OREGon FIRST Robotics grant

2016 – 2017 Information and Application

Application Due:

Friday, June 17, 2016

5:00 p.m. (PT)

Notice of Nondiscrimination

It is the policy of the State Board of Education and a priority of the Oregon Department of Education that there will be no discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, color, sex, marital status, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability in any educational programs, activities, or employment. Persons having questions about equal opportunity and nondiscrimination should contact the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction at the Oregon Department of Education.

Oregon Department of Education
Office of Teaching and Learning
255 Capitol Street NE
Salem, OR 97310

Contents

Grant Information

Background and Purpose

Eligibility

Success Strategy

General Requirements

Available Funding

Use of Funds

Grant Reporting

Scoring

Grant Timelines

Grant Submission

Program Comparison

Online Resources

Contacts

Scoring Rubric

Grant Application

Assurance/Signature Page

Coach Signature Page

Oregon Department of Education | May 2016

Grant Information

Background and Purpose

FIRST – For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology – is an international program with thestated mission to:

“…inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.”

The Oregon FIRST Robotics Grant supports this mission through a competitive grant managed by the Oregon Department of Education(ODE) and funded by theOregon Legislature. The purpose of this grant is to:

  • Increase the number of students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related careers through participation in FIRST programs.
  • Elevate community involvement through mentorship and sponsorship of FIRST teams.
  • Increase the opportunities for students in Oregon elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools to participate in FIRST programs with a focus on underserved students and rural communities.

Eligibility

The Oregon FIRST Robotics Grant is a competitive grant.

Applications will be accepted only from public schools and non-profit organizations that intend to sponsor a robotics team or teams in one or more of the following FIRST programs:

  • FIRST Lego League (FLL) - elementary and middle school (grades 4-8)
  • FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) - middle school and high school (grades 7-12)
  • FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) - high school only (grades 9-12)

Any publicelementary school, middle school, high school, charter school, or education service districtin the state of Oregonis eligible to apply.

Non-profit organizations applying must:

  • Be supporting teams which serve students inpublic school(s)(to be identified on the Coach Signature page); and
  • Already be a part of the Electronic Grants Management System (EGMS).

A single applicant may submit only one grant, up to $10,000. An applicant is considered to be a single public school, ESD, charter school, or private non-profit that serves public school students.

All teams funded through this grant must build a robot, and register for and participate in at least one competitive event officially sanctioned by FIRST and/or ORTOP.ODE may require that a recipient return funds awarded for teams that do not participate in a sanctionedevent.

ODE reserves the right to fund requests fully, partially, or not at all, based on available funding.

PLEASE NOTE: Teams which are intentionally composed of members of one gender will not be eligible for funding.

Success Strategy

To assure the success of a new FIRST team, please complete the following before submitting your application:

  1. Verify that the school administration is willing to support the formation of a FIRST team.
  2. Identify at least one adult coach for each school identified in this application.Applications lacking the name and signature of at least one coach per schoolwill not be considered for funding.
  3. Secure a team work space. A classroom with adequate storage may be sufficient for FLL teams. FTC teams should have access to Do-It-Yourself tools in a workshop or classroom. An FRC team should have access to workshop space.
  4. Become familiar with the FIRST program that is most appropriate by reviewing information in the program comparison table and online resources section of this application.

General Requirements

In order to be considered for funding, eligible recipients must submit a completed application on the official formby email only to the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) by 5:00 p.m.PT on June17, 2016. Each school may submit only one application, but may request funding for multiple teams on the same application. In order to guarantee delivery, applications must be submitted in Word or PDF formats with a maximum file size of 5 MB. Do not attach additional documentation or appendices. Hand-written applications will not be accepted.

  • All applications must address the priorities of the grant program, including:
  • Increased student engagement in STEM education through FIRST.
  • Demonstrated commitment to community involvement through mentorships on FIRST teams.
  • Commitment to serving a diverse student population.
  • Participation in theFIRST robotic competitions.
  • Plans for sustainability.
  • Applications must carry the name and signature of at least one coach per school.
  • Awardees must register team(s) by these dates in order to continue their use of funds:

Registration Deadline

FLLSeptember 14, 2016

FTCOctober 14, 2016

FRCNovember 21, 2016

Available Funding

The available funding for this grant is approximately $650,000. In 2016, the maximum award for any singleapplicant is $10,000. Funds will be awarded in set amounts as described in the table below.

New Teams* / Year 2 Teams** / All Other Teams
FRC / $10,000 / $5,000 / $3,000
FTC / $2,500 / $1,500 / $1,000
FLL / $1,000 / $500 / $500

* A team is considered a new team if its formation increases the maximum number of teams that have existed in a school in a single program within the last three years.

**A team is considered a Year 2 team if the team was a new team during the 2015-2016 academic year.

All grant funds will be awarded to the school district, charter school, ESD, or non-profit. The grant will be issued only through the Electronic Grants Management System (EGMS). No other form of payment will be issued. All questions regarding availability and access to funds should be addressed to a localbusiness manager or school administrator.

Use of Funds

Grants will be awarded to start newteams and to help expand existing teams in FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), and FIRST Lego League (FLL). Allowable uses of funds include:

  • Stipend for a designated lead coach/mentor
  • FIRSTregistration fees for the 2016-2017 academic year
  • Equipment
  • Materials
  • Travel to FIRST competitions
  • Other costs associated with direct participation in aFIRSTprogram

Grant funds may notbe used for the following:

  • Grant administration
  • Stipends and salaries for district employees other than an employee who is the designated lead coach/mentor for the team
  • Memberships or equipment that become the property of any individual or organization other than an eligible recipient
  • Materials primarily for general classroom use
  • Teams intentionally composed of members of one gender

Grant Reporting

Each grant recipient will be required to complete an online final report that will include demographic data on participating students and information on financial support for the teams from sources other than this grant. The final report will be due no later than May 26, 2017.

Scoring

Grants will be scored using the attached scoring rubric. The final selection of awardees will not be based on a strict ranking of grant scores.ODE will also place a high priority on the following when selecting grant awardees:

  • Teams based in schools with minority populations over the state average of 37%or with specific action plans to recruit minority populations.
  • Teams based in schools with over 53% of students onfree and reduced lunch.
  • Creation of teams in areas of the state which are historically under-represented in FIRST.
  • Creation of new teams.
  • Strong sustainability plans for existing teams.

Grant Timelines

Proposal Due Date / June 17, 2016, by 5:00 pm (PT)
Grant Reviews / July 8 to 18, 2016
Award Notification / August 1, 2016 (date approximate)
Final Report / May 26, 2017
Last day for use of funds / June 30, 2017

Grant Submission

Grant Application (starting on page 9) must contain the following:

☐Summer Contact information

☐Responses to all questions and information requests

☐Completed Assurance Page signed by authorized Administrator

☐Completed Coach Page signed by minimum of one coach per school

Submit the completed grant application by email only to:

5:00 p.m. (PT) onJune 17, 2016
Applications submitted by U.S. Mail will not be accepted.
Please note: ODE is not responsible for incomplete submissions. Applicants will NOT be notified if an application appears to be incomplete. Please check all files before submission.
You should receive an automated email response acknowledging receipt of your submission. If you have not received this response within two hours of your submission, please contact Linda Simeone at.

Oregon Department of Education | May 2016 1

Program Comparison

The following information is offered as a resource to compare FIRST programs and complete timelines in the application. Refer to the links below this table for additional details.

FIRST Lego League (FLL) / FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) / FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)
Grade Levels / Grades 4 to 8 / Grades 7 to 12 / Grades 9 to 12
Team Size / 6 to 10 students / 8 to 15students / Recommended minimum – 12 students
National average – 28 students.
Suggested Number of Volunteers / 2 to 3 / 2 to 3 / 2 to 6
Local Training Opportunities / / /
Registration Deadline / Mid-September / Mid-October / Late November
Competition challenge released / Late August / Early September / Early January
Time available for robot build / Late August to December / Early September toMarch / 6 weeks in January and February
Oregon Open Competitive Events / December / November to February-see website for tournament structure details / Late February to Early April
State and Regional Invitational Events / January / March / April
World Championship / April 19-22, 2017 Houston, TX
April 26-29, 2017 St. Louis, MO / April 19-22, 2017 Houston, TX
April 26-29, 2017 St. Louis, MO / April 19-22, 2017 Houston, TX
April 26-29, 2017 St. Louis, MO
Initial Registration Costs
(based on 2015-16; costs for 2016-17 may increase) / Registration Fee: $225
Tournament Fees: QT $100, Championship $120 / Registration Fee: $275
Tournament Fees: QT $150, Super QT $200, Championship $250 / New teams: $6,000
Existing teams: $5,000
Average cost per year including registration and kits / New Team: $1,100
Existing Team: $700 / New Team: $3,300
Existing Team: $2,200 / $15,000(varies by size of team, travel costs, etc.). Significant grant support may be available for FRC teams beyond the ODE grant. Contact Cindy Lebeau for details.
Approximate Kit Costs / $540 (reusable) / $1,200 (reusable) / Included with registration

Oregon Department of Education | May 2016 1

Online Resources

All applicants are encouraged to become familiar with FIRST programs through the following resources:

National FIRST organization:

Start an FLL Team:

Start an FTC Team:

Start an FRC Team:

FIRST YouTube Channel:

Oregon FRC:

Oregon FTC:

Oregon FLL:

Contacts

For grant administration questionscontact:

Linda Simeone
Office of Teaching andLearning
Oregon Department of Education

503-947-6500

For information about the FRC program contact:

Cindy LebeauDebbie Kerr
FIRST Pacific NW DirectorSenior Mentor, OR
360-901-1738503-481-5982

@oregonfirst.org

For information about the FTC and FLL programs contact:

Cathy Swider
FIRST Affiliate Partner: FIRST Tech Challenge & FIRST LEGO League

Senior Programs Manager

Oregon Robotics Tournament & Outreach Program (ORTOP)

503-486-7622

.

Scoring Rubric

Each response to the questions will be scored on an equal 7-point scale using the following statements to identify high (H), medium (M), and low (L) scoring proposals.

Questions
Student Benefits
H – Discusses specific benefits and principles of FIRST programs as well as opportunities for informal and formal growth in knowledge of STEM subjects.
M – Discusses benefits to students that are consistent with FIRST programs and STEM education.
L– Discusses benefits to students that are inconsistent with FIRST programs.
Underserved Students
H – Specific activities for serving/recruiting students are identified and are focused on targeting underserved students.
M –Specific activities for serving/recruiting students are identified and are focused on targeting the general school population including underserved students.
L– Specific activities for serving/recruiting students are not clearly identified.
Volunteer Mentors
H – Outside mentors identified along with the expertise that the mentors bring to the development of the team. Strategies for recruiting mentors are identified.
M – Outside mentors have been identified. Plans for recruiting mentors are not clear.
L– No indication that specific outside mentors have been identified and no plan for recruiting outside mentors.
Evaluation
H – Proposed evaluation uses multiple data sources collected through formal process (surveys, interviews, etc.).
M – Proposed evaluation combines anecdotal evidence of success with some supporting data.
L– Proposed evaluation is informal and relies heavily on selected anecdotes.
Program Timeline
H – Timeline addresses required events as well as local activity such as team meetings, parent meetings, etc.
M – Timeline addresses required events such as a competitions, registration, or available training.
L– Minimal timeline that is missing key FIRST events such as competitions, registration, or available training events.
Facilities
H – Facilities for building and storing robots provide access to equipment and workspace that will enhance the design and building of the robot.
M – Facilities for building and storing robots are identified and appear to be adequate.
L– Facilities for building and storing robots are identified, but may not be adequate.
Budget and Additional Resources
H– Budget and additional resources indicate a strong financial plan to fund teams for the given year and sustain that funding beyond these grant resources.
M – Budget and additional resources appear to be adequate to support teams for the given year but may not be sustainable.
L– Budget and additional resources appear inadequate to support teams for the given year and eventually sustain those teams.

