Washington DC II
FTC Qualifier
November 24, 2024
DC International School
HOSTED BY
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Location
DC International School
District of Columbia International School, 1400 Main Dr NW, D.C., D.C., USA
DCI is in the heart of DC, which is very convenient, but it also means we have limited parking. Much of our parking will be reserved for our volunteers who will arrive at 6am and stay until well after the tournament ends. Here’s how to drive to DCI. Check out our event page for maps detailing all of this information visually
Teams should drop their carts and robots off at the 1400 Main Dr. entrance, accessible from either 16th st or Georgia Avenue. This will allow you to enter the building on the same floor as the gym and not have to take carts or robots up stairs.
Teams should leave ALL FOOD in the cafeteria. There will be no food whatsoever in the competition space, to spare our volunteers the work of cleaning hundreds of snack wrappers up from our carpet.
After drop off, teams can go around to the 14th st parking lot to find parking. If that lot is full, there is street parking available on all the streets around the school and it is unrestricted on weekends.
After loading in, or for any team members not carrying bulky objects or robots, you should enter via the 14th street parking lot, or in the neighborhood nearby if the lot is full. Walk across the small basketball court and the small soccer field and you'll see the entrance to the building under an awning.
EAT
LUNCH & CONCESSIONS
We will sell coffee and light snacks. There are many options for food around us, including a Safeway grocery store only a half-mile away. Please keep all food in the cafeteria area- each team will have a labeled table for their food, and this is a great place to leave jackets too. Bring a reusable water bottle- there are bottle filling stations very near the fields.
FOR
COACHES
NEW THIS SEASON: No on-site paper consent forms.
Be sure to bring a paper copy of your roster to your event to turn into pit admin. Paper rosters can be printed from your Dashboard at FIRST Inspires. Your roster should have a green checkmark next to every team member AND coach/mentor. This indicates that all people associated with the team have signed a Consent and Release form.
Paper Consent & Release forms will NOT be available at qualifiers. If a student must use a paper form due to a language barrier or lack of internet/device access, please email ftc-teams@firstchesapeake.org. We will coordinate with FIRST Inspires to provide an approved paper copy.
You will not compete without Consent and Release forms on file.
Program | Time |
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Advancement
The number of teams advancing to the FIRST Chesapeake FTC Championship is determined using the following formula:
=[Number of Participating Teams (as of Oct. 1) /10]+2
Pit Size
New this season: Each team must bring their own table for their pit area. An 8 x 8 pit size will be provided. Please remember to keep the aisles clear for the judges and transporting equipment and robots.
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Food and beverages including water must be stored according to the venue's instructions.
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Please be aware that power is being shared by all the teams in the pit area. Teams are encouraged to utilize only what is needed for robot repair and battery charging. Excessive power use may result in Event Management asking for equipment to be removed from the pit area.
Inspection
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Teams should complete a pre-inspection prior to their events. Pre-inspection forms will be available by the beginning of November and will be located in the Competition Manual.
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Teams must pass inspection in order to participate in qualification matches and access the practice field.
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The schedule will continue regardless of whether a team has passed inspection.
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Teams must be ready for their event upon arrival.
Health & Safety
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All team members and coaches are REQUIRED to wear safety glasses when in the pit area and at the competition field. Chesapeake does not provide safety glasses and teams are responsible for safety glasses for their spectators to enter the pit.
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Closed toed and heeled shoes are REQUIRED.
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Loose items including hair, must be secured for safety.
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Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Event
Details
About
Judging
Check the event details listed below for judging start times. Please be prompt. Each Team will have a ten minute “fact-finding” interview with a panel of judges. At the start of the interview, teams will have a maximum of 5 minutes to present to the judges followed by 5 minutes of Q&A.
Please read the Competition Manual thoroughly. There are many changes from previous seasons and teams are expected to know and understand those changes ahead of their events.
Schedule
Due to the changing nature of the judging schedule, schedules will be shared in advance of the qualifier by the Event Host via email. Schedules will also be available day of at Pit Admin.
Engineering Portfolios
Teams may submit an Engineering Portfolio if they would like to be considered for the Inspire, Think and Control Awards. This is outlined in the Competition Manual.
The Engineering Portfolio should be on paper (not electronic) and submitted to the judges during your judging session.
Official Q&A Forum
If you have not already, make sure you check out and review the questions and answers on the FIRST Tech Challenge Official Q&A Forum. More are added weekly! If your team has a question, please use the Q&A Forum first. If that doesn't answer your question, use the link below to submit a question for the driver's meeting.