A newsletter for FIRST Chesapeake volunteers

October 2022

Hello, Volunteers!!!! Welcome to the 2022-2023 FIRST ENERGIZE SEASON for

and

Events will be in-person this year, so we look forward to welcoming everyone back, and giving you the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new ones!

In this issue... FTC and FRC event schedules Volunteer impact on 2021-2022 season New website feature for volunteers Volunteer Spotlight: Senior Volunteer Coordinator Chris Garrity Volunteer role descriptions for this season How to volunteer Try a new volunteer role / shadow FLL opportunities Volunteers make a difference Thank you

Season Schedule We have an exciting season planned, and YOU are what makes all the fun happen for the teams!

OUR VOLUNTEERS MADE A HUGE IMPACT LAST SEASON! Because you volunteered: 272 FTC teams were able to compete in qualifier events and a championship 114 FRC teams were able to compete in qualifier events and a championship FIRST Chesapeake volunteers donated more than 13,000 hours at over 23 events. Your volunteerism impacted the futures of more than 6,000 students!

New Website Feature For our Volunteers You asked – and we delivered! We have added an easy-access page on our website where you can quickly see what roles still need to be filled at each event. Click HERE to check it out! (You will still need to log in to your FIRST Inspires dashboard to apply to volunteer for a role.) 

Featuring: Senior Volunteer Coordinator Chris Garrity We would like to introduce everyone to Chris Garrity, our Senior Volunteer Coordinator. Chris has been a Volunteer Coordinator for 5 years, and was the Lead Volunteer Coordinator at the Championship Event at the Hampton Coliseum in April. Chris is an alumni and mentor for the FRC Team Triple Helix. He will be instrumental this year as we rebuild our in-person events and set the standards for the quality experience we want our volunteers and teams to have. 

Senior Volunteer Coordinator, Chris Garrity

Volunteer Role Descriptions are Posted! Here are links to browse through the descriptions for the FTC and FRC volunteer roles. For our FRC volunteers – there is a NEW role available this season: Official Scorer! Review the FTC Volunteer Roles HERE Review the FRC Volunteer Roles HERE 

How to Volunteer FTC Volunteer Registration is open! FRC Volunteer Registration will open October 19! For our veteran volunteers, go to the FIRST Inspires dashboard HERE to login to your existing account. make sure your profile is updated, and check to be sure your Youth Protection Program screening is up to date. All volunteers must pass Youth Protection Program screening in order to be assigned to roles. Also be sure that you have completed the FIRST Inspires Consent & Release Form. If you are new to volunteering with us, welcome! Click HERE for detailed instructions on how to get started. 

Are You Interested in Trying a New Role? We are once again opening the opportunity for a volunteer to shadow another volunteer in some of the roles to learn what they are about and get some hands-on experience. Let us know what you would like to try! 

Notifications, Emails and More…. This is the first of our Volunteer Connection emails we will send out during the FTC / FRC season. When you are assigned to an event, you will receive a confirmation email with any training information that is needed. You will receive an Event Info email before your assigned event, and you will receive a Post-Event Email which will include a survey. We truly appreciate any and all feedback as we work to make these events enjoyable for our volunteers! 

FLL Needs You!! Please remember that the FLL teams need our support, too! Check out their volunteer opportunities: FIRST LEGO League VA+ DC FIRST LEGO League in Maryland 

Thank You Volunteers, for Making a Difference!  It really takes a village to pull off these competitions. Each and every volunteer – from the Welcome Desk Attendant to the Judges to the Referees and beyond – fills a much-needed role. The end result is an amazing event that brings STEM education to so many students across the DC - Maryland - Virginia region. Competing at an event is an exciting adventure for the teams. When they see us supporting the event, encouraging their efforts, and offering constructive feedback – they realize that we support their STEM education, and their future. The students realize that there is a place for them in the world that they can aspire to and work toward.   Each and every one of our volunteers makes a difference to these students.

We Are Here For You! If you have any questions, comments, or anything you would like to discuss about volunteering with FIRST Chesapeake, we are always available! Let’s make it a GREAT season! Robots rule! Debbie Friedman Director of Volunteer and Community Engagement Program Delivery Partner dfriedman@firstchesapeake.org volunteer@firstchesapeake.org Chris Garrity Senior Volunteer Coordinator cgarrity@firstchesapeake.org

Please pass this newsletter on to other people who might be interested in volunteering with FIRST Chesapeake. To subscribe to the newsletter, just fill out this form.

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FIRST Chesapeake | volunteer@firstchesapeake.org