
Please contact us at any time if you have any questions
ftc@pennfirst.org or Tom Zawislak at (302) 383-9925.
Tom and the PFR Team
Pennsylvania FIRST® Robotics
FIRST Tech Challenge® Program Delivery Partner
phone: (302) 383-9925
email: ftc@pennfirst.org
Website: www.FTCPenn.org