Oregon Department of Education | May 2016 1

Grant Application

2016 - 2017 Oregon FIRST Robotics

Instructions

Click on any grey box in the form to begin entering information. Press the TAB key when you are ready to enter information in the next field. If this method of data entry is not functioning properly, the form can be unlocked using your word processing program.

Summer Contact Information

Please provide summer contact information for notification of grant award. This individual will be responsible for forwarding notification to others involved in the team(s).

Summer Contact Name:

Summer e-mail contact for notification:

Summer phone number for notification:

Team Information

Indicate the total number of teams that are planned for the 2016-2017 academic year, including teams that would be funded by this grant.

Number of existing FLL teams
Number of existing FTC teams
Number of existing FRC teams
Number of new FLL teams
Number of new FTC teams
Number of new FRC teams

Number of anticipated student participants:

For 2015-16 recipients only:

☐I received a FIRST Robotics Grant in 2015-16 and will have submitted my Final Report by May 27, 2016.

(Final Report form can be found here:

School/District Information

Percentageof students on free and reduced lunch (School):

Percentageof students on free and reduced lunch (District):

Data can be obtained from:

Percentage of minority students (School):

Percentage of minority students (District):

Data can be obtained from:

Calculation of Grant Award

NOTE: Due to the grant award limits, the number of teams funded through this grant may be less than the total number of teams in the school. The award amounts are set for each type of team. Please do not change the allowable award amounts.

Category / Number of Teams / Amount per Team / Total
New FLL Teams / @ $1,000
New FTC Teams / @ $2,500
New FRC Teams / @ $10,000
Year 2 FTC Teams / @ $1,500
Year 2 FRC Teams / @ $5,000
Other FLL Teams / @ $500
Other FTC Teams / @ $1,000
Other FRC Teams / @ $3,000
Grant Request Total (not to exceed $10,000):

Please respond to each of the following questions. If the grant would support multiple types of teams (i.e. FLL, FTC, or FRC), responses should address each type.Each area automatically expands to accommodate the length of the response. You may wish to write the response in another document first and then paste it into the appropriate location.

  1. Student Benefits –Successful FIRST programs can benefit students in a variety of ways. How do you believe your FIRST program will benefit students in school and beyond?
Insert Response Here
  1. Underserved Students – How willyou recruit historically underserved students for your FIRST program? Historically underserved students may include girls, students of color, students experiencing poverty, students with disabilities, and English Learners (EL).
Insert Response Here
  1. Volunteer Mentors – Engaging mentors towork with students and support yourteam is an important component of a FIRST program. What is your plan for inviting and engaging mentors who will participate in the FIRST program? Include a list of names and affiliations for existing and future mentors.
Insert Response Here
  1. Evaluation – How will you determine the success of the FIRST program?Identify how you would document success based on your responses to the previous questions.
Insert Response Here
  1. Program Timeline –What is your projected timeline for implementing the FIRST programs? The program timeline should include project milestones from implementation to competition participation. The timeline should also indicate how often you plan to meet.
Insert Response Here
  1. Facilities and Equipment – What facilities, tools, and other equipment will be available for designing and building the robot? Indicate if the facility space is on school grounds or in the community (i.e. school machine shop, classroom, local industry shop, etc.).
Insert Response Here
  1. Additional Resources – Additional resources or funds are often needed to support your FIRST program. What is your plan to raise these funds or obtain the additional resources? How will those resources be sustained?
(NOTE: Additional privately funded grants may be available for new FTC and FRC teams. Contact either Cindy Lebeau for FRC resources or Cathy Swider for FTC resources )
Insert Response Here

2016 - 2017 Oregon FIRST Robotics Budget Summary