Let’s Keep in Touch

As we get ready to dive into Kickoff, we wanted to share a few updates on our FIRST^®  Robotics Competition email blasts and share a reminder to ensure that our community members are receiving important email communications from FIRST^®.

FIRST^® Robotics Competition Email Blasts

FIRST Robotics Competition Email Blasts are sent to every team’s lead mentors* and anyone else who opts into receiving them. These email blasts are sent weekly and contain important updates regarding events, deadlines, game related info, and more.

In an effort to streamline and make these blasts more useful, you may have noticed that the blast styles have recently been revamped. At the top of the blasts, we have added a short, bulleted list to highlight the topics covered in each email. At the bottom of the blasts, you’ll find links to past blasts, the season calendar, season resources, and more!

We are also making a more conscious effort to ensure that content in these email blasts are right for this audience as we know we have other email types that the community can subscribe to (more on that below). General FIRST updates, such as alumni opportunities, Walk like Woodie day, and similar topics, will, generally speaking, no longer be included in team blasts and can be found in the link at the bottom of the blast referencing the “FIRST Newsletter”. 

A few things to be aware of:

• If someone has opted out of our emails, they will not receive this information and may miss out on important updates and deadlines.
• There may be some weeks, especially in the off-season , where a team blast will not be sent due to low or no content to announce. If there is no team blast for a given week, it will be clearly noted on the Team Blast Archive.
• For folks who receive emails from FIRST to a work or school account, you may need to add FIRST as an approved sender.
• If you have opted out of receiving emails from FIRST, you need to complete a form to opt back in. To access this form, subscribe to the FIRST Robotics Competition team blasts and click on the instructions in the red text. Please note, you will need to confirm your email preferences in the auto-generated email to be opted back into to FIRST emails.

Other FIRST^® Email Subscription Options

To help you receive the information you need throughout the season and beyond, we recommend you take a few minutes to review your email communication preferences and, if needed, opt into FIRST email and update your FIRST email subscription options.

You can check or update your preferences at any time by using the “Update Email Preferences” link at the bottom of FIRST communications. We recommend lead mentors 1 & 2 subscribe to the following communication categories in addition to the Email Blasts for critical season information.

• FIRST Robotics Competition Blog: FIRST Robotics Competition news, information, and program updates.
• Grant Communications: Information about FIRST program grants.
• Registration: Important registration information and reminders for new and returning mentors
• Surveys: Your opportunity to give feedback on your FIRST. These survey results help provide input on what changes to make to the program, so we recommend receiving these emails and providing your feedback!
• Team Updates: FIRST Robotics Competition game manual team updates during the build and competition season.
• Youth Protection Program: Guidelines, resources, and screening information.

Additionally, mentors may be interested in the following, but note we do have other subscriptions that can be added at any time:

• Alumni Communications: Content tailored for alumni and keeping in touch after graduation. We highly recommend all alumni sign up for this one!
• FIRST Newsletter: Community-wide FIRST news, updates, and stories, typically sent every other week.