Are there any teams who are using MIT App Inventor to program their robots? Would you be able to help out local rookie teams that have some questions? If so, please email us at [email protected] . Thanks!

For teams that are interested in demonstrating your old or new FTC robots, getting advice from veteran teams, trying out the Velocity Vortex field, or just seeing last season's FRC game, please sign up with Green.Griffins for the Battle at the Border event at Francis Parker School - see the invitation here. It looks like there will be great turnout of at least 8 teams demonstrating over the course of the day: Green.Griffins, Rise of Hephaestus, Crusader Creators, ROARbots, Robotx, RSF Singularity, RSF Intergalactic Dragons,  and RSF Logitechies. Come and bounce your robot ideas off each other!

Hey veteran San Diego Region teams, if you would be willing to share your experiences and give some advice to rookie teams trying to get started in FTC, please contact us at [email protected]. Rookie teams are asking for help in building, programming, and running meetings, and so we'd like to match them up with mentors in their area. If you also have expertise or facilities for special machining or 3D-printing, or have a Velocity Vortex field that you'd be willing to have other teams come and scrimmage with you (thank you Dragons 5229!), let us know that too.

​Rookie teams if you would like to request help from a mentor, you can also contact us at [email protected] with a description of your difficulty and when/where you usually meet. The more specific you can be, the better - since we're not trying to replace your own coaches and mentors. We just want to get you over those simple issues that are easy to solve so you can get to the harder ones! 

We think the most practical way for mentor teams to help is to have the rookie team visit one of the mentor team's sessions, but perhaps email/text/phone/video chat will be enough to solve certain problems. We hope many veteran teams will step up for this outreach effort as the San Diego Region is eager to recruit more rookie teams and get them up to speed!​

All registered FTC teams are automatically entered, but any 18 year old adult in the US with an email account can also register. There will be 5 drawings held - see photo for the dates, deadlines are before midnight the day before each drawing.

For more information and to enter, go to http://info.firstinspires.org/3dprinter .

Khan Academy is partnering with Breakthrough Junior Challenge video contest. Check out their videos to learn more about how you could win a $250,000 college scholarship. In addition, your school gets a new science lab!

​Deadline is Monday Oct 10 - hurry!​

​San Diego region teams - do you need access to a full Velocity Vortex field? Your wait is over! Field Day Fridays hosted by the Boys and Girls Club and the Dragons team 5229 begins this week! Visit the Events tab on the Dragons' Facebook page for upcoming dates, and post a comment with your team number to sign up for a slot. Space is limited to two teams each Friday. The Dragons hope to see you soon!
https://www.facebook.com/Dragons5229/events

If anyone has trouble accessing these Facebook Event pages, email the Dragons your team name and which Friday you'd like to join at [email protected], and they can put you on the calendar.

It was a busy and well-attended two days at the San Diego Maker Faire this weekend! The Ducks (FTC8471), Team Uncopyrightable (FTC5135), and their new rookie team PATENT PENDING (FTC11285) opened up the weekend on Saturday Oct 1. Then on Sunday Oct 2, Rise of Hephaestus (FTC4216), RoBowties (FTC6137), and the Rancho Santa Fe teams Singularity (FTC7696), Portal Pounders (FTC8605), and Intergalactic Dragons (FTC8606) tested and demonstrated their robots.