#paydirt2015 Sponsor Spotlight: Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative

Local phone service? Yes!

Digital television? Yep!

Email? Of course!

Computer help? They do it!

Security systems? Got that too!

Internet? Can you say "Gig Country"?

All that here, on Sand Mountain? You bet we do!

But we can't get services of the same quality of those in big cities can we?

 No. What we get is BETTER!

Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative, Alabama’s largest member-owned operating telephone cooperative, marked its beginning with its original incorporation in February 1952. Up to that time, none of Alabama’s large, investor-owned telephone companies would serve the state’s rural areas, claiming that the costs to serve these sparsely populated areas were just too high, and the returns too low. Responding to the need for reliable communications with their neighbors and the world, a handful of area residents, some of whom had played key roles in establishing Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative, joined together to begin organizing and building Farmers Telephone Cooperative.

Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative is a proud sponsor of Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics. We are pleased to have them on our team.

#paydirt 2015 Technical Training Day Registration Open Until 4

We have opened Technical Training Day registration until 4 pm today. If you registered but will not be able to attend, please cancel your registration so that others can take your place. If you registered more than once (we caught a few of these and have contacted people to make corrections) please cancel your extra registrations so that others can take those open spots.

We are looking forward to a good day of training tomorrow.

#paydirt2015 Northeast Alabama BEST Wins Award!

Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics was recently notified that it has been selected as a Difference Maker by Marco Promotional Products.

We were selected as the June 2015 winner, and were awarded $500 in free merchandise from Marco Promos. Thanks to Marco Promos for this honor!

Here is additional information from the Marco Promos website: 

You work every day to make it better for children, teenagers, adults, seniors...or any of God's other creatures or maybe even Mother Earth herself. You help the ill, the unfortunate, whoever needs a hand. Your work is done in a school, hospital, church, temple, synagogue, museum, clinic, zoo, senior center, youth club or any number of other organizations that reach out to others in need.
Personally, you might be able to make more money if you worked in a for-profit business, but money is not the most important thing to you...or you may be a volunteer and get paid only in the satisfaction that comes from "Thank you."

Your cause needs support. There is never enough money to do all the things you want to do. And you are always looking for ways to promote your good works.

Here is where Team MARCO and Difference Makers™ may be able to help you in your effort to help others. Each week a $500 credit to use towards a promotional products order (including any set up fees and shipping) will be given free to a 501 (c) (3) organization. Difference Makers™ are welcome to apply.

If your organization is selected, you will be able to choose the specific promotional item that you feel best suits your needs from the over 8,000 products on our web site. And the item(s) you select will be imprinted with your logo or message, whatever you think is best.

And you will also be able to use them as you would like, to thank volunteers or donors, to help introduce a new service, again, whatever application best suites your needs. Many of our non-profit customers use promotional products in their fundraising efforts which often allow them to leverage the value several times over. You do not need to be a MARCO customer to apply. We want to hear from all the Difference Makers™ out there!

#paydirt2015 Thanks to Sponsor: Urethane Supply Company

We are pleased that Urethane Supply Company continues to be a BEST supporter. You might not know this, but Urethane Supply Company was the first Northeast Alabama BEST sponsor to come on board in our inaugural 2012 season. And we are excited that this high-tech, local company is still on the BEST team.

Urethane Supply Company manufactures and sells everything needed to repair or refinish automotive plastic, including plastic welders and refinishing chemicals. Check out their website to see the amazing things produced right here in Rainsville.

#paydirt2015 Kick Off Video Released

It's here! The 2015 BEST season has officially launched. Check out the Kick Off Video here.

#paydirt2015 Let Us Know You Are Excited About BEST 2015!

Kick Off Day takes place tomorrow. Let us know that your team is excited by:

1. Following Northeast Alabama BEST on Twitter
2. Liking Northeast Alabama BEST on Facebook
3. Using the hashtag #paydirt2015 on your posts
4. Mentioning @northeastalbest on Twitter

Let's see who can build excitement for Kick Off through social media!

Here is a link to our Social Media page on our website. 

#paydirt2015 Sponsor Spotlight: Source 4 Manufacturing

Source 4 Manufacturing is a small, family-owned business located in Scottsboro that you have probably never heard of. Their customers are other companies so it is unlikely that you'll every purchase anything from them. But Rita and Bob care about STEM education and have been supporters of BEST and our Summer STEM Experience since 2013. They understand that their future workforce is comprised of students in our schools. And they want to make sure that students in our area have every advantage to prepare them for future careers. We thank Source 4 Manufacturing for their continued support of BEST!

#paydirt2015 Kick Off Day is Saturday!!!

Kick Off Day for Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics will take place on Saturday, September 26 at 8:30 am in the Tom Bevill Lyceum on the NACC campus. Teams should arrive at 8:00 am to get registered.

Here is the schedule. 

Kick Off Day

Location:   Tom Bevill Lyceum, Northeast Alabama Community College

8:00                      Registration Open

(All teams should be registered and seated by 8:25 am)

8:15                      Theatre Doors Open

8:30                      Opening Session – Kick Off of 2015 BEST Robotics

9:00                      General Session:

·        Game Explanation/Scoring

·        Organizing Your Team

·        42 Days of BEST

·        BEST Award Rules and Scoring

Location: Industrial Systems Technology Building, NACC Campus

11:00                    Kit Pick Up and Field Viewing (Each team gets 15 minutes on the field) 

 

Please contact Nicole Carroll with any questions. 

#paydirt2015 MatLab Simulink Workshop Announced

Northeast Alabama BEST has announced a new workshop to be added for Technical Training Day. Technical Training Day will be held on Wednesday, September 30 from 9:30 am until 1:30 pm. Glen Bruce, of Marshall Technical School, will teach MatLab Simulink. To sign up click this link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/technical-training-day-matlab-tickets-18632766105 

See an earlier news post to see other workshops available. 

#paydirt2015 Announcement About T Shirts

Once again, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, we are going to be able to provide Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics Tshirts to participants in BEST 2015. However, due to the increased number of teams and the size of some teams we will provide Tshirts to teams under the following conditions:

• Tshirts will be given to team members whose names are on the roster and whose demographic information is included in the demographics form. For example, if you have 20 students on the roster you should also list 20 students on the demographics form. 
• One Tshirt will be issued to each student, mentor and coach on the roster. Additional Tshirts will be made available for purchase for parents, siblings, etc. at our cost.
• A maximum of 50 Tshirts will be issued per team. Additional shirts will be made available for purchase at our cost.

Tshirt order forms, demographic forms and rosters are due to Nicole Carroll no later than Friday, October 2, 2015 at noon.

#paydirt2015 Technical Training Day Registration is Open

Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics will host a Technical Training Day on September 30, 2015 from 9:30 am until 1:30 pm. This is an opportunity for in depth training in various aspects of BEST. Those who participate:

• may include students, teachers and mentors
• will enjoy a pizza lunch
• should arrive by 9:15 in order to find their classroom for a prompt 9:30 start
• MUST preregister for the course on EventBrite and bring his/her ticket for entry

There is no charge for the workshops for BEST students and volunteers.

Anyone who is not attending a specific workshop but is attending as a teacher or chaperone must register by clicking his link.

The following workshops will be offered. Click on the link to take you to the registration page for that course.

Solidworks Design Software

Easy C Programming Software

Soldering and Wire Connections

BEST Award and Engineering Notebook 

Additional workshops may be added based on need.

#paydirt2015 BEST Part of National Manufacturing Day

Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics will be part of the celebration of National Manufacturing (MFG) Day this year. MFG DAY addresses common misperceptions about manufacturing by giving manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, what manufacturing is — and what it isn’t. By working together during and after MFG DAY, manufacturers will begin to address the skilled labor shortage they face, connect with future generations, take charge of the public image of manufacturing, and ensure the ongoing prosperity of the whole industry.

Supported by a group of industry sponsors and co-producers, MFG DAY is designed to amplify the voice of individual manufacturers and coordinate a collective chorus of manufacturers with common concerns and challenges. The rallying point for a growing mass movement, MFG DAