It’s On!
FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) invites students ages 12–18 (grades 7–12) to design, build, and program classroom-scale robots for thrilling head-to-head competitions. Each September, a new challenge is revealed—this year’s, DECODE™ presented by RTX, launches September 6, 2025. Beyond the field, participants grow STEM skills, practice innovation, engage in outreach, and build confidence for future success.
FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) (ages 4-16 / grades PreK-8) introduces STEM to children through fun, hands-on challenges using LEGO® technology. Participants gain real-world problem-solving experiences through a guided, global robotics program, helping students, families, and educators build a better future together.Through three age-appropriate divisions, FIRST LEGO League inspires youth to experiment and grow their critical thinking, coding, and design skills and showcase what they learned.In the UNEARTHED™ challenge, to be released August 5, 2025, FIRST LEGO League teams will uncover the past to discover the future.
Read More (Official FIRST Website)
A Bit About This Newsletter:
Why Read This Newsletter?
While the official FIRST® newsletter covers global updates, our Washington State FTC Newsletter brings the action home. Here you’ll find local team spotlights, upcoming events, competition results, volunteer opportunities, and insider tips tailored to our community. Whether you’re a student, mentor, or fan, this is your hub for everything happening in Washington’s FTC scene.
If you'd like your FTC, FRC, or FLL team to be featured in an upcoming edition of our newsletter, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] with your latest achievements or upcoming events. Our goal is to highlight the incredible work happening across the FTC and FLL communities—so whether you're celebrating a recent success or planning something exciting, we’d love to hear from you. And don’t hesitate to share this opportunity with others, especially those new to the world of robotics.
FTC Scoring Updates
Starting in the 2025–2026 season, FIRST® Tech Challenge will implement a new advancement system designed to better recognize well-rounded teams. Instead of relying on a set order of awards and match performance, teams will now earn advancement points across four categories:
FTC Point System Changes: Before (2024-25) vs. After(2025-26)
Category | Before (2024–25: Into the Deep) | After (2025–26: Decode) |
|---|---|---|
Advancement Criteria | Advancement based on match wins, judged awards, and alliance picks | Advancement based on total points earned across several categories |
Match Performance | Win = 2 points, tie = 1 point; rankings determined by match record | Up to 16 points awarded based on qualification match rankings |
Alliance Selection | Being picked as captain or alliance member affected advancement but no points assigned | Up to 20 points awarded depending on draft position in alliance selection |
Playoff Progression | Advancement for teams on winning or finalist alliances, no points assigned | Up to 40 points awarded based on playoff advancement level |
Judged Awards | Certain awards like Inspire granted automatic advancement; no point values assigned | Inspire Award worth 60 points; other awards worth between 3 and 12 points |
Overall Advancement | Primarily based on match results and award priority | Total points from all categories combined determine advancement |
Why This Is Important
Encourages a more balanced evaluation of teams, considering both competition results and other strengths like innovation and teamwork
Rewards success across multiple areas, not just winning matches
Provides fairer opportunities for a wider range of teams to advance through events
Supports the growth of teams’ skills on and off the field, promoting a more well-rounded competition experience
Ensures the advancement system is consistent and clear at all competition levels
Read More (FTC Official Website)
OUTREACH PROGRAMS/EVENTS
Hands On Basic CAD Training
Join team #26336 for a fast-paced, beginner-friendly, hands-on training in Onshape—the cloud-based CAD tool powering FTC robotics design! In this CAD Basics workshop, you’ll learn how to design 3D models on your computer, bring your creative ideas to life, and even prepare them for 3D printing. Perfect for students (recommended for grades 5–8), mentors, and curious minds—no prior experience with CAD, robotics, or design needed. Just bring a laptop, charger, and curious mind!
Calling All ROBO-Lovers!
Do you love LEGOs? Are you ready to build robots and solve real-world problems? Join the Incredibots FTC Team #26336 for a fun informational session designed for parents and students in grades 4–8 who are interested in joining FIRST LEGO League (FLL) robotics.
This is a great chance to meet the team that won the Champions Award at FLL’s international WAFFLE event last year. Learn how FLL works, what to expect, and get your questions answered by experienced team members.
Date: August 16
Time: 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Sammamish KCLS Library