Good day, Teams and Volunteers,
Happy Labor Day Weekend!
We hope you are having a safe and fun holiday weekend, for many it is the unofficial last weekend of the summer. We are sad to see yet another meteorological season go but very much look forward to the start of the 2026-2027 Pennsylvania FIRST Tech Challenge season competitions and BIOBUZZ™ presented by RTX. This email is a reminder about our Kickoff events and to encourage you all to schedule yourself to Volunteer at our upcoming events.
Welcome to the 5th email blast for the upcoming PA FIRST Tech Challenge Season. Please liberally and broadly share this email with your parents, students, friends, co-workers and acquaintances in and outside of the FIRST robotics community. As always, if you missed any of our season Blasts, please go to our Communications page to reference Announcements and Archive Emails for this and all past seasons.
https://www.ftcpenn.org/communications
FTC Pennsylvania Live and Remote Kickoff Events: We are only 6 days away from kickoff events on Saturday, September 12, 2026. Last chance to Register by Wednesday, Sep 9th.
You may join our Kickoff event remotely or, even better at one of (6) Live kickoff events where we will have the 2026-2027 FIRST® Robotics season themed FIRST® CANOPY and the new FTC challenge, BIOBUZZ™ presented by RTX™ fields set up.
The general Agenda for the Remote Kickoff is:
11:00 am FTC Season Overview – Learn about PA specific program activities
12:00 pm FTC Season Kickoff and Game Reveal – video – from FIRST
12:45 pm Game Q&A with Pennsylvania Head Referees
2:00 pm Event Complete
Virtual Event – Registration is not required
https://meet.goto.com/886666077J
Join the GoTo meeting using the link above or dial in with your phone:
(571) 317-3122
Access Code: 886-666-077
Each live event is Team powered and hosted by partner FTC teams and organizations across the state. Besides having live fields set up, they each have agendas and activities that expand on and augment the kickoff which may include workshops and brainstorming sessions. Light meals and refreshments will also be provided courtesy of PA FIRST Robotics. Please go to our Event page for each location, agendas and host information.
Event Page: https://www.ftcpenn.org/ftc-events
Event Registration: https://www.ftcpenn.org/event-registration
There will be volunteer personnel ready to explain the game rules and get your heart and energy up for brainstorming and game strategy.
https://www.firstinspires.org/first-canopy
Call for Volunteers:
Now that we have nearly all of our events and Qualifiers scheduled for the season it is never to early to not only think about volunteering but register and commit. The success of our competitions is a result of the quality and commitment of our Volunteers!
There are many opportunities and varied roles and responsibilities that we guarantee are not only rewarding but fun!
For information about Volunteering at FIRST events please go to the following link and under Program select FIRST Tech Challenge. The link to Register to volunteer for those who do not yet have a Dashboard account is also on the landing page:
https://www.firstinspires.org/community/volunteers
You can either browse all or select by Volunteer Type, Experience and Training. Note that many of these roles are Cross Program which means that the descriptions apply to all FIRST programs If you additionally click on the “Learn More” tab you will find detail about each role including age and experience requirements. Many of these roles can are intended for students as well. This has been expanded to roles such as Official Scorer.
We would love all of you to personally join us and to recruit aggressively and widely to assist us in expanding our reach. Volunteer opportunities abound! We welcome new volunteers from family, friends, the community and businesses alike. Please recognize that this is a great opportunity for coaches, mentors and parents to get an insider’s perspective of how FTC events are conducted in our State and Region. The perspectives and guidance gained will also translate into helping your own team and students to be successful.
Coaches/Mentors – Please forward and share this email and the link with your parent’s, coworkers, friends and acquaintances. You will find that most all those who want to attend would rather be directly engaged in the festivities than gather splinters in the bleachers. Our experience is that people truly do appreciate direct participation in the event and explore contributing in special ways, as well as have fun! Also, not all roles require attendance for all of the competition days of competition, so there may be flexibility that we can manage.
Of course, if you are already registered to volunteer, then thank you, but please continue recruiting.
