[MEMOS] FRC Mentor Memos, May 2025

REEFSCAPE hasn't sunk yet!

Welcome to the off-season! This new post format will come and go throughout the year when there are opportunities to share with New England FRC mentors. The biggest topic right now? Off-season competitions! As of today, 13 local events and 3 exhibitions are scheduled between this weekend and early November. Ready to save the date? To register? To volunteer? Visit our district events page to find all the info you need:

OFF-SEASON DETAILS

May 20: Celebrate the Class of 2025 with NE FIRST and teams around the world

Welcome your seniors as the newest FIRST Alumni! Any student in the Class of 2025 that joins the NE FIRST Alumni Network will be featured on the NE FIRST Alumni page and social media posts for the rest of the year.

Then, join the celebration on Tuesday, May 20! Share your graduating members' future plans, whether it's further education, enlistment, or employment. FIRST says: "Use #FIRSTSigningDay and #FSD2025 on social media to spotlight your graduating team members. Mentors, share your words of advice and congratulations to honor their achievements and inspire what comes next."

INVITE SENIORS TO THE NE FIRST ALUMNI NETWORK

May 21: Altair x NE FIRST : Build Better Robots Faster - Workshop Series

Ready to take your team’s robot to the next level? Want to win $500 for your team while you learn? Join us for the first of two free, 1-hour web workshops created specifically for NE FIRST teams and their mentors. In these sessions, you'll learn how to go beyond CAD and use Altair® Inspire™, a professional-grade simulation and optimization tool used by engineers worldwide, to build lighter, stronger, and more competitive robots.

By attending, you’ll be eligible to:

• Win a $500 sponsorship for your team via a raffle

• Enter the Altair Optimization Challenge, which qualifies you for:

  • A second, advanced workshop (June 4)

  • A chance to win a industrial-grade work laptop

  • Consideration for a paid virtual summer internship at Altair

Join Erik Larson from Altair on Wednesday, May 21, from 7–8 p.m. ET!

REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR TODAY

August 2–3: Save the date for the 2025 New England Mentor Conference presented by Onshape

Returning to WPI this August is the New England Mentor Conference presented by Onshape, a PTC technology. Registration is open as the planning committee builds an exciting conference schedule with presentations focused on:

🔧 Technical Mentorship

🤝 Team Culture & Mentoring

🧠 Team Development

💸 Fundraising & Logistics

🧩 Broader FIRST Community Impact

REGISTER TO ATTEND OR PRESENT

Dive deeper into district-wide resources:

Sign up for alerts when emails to Lead Mentors and reminders to teams are posted to our website's TEAM page

TEAM WEBSITE

Join almost 800 mentors from all over NE in Slack! Find state info like #nh-frc or topics like #mechanical and more

MENTOR SLACK

Wondering where the event photos went from every REEFSCAPE competition? SmugMug has all 2025 events!

NEF SMUGMUG

What else do you want to see in these memos? Email sspain@nefirst.org or use nefirst.org/feedback to share ideas!