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Hello FIRST Wisconsin Teams,
FIRST Wisconsin invites you to attend the 2025 FIRST Wisconsin Advocacy Day on Wednesday, February 4 📅 at the Monona Terrace in Madison 📍! 🤖
💡 Why Advocacy Day?
Wisconsin’s biannual funding for FIRST currently allocates $1.5 million over two years. Last school year, our teams requested $962,000 from the state funding grant! However, the state funding is only $750,000 annually, creating a surplus request of $212,000, which results in teams getting less than they requested.
This year, as part of the state’s budget cycle, we have a unique opportunity to request $4.5 million over two years to open eligibility to include K-5th grade, expand resources for new FIRST teams, and allow for FIRST teams to request even more funding. This change would significantly benefit Wisconsin's young innovators and strengthen the K-12 STEM pipeline across the state, ensuring long-term sustainability for all levels of the FIRST program. 🌱💸
🔹 How Your Team Can Make a Difference
As a team, we would love to work with you to ensure our advocacy efforts are as impactful as possible. Here’s how you can help:
Meet With Your Peers: Before Advocacy Day, connect with other FIRST teams in your legislative district, virtually or in person. Develop a unified plan to represent your area effectively. Highlight how statewide funding supports your community and aligns with FIRST’s goals. Share the unique local impact of robotics while building key relationships with peers and legislators. 💬🏛️
Training and Resources: The Advocacy Committee is dedicated to equipping teams with all the training and resources needed to confidently advocate for increasing access to life-changing robotics programs in their communities. Advocacy for FIRST is a collaborative effort, and every voice is essential to growing and sustaining FIRST programs in Wisconsin!🌎🤝
🤝 Sign Up Below
Attend in Person Advocacy Day: https://forms.office.com/r/SZAXc8Ta1E
Attend Virtual Advocacy Day: https://forms.office.com/r/2vh51PHWGd
We can make a strong case for expanding FIRST’s reach and funding by uniting teams across districts. Together, let’s show Wisconsin’s leaders the life-changing impact of robotics programs. Thank you for representing your district and being a part of FIRST Wisconsin’s future.
Let’s make February 4th a day to remember! 🚀✨
From the FIRST Wisconsin Advocacy Committee
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