HOW WE DEFINE A
ROOKIE TEAM
To be considered a rookie team, the team must either be the
first team in that program in your school/organization, or be an additional
team above the highest number of teams in past seasons.
- Example: XYZ Elementary School had 4 FIRST LEGO teams two years ago and 3 last year. This year they will have 5. The 5th team counts as a rookie team eligible for our incredible rookie grants.
BE SURE YOUR TEAM IS
ALIGNED
Teams must be in the proper program to compete in Michigan
events. In addition, to be eligible for our state and private grants the team
must:
- Register for the current season in the proper program
- Be affiliated with a public or private school district or a youth enrichment 501c3 type of community organization (scouts, 4-H, etc.)
- Must participate in an official event during the season (either a Qualifier in the fall, or another FIRST in Michigan event in the spring for teams that register late in the season)
Please read through the application information below,
before you apply for a grant. The link
to the application is at the end of this document.
2017 Michigan FIRST LEGO League
Rookie Team Grant Application
This grant is made available through generous donations from
our sponsors:
General Motors
The FCA Foundation
(Fiat Chrysler Automobiles)
Grant
Parameters
This grant application form is for FIRST in Michigan
Elementary School FIRST LEGO League rookie teams that are affiliated with a
school or youth enrichment 501c3 type of organization.
Upon approval, the team will receive a single reimbursement
check from FIRST in Michigan. The team's fiscal partner (school or 501c3
organization) should execute the parts purchase on behalf of the team. Grant
checks cannot be made out to individuals.
1)
WHO MAY APPLY:
FIRST in Michigan aligned elementary school FIRST LEGO
League team comprised entirely of elementary school team grade/age members
only. Elementary school grade
designation is as defined by the local school district where your team is
located.
Teams must be affiliated with and recognized by an entity
such as a school (public, private, or home) or youth enrichment 501c3 type of
community organization (scouts, 4-H, etc.). The intent is to have teams align
with a sustainable entity for ongoing team support and to keep the reusable kit
of parts "in play" year to year.The “Payee” name for the
reimbursement check should be the team's fiscal partner (school, 501c3
organization) and not an individual. Grant checks cannot be remit to
individuals. Payment to an individual, results in the grant being considered
taxable income to the person receiving the funds which is not the sponsor's
intent.
Multiple teams from one school/organization:
- If your school/organization did not participate in the past, each of the teams you register this season may apply for a grant.
- If your school/organization participated in FIRST LEGO League in the past, and the number of registered teams from your school/organization this season will exceed the highest number of teams registered in past seasons - the additional incremental teams may each apply for a grant.
EXAMPLE 2:
School/organization with 1 existing team which does not re-register for
2017-18 season, 1 rookie (new) team in that school/organization registers for
2017-18 season. The new team is not
eligible for the rookie grants.
2)
WHEN TO APPLY:
All
of the following must be completed before this grant application may be
submitted:
- The team is registered for the 2017 FIRST LEGO League HYDRO DYNAMICS season on the FIRST website: http://www.firstinspires.org
- The team has received a permanent team number. Applications with temporary team numbers will not be processed. Temporary team numbers are greater than 201700000.
- Two Coaches have been identified and are working towards completing the team profile, electronically signing FIRST & FIRST in Michigan Consent/Release forms, and completing the Youth Protection Program (YPP) background screening process. Applications without confirmed screened coaches will be put on hold, and not processed until the screening has been confirmed.
FIRST
in Michigan FIRST LEGO League Rookie Team grants are reimbursement grants. If it presents a hardship to the
school/organization to front the money, email michiganfll@gmail.com to work out
an alternate arrangement.
Teams
must upload their LEGO Education Proof of Purchase confirmation for the Team
Registration, Challenge set and EV3 Robot Kit as part of the grant application
submission.
- The LEGO Education Purchase confirmation may be provided as a pdf from the emailed confirmation sent to the individual that executed the initial kit of parts purchase on behalf of the team.
- If payment is made by PO, the PO payment confirmation must also be provided as part of the file upload showing the PO paid in full.
- Have document(s) in pdf format for uploading. File naming convention: LEGOEducation<Team Number>.pdf. Example: LEGOEducation12345.pdf.
Please
have the following information ready to share. Ensure that the information in
these fields is input accurately and conforms to formats accepted by mailing
services. FIRST in Michigan will not verify this information. Any inaccuracies
could result in delays or lost checks.
- Payee name for reimbursement check (if applicable; team’s fiscal partner, cannot be an individual; max 40 Characters)
- Mailing Name (max 40 characters; i.e. school/organization)
- Mailing Address 1 (max 40 characters)
- Mailing Address 2 (if needed, max 40 characters)
- Mailing City (max 25 characters)
- Mailing State (max 2 characters i.e. MI)
- Mailing Zip (xxxxx or xxxxx-xxxx format)
- ATTN First Name (optional; max 25 characters)
- ATTN Last Name (optional; max 25 characters)
3)
TERMS OF THE GRANT:
A
team that receives a grant is required to build a robot from the kit of parts
and participate in at least one official FIRST in Michigan FIRST LEGO League
event during the 2017-2018 season.
Grants
are restricted for use in support of the receiving FIRST in Michigan Elementary
School FIRST LEGO League team and their current FIRST LEGO League season
related expenses. Teams must keep record
of how grant funds are used and be able to provide proof of fund usage upon
request.
Grant
recipients agree to recognize sponsors' support and agree to provide photos and
stories of their season upon request.
The
reimbursement award amount could be adjusted lower based on the team’s
submitted proof of purchase confirmation/receipt. Purchasing significantly less equipment than
recommended or not providing required receipts could result in a lesser award
or a declined grant.
The
FIRST LEGO League Team Number and FIRST LEGO League robot kit are reusable year
to year. Acceptance of grant funds constitutes an agreement to sustain the team
for at least 3 seasons. As grants are limited in number, FIRST in Michigan
FIRST LEGO League retains the right to request a team's sustainability plan
prior to approval.
If
the team accepts a grant award and fails to comply with the terms and
requirements of the grant, the team must return all equipment purchased with
the grant to FIRST in Michigan or reimburse FIRST in Michigan for the full
amount of the received grant.
4)
TIMING:
Teams
approved for a grant will receive the funds when the team's rookie status, team
registration, and Coaches' screening completion are verified, and Challenge Set
and kit of parts proof of purchase are received. Grant applications will be reviewed on a
bi-monthly basis.
The
application form is currently open, and may be found here: https://goo.gl/forms/0Bgk3cu4by1YgnjK2
Please
address any questions regarding this grant application process to
michiganfll@gmail.com, and include the following in the email title: “MI FLL
Rookie Grant Inquiry Team <Team number>”.
Example: MI FLL Rookie Grant
Inquiry Team 123456