AMAZING Financial Incentive Program!!

IMPORTANT: An updated process has recently been posted.  Please read the most up to date post here.

Hello FLL teams in Ontario!

I have VERY exciting news for you today! In the spring the provincial government provided FIRST Robotics Canada with a $3 million grant to be used over the next 5 years to grow FIRST programs in Ontario.

Do you like FLL? Do you think it benefits your kids? Wouldn't it be great if we could spread the word about FLL and get even MORE kids involved?! I just heard today from a coach who had been working in a very under-privileged school in Toronto. After moving through the FLL program roughly 30% of his graduating class went on to advanced Science and Tech programs at specialized Sci/Tech high schools which are very prestigious! 30% is an incredible success story for those kids in that area. And it was largely because of his initiative to bring FLL to his school! You've all likely got an exciting story with your own team; however, wouldn't it be awesome to leave behind a legacy of positive change in even MORE kids' lives? Now you can be part of that!

OK, the details of the growth incentive program are in the two attached documents (one for starting a new team and one for experienced teams like yourselves to mentor rookie teams). Please read them over carefully. In a nutshell however, FIRST Robotics Canada will be providing a grant for new teams to start up next year (NXT and registration paid for) and a separate grant for veteran teams (registration paid for) to mentor rookie teams.

I would strongly suggest that if you have a school/teacher/organization in mind that you invite the interested stakeholders out to the tournament you are attending. Get them to see the event in action and you'll have them hooked for sure! Then they can register their team at the beginning of May, you can apply for the mentoring grant and everyone benefits! If you can't get them to your local qualifier then approach them before the Provincial Championships in January and ask them to join you there.

Once we reach our target # funding will cease - make sure to read everything thoroughly. Please note that neither the Mentoring Team application nor the New Team application will be accepted until after FLL registration begins in May as we need your FLL team number if you are a new team. If you are a mentoring team you will need to include your “new teams’” FLL team number. Only complete forms will be considered. Applications must be emailed in to me at this address and my inbox will provide the time stamp of acceptance.

There is money to be had people!!

New Team Grant
Mentoring Team Grant

Dave

Dave Ellis
FLL Operational Partner - Ontario, Canada
http://fllontario.org/