General Instructions:
We use the FIRST Event Volunteer Registration system for all of our events. Volunteering for an event is one of the options on your personal FIRST Dashboard on the FIRST Inspires website.
To access the FIRST Event Volunteer Registration system:
Browse to http://www.firstinspires.org. Click Log In in the upper right-hand corner. If you already have a FIRST account, enter your FIRST username and password, and click LOG IN.
If you do not have a FIRST account, click Register in the upper right-hand corner, then fill out the account form.
Once on your personal Dashboard, select VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION and then EVENT VOLUNTEERING.
To narrow the available events to Pennsylvania FTC events, under Event Filters select FIRST Tech Challenge, United States, Pennsylvania; optionally enter dates January 11th – 12th and/or event names and then click Apply Filters. Select the event on the right-hand side and click Volunteer. Follow the prompts to select the roles you are interested in.
https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/volunteer/general-volunteer-resources
has several good resources, including a Volunteer Registration Step by Step Guide if you have further questions about the Volunteer Registration system.
Youth Protection:
As with all FIRST Pennsylvania events, Youth Protection is paramount and mandatory as such, volunteers are required to comply with Youth Protection protocols as is necessary to assure compliance with Pennsylvania Child Protection Services Laws.
Please go to the following link for detailed information and how to ensure your compliance and let us know if you would like additional guidance or instruction. We would be more than happy to assist you!
https://www.firstinspires.org/programs/youth-protection-program
Thanks to you all for your consideration and let us know if you have any questions. We are so excited for This season and seeing all of our teams and friends once again.
RE MINDERS FROM EMAIL BLASTS #3 and #4
FTC PA Qualifier Events – REGISTRATION OPENS Sat. Oct 10th, 2026
The new information to share is that we have established our schedule for our primary 12 Qualifier events over 6 weekends just as we had last year. We may add one more single day event as well.
What we especially want to highlight is that two of the 6 weekends will be in December at York Country Day School, York, PA – Dec 5th and 6th and McCaskey East HS, Lancaster, PA Dec 12th and 13th. As such, we not only welcome but strongly encourage teams to prepare and be ready to compete earlier than you may be accustomed to in past seasons. There are general advantages to being ready.
The 4 Qualifiers are smaller 24 team events. In general, the competition for slots to advance to the PA Championship is historically not as competitive as the other participating teams’ capabilities and skill sets are nearly the same, so teams compete on more of a level playing field, unlike in later season events.
A team will have the advantage of earlier play and have weeks to improve competition readiness through robot and program modifications and practice before their next scheduled event.
Again: REGISTRATION OPENS Sat. Oct 10th, 2026, so plenty of time to strategize your season and prepare. Please reference our Event landing page for dates, locations and details:
https://www.ftcpenn.org/ftc-events
Coaches Calls (2): Coaches Calls are an opportunity to learn more about the upcoming Pennsylvania FTC Season, and most importantly give us the opportunity to hear what is on your mind. So, bring your questions, comments, and thoughts on how to improve the Pennsylvania FTC program! There two Coaches Calls – pick the one the best fits your schedule. Registration is NOT required, simply join.
Thursday September 17, 2026 @ 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Thursday September 24, 2026 @ 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
The same Web conferencing link and Phone number applies to both calls
Join the meeting using the link above or dial in with your phone:
(872) 240-3212
Access Code: 886-664-845
or
https://www.ftcpenn.org/ftc-events/2026-2027-season/coaches-call-1
https://www.ftcpenn.org/ftc-events/2026-2027-season/coaches-call-2
Scrimmages: We currently have only one official PFR led scrimmage on our schedule so we welcome teams to reach out to us if you would like to hold a Team Powered scrimmage and invite other FTC Teams to your location!
Ramp Riot Scrimmage – Sat Oct 24, 2026, at Wissahickon HS. This is traditionally our first event of the season where teams get kick the wheels. The Ramp Riot scrimmage is going to be a very laid-back event with teams working on their robots with some match play in the afternoon, versus a day-long qualifier-like scrimmage. If your team wants a little help getting over a hump, there will be other teams and volunteers who would be glad to help. It is going to be a fun day regardless. We invite you to come work on your bot, strategize, mingle, make friends, take advantage of our field, as well as the expertise on other teams and volunteers. Learn the game rules from our head referee Noah Dillard as well. Registration is OPEN and is required to secure one of the 14 slots.
https://www.ftcpenn.org/ftc-events/2026-2027-season/ramp-riot-scrimmage
We would love you and your team to be there. Think of it as a build, program and drive party. By the afternoon we will fit in with competitive matches for those teams that are ready. This has been the model for Ramp Riot in the last few years, and we are typically completed by 4:00pm, or earlier, regardless of the published agenda and have no strict adherence to when teams may want to leave.
Remember also that our host is FRC Team 341 Miss Daisy and this is their annual off-season event. “With its humble roots as an 8-team scrimmage back in 2000, Ramp Riot now draws 34+ teams and over 2,000 spectators yearly. Each fall, those 34+ teams (representing up to 8 states) come together to battle it out in arena-style competition”. So much fun robotics to experience in a single day!
We encourage your team to attend and prepare, with other FTC Teams, for the upcoming BIOBUZZ™ presented by RTX competition season. Please register at any time this week so we and our host Miss Daisy FRC know to expect you.
https://www.ftcpenn.org/event-registration
Season Registration for Teams: Please reference Email Blast # 1, #2 and #3 for information regarding season registration with FIRST HQ, Go to
https://www.ftcpenn.org/communications
Please be aware that for purposes of official FIRST Team Registration, Coaches, Mentors and Volunteers must comply with the standard YPP clearances. The requirements are:
- Signed Consent and Release form
- YPP Policy Acknowledgement – annual
- YPP Training – annual
- YPP Background Check – every 4 years for U.S. and Canada volunteers
For a team to be considered EVENT READY and able to compete Iin regional the YPP requirements demand that both Lead Coaches 1 and 2 must be YPP cleared. This means they must have completed the applicable YPP requirements above. So be sure that the first clearances that are obtained for your team are for Lead Coach 1 and 2. The team admin and/or coaches can then be sure to assist and ensure other team members have clearances. Note that this season Mentors are now also required to complete YPP clearance. However, a mentor’s YPP status does not affect the team’s EVENT READY status.
In addition, Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics requires compliance with the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) state-specific clearance requirements that are legally necessary for lead coaches, mentors, and other adult team volunteers and event volunteers.
The Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) requires employees, volunteers and other individuals who interact with minors to obtain three different clearances, together known as the Child Protection Clearances.
Individuals who have already completed the PA clearances with another organization or employer can share their current clearances and upload the documents using this form.
- Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance
2. Pennsylvania State Police Criminal History Clearance
3a. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Background Check– required for all volunteers who have not been a resident of Pennsylvania for the entirety of the previous 10-year period.
OR
3b. PA Resident Disclosure Statement – for individuals who have resided in Pennsylvania longer than 10 years.
Submit your clearances to the FIRST YPP team using this form.
For volunteers who do not reside in Pennsylvania
- Non-Resident Disclosure Statement – For volunteers working in PA less than 30 days a year
- If volunteering for more than 30 days, complete the clearances as a PA resident (refer to directions above)
Submit your clearances to the FIRST YPP team using this form here.
PA Clearance Resources
- PA Guide on how to complete your volunteer clearances
- PA Keep Kids Safe FAQs for Volunteers
- PA Sample Submission Forms
Please allow up to 5 business days for your clearances to be processed by the FIRST Youth Protection team. Once the clearances are verified, they will be updated in your FIRST Dashboard.
Please be sure to register your teams for the 2026-2027 season with FIRST as soon as practicable.
All the best, until next Blast which will be a Call for Event Volunteers
Tom and the FTC PA Planning team,
Pennsylvania FIRST® Robotics
FIRST Tech Challenge® Program Delivery Partner
phone: (302) 383-9925
email: ftc@pennfirst.org
Website: www.FTCPenn.org