[Yaaarc] Fwd: R o b o f e s t eNewsletter, 11-29-06

[Neal Probert]

R o b o f e s t    eNewsletter, 11-29-06

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Contents:
(1)  Robofest 2007 Information Meetings Scheduled for December
(2)  Robofest Playing Fields Available for Teams to Purchase
(3)  Thanksgiving RoboParade Video on YouTube
(4)  Additional Robofest 2007 Site Host Locations & Dates Announced
(5)  Students Looking to Join Robofest Team
(6)  MCWTF Offering Three $500 Grants to All Female Teams in Michigan
(7)  Friends of Robofest Sponsors Needed for 2007
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(1) Robofest 2007 Information Meetings Scheduled for December

Robofest has scheduled the 2007 Informational Meetings for new teams, 
returning teams, and site hosts.  The 2007 Game Competition Rules will be 
announced during these meetings.  Robofest will offer the same Informational 
Meeting at three different times; one of the meetings is a live webcast – you 
don’t have to be at LTU to participate in the webcast. The Robofest 2007 
Information Meetings will take place as follows:

o Thursday, December 14, 2006, 12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m., Live Webcast 
Informational meeting   (You may participate via the live webcast or attend 
the meeting in person at LTU) If you would like to participate in the webcast 
you must register by sending Lori Birman an e-mail at LBirman at LTU.edu . Lori 
will confirm your registration and send you the log in information.  If you 
wish to attend the live webcast in person, please contact Lori and she will 
provide you with the room location. Space is limited.

o Thursday, December 14, 2006, 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. Informational Meeting at LTU, 
in Science Building Room S-321, located on the 3rd floor.  (You do not need 
to register for the December 14 meeting.)

o Saturday, December 16, 2006, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Informational Meeting at 
LTU, in the LTU Welcome Center, C-406, which is located on the 4th floor of 
the A. Alfred Taubman Student Services Center.  (You do not need to register 
for the December 16 meeting.)

Students, teachers, school administrator & parents are invited to attend any 
meeting.

(2) Robofest Playing Fields Available for Teams to Purchase

Robofest has whole sets of Robofest 2007 Games Competition Playing Fields 
available for Purchase at $75.00 each, if ordered by December 10th.  Please 
note that these Playing Fields are for new teams only.  If you are a 
returning team, you can use your previous playing field parts, so you do not 
need to purchase one of these sets.  If you are an Exhibition team, you do 
not need a Playing Field. Teams must pick up the playing field materials – 
sorry, we do not ship.

Robofest accepts cash or check only.  All checks should be made payable to 
LTU.  If you would like to order a 2007 Playing Field set, please contact 
Lori Birman at LBirman at LTU.edu.

(3) Thanksgiving RoboParade Video on YouTube

LTU hosted the Thanksgiving RoboParade on Saturday, November 18.  The parade 
was believed to be the first of its kind in the world.  Floats were very 
creative, some played Christmas music, including turkeys, ducks, local sports 
teams, snowmen, reindeer, Santa, Christmas trees, there was even a Santa 
Maria ship and a ginger bread house!  The last robot in the parade had a 
video camera that videotaped the robot’s view and showed it to the audience. 
  What a great parade designed by an exception group of young students! LTU 
President, Dr. Lewis Walker welcomed guests to the Thanksgiving RoboParade. 
The parade was viewed by over 200 guests, including parade students & their 
families, and the general public.  Streaming video of the parade can be 
viewed at the following URL on YouTube – Please visit and give us your 
comments:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlGY2YSqT3c

(4) Additional Robofest 2007 Site Host Locations & Dates Announced

The following Robofest Competition Site Host Locations and Dates have been 
recently added to the 2007 Robofest Season:

o Robofest Warm-Up Practice for new teams, LTU, Cafeteria, Buell Management 
Building, Southfield, Michigan, March 10
o Delta College, University Center, Michigan, March 17
o Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School, Detroit, Michigan, April 21
o Carman-Ainsworth High School, Flint, Michigan, April 22

The above sites have been added in addition to the sites announced in last 
month’s newsletter:  ELPMIS, Singapore; HanulKid, Ansan Korea; G.S. Lakie 
Middle School, Lethbridge, Alberta Canada; University of Detroit Jesuit High 
School & Academy, Detroit, MI; St. Clair County RESA, Marysville, MI; 
Woodland High School, Woodland, CA; Sky Valley Education Center, Monroe, WA; 
Hill Country Middle School, Austin, TX; Macomb Intermediate School District, 
Clinton Township, MI; Hillside Middle School, Northville, MI; St. Matthew 
Lutheran Church, Houston, TX; Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, MI; 
Canton Charter Academy, Canton, MI; Macomb Christian Schools, Warren, MI; 
World Robofest Championships, LTU, April 27-28, Southfield, MI

If you are interested in becoming a site host, please contact Lori Birman at 
LBirman at ltu.edu.

(5) Students Looking to Join Robofest Team

Robofest administration has been contacted by parents looking to place:
o a 15 year old 10th grade student on a South East Michigan Robofest Team. 
The student lives in Canton, Michigan, goes to school in Ypsilanti, MI.  If 
you have room on your team for this very eager 10th grade student, please 
contact the Mother, Renee Reyer, via cell phone at 734-657-0065.
o a West Bloomfield, Michigan 12 year old 6th grade student with experience 
looking to join a Robofest Team.  This student is new to Michigan and would 
love to join a team of students.  If you have space for this student, please 
contact the mother, Victoria Krendel at VKaras1 at yahoo.com

(6) MCWTF Offering Three $500 Grants to All Female Teams in Michigan

Robofest is pleased to announce that three grants of up to $500 each are 
available to all female Robofest 2007 Teams from Michigan.  The grant is 
being offered by the MCWTF (http://www.mcwtf.org).  If you are interested in 
applying for one of these grants supporting all female Robofest Teams from 
Michigan you can obtain the application on the Robofest web site, 
www.robofest.net or at http://www.mcwtf.org.  The grant application is due no 
later than December 15, 2006.  If you have difficulty accessing the site or 
downloading the application, please send an email to info at mcwt.org or call 
248-281-5391.

The Michigan Council of Women in Technology Foundation is a non-profit 
501(c)3 organization dedicated to inspiring and assisting girls and women in 
Michigan to pursue technology education and careers. We do this by providing 
educational programs and scholarships, as well as ongoing support as they 
move through the educational system.

(7) Friends of Robofest Sponsors Needed for 2007

Robofest has 2007 Sponsorship Opportunities at several levels, including 
individual donor opportunities, entitled “Friends of Robofest.”  Robofest has 
also created several new Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities.  The 2007 
Sponsorship Opportunities Program can be viewed at the following link:

http://www.robofest.net/2007/SponsorshipLevels07.pdf

Individual donors, Friends of Robofest, can make a gift to Robofest via 
credit card (MasterCard, Visa, or Discover) or electronic check by visiting 
the following link:

https://www.applyweb.com/public/register?ltualum

When using the on-line giving form, you must specify Robofest as the gift 
recipient and also specify your gift amount.  The on-line pledge form is 
encrypted with Secure Socket Layer technology to guarantee transaction 
security.

All Robofest donations are tax deductible contributions. Transactions must be 
processed by December 31st to receive 2006 tax credit.  Robofest Sponsorship 
is important in our effort to keep Robofest a low-cost affordable contest for 
everyone.  We hope you will consider supporting Robofest in our sponsorship 
campaign.  We appreciate your support.

Anyone interested in other sponsorship levels should contact Lori Birman at 
LBirman at LTU.edu

-- 

          *** ProbeStar Technical Systems, LLC.  ***
       Software Engineering and Application Development

==// Neal W. Probert (President)       / Email: nprobert at probestar.com //
=// Web: www.probestar.com            / Phone: 734-834-7805           //=
// Fax:                              / Cell: 734-834-7805            //==

"Technology is a gift of God. After the gift of life it is perhaps the 
greatest of God's gifts. It is the mother of civilizations, of arts and of 
sciences"
--- Freeman Dyson Infinite in all directions