DC FIRST

WASHINGTON DC REGIONAL SITE INFORMATION

March 4-6, 2010

Event Location:

Walter E. Washington Convention Center

801 Mount Vernon Place NW

Washington, DC 20001

NOTE:  The Washington Convention Center will not accept or store team robots or toolboxes.

Phone:  202 249 3400

http://www.dcconvention.com/

Agenda

Thursday, March 4, 2010
7:45AM Team Reps to uncrate
8:30AM Pits and Machine Shop open
8:30AM-12:00PM Registration and inspection
10:00AM-4:30PM Practice rounds
12:00PM – 1:00PM Lunch
8:00PM Pits and Machine Shop close

Friday, March 5, 2010
8:00AM Pits and Machine Shop open
9:00AM Opening ceremonies
9:30AM-4:15PM Seeding matches
12:00PM-1:00PM Lunch
4:30PM Awards Ceremony
6:00PM Pits and Machine Shop close

Saturday, March 6, 2010
8:00AM Pits and machine shop open
9:00AM Opening ceremonies
10:00AM-11:45AM Seeding matches
11:50AM-12:05PM Alliance Selections
12:05PM-1:00PM Lunch
1:00PM-4:15PM Final rounds
4:30PM Awards Ceremony
5:00PM Pits and Machine Shop close, crates packed for shipping

**Schedule subject to change. All times are estimated based on flow of rounds. See Pit Administration table for updated times.

Site Restrictions

Please read the following restrictions and adhere to them in order to promote an orderly, safe, pleasant, and exciting competition.  As a group, we all should honor agreements with the venue and help promote the spirit of good partnership.

Please:

• Do not bring food on the site.  If you bring food, do not bring it onto the property. Nearby restaurants: http://www.dcconvention.com/restaurant.aspx
• Do not use noisy devices, such as any type of floor stompers, whistles, or air horns.
• Do not save seats.  It is not fair to other teams or to the public guests we hope to interest as team sponsors or volunteers.
• Do not ship robots directly to the site.  All shipments go through the Drayage Company.
• Do not arrange for Internet access on the site or bring free phone lines for same.
• Do not sell any products.  This includes food, hats, shirts, or any promotional products.
• Do not give out any free food products, such as candy, water, soft drinks, or fruit.  You may trade team pins, however.
• Do not use helium tanks.
• Do not bring live bands to play in the audience.  This dilutes the presentation on the playing field and is too loud and confusing for the audience.
• Do not play loud music in the Pit because it interferes with important announcements.  If a team receives more than a warning or two, the power to the team’s Pit Station will be shut off and/or the music confiscated.
• Do not run in the venue.
• Open-toed shoes are not allowed.

 

FIRST Consent Form Revisions Overview

 

FIRST has revised the Consent and Release Form with several goals in mind: 1) simplifying the process by creating a unified form; 2) collecting participant data to make it possible to conduct more effective outreach and marketing to alumni; 3) and give FIRST the capacity to conduct regular follow-up studies of its participants in order to better demonstrate impact.  This information is critical to FIRST because it will provide a roadmap for the organization, guide program implementation and management, and communicate more confidently the impact to schools, sponsors and other groups.  In order for FIRST to quantitatively state that our programs are positively impacting participating students, corporations, schools and communities we need to collect information on the individual level.  The Consent Forms are the only place where FIRST collects that type of information.

The goal of the FIRST Consent Forms is to ensure the following:

• To get consent and release of liabilities due to harm and/or injury for FIRST and FIRST’s “Cooperating Entities”
• To grant FIRST the right to use participant’s likeness during the participation in FIRST events
• To ensure that agents of FIRST and on behalf of FIRST can collect and analyze information for us
• To grant FIRST the right to contact the Parent/Guardian and participants at a later time for evaluation and/or announce other benefits like alumni outreach efforts

Because we are dealing with youth and youth information, FIRST must be in compliance with the US Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (under the age 13) and the Canadian Online Protection Act.

The 2009-2010 Consent and Release form is the only acceptable FIRST form for the 2009 FRC events.  Remember to bring your competed forms to your initial competition event - for all the persons on your team. Make sure each person under 18 has a legal parent/guardian sign it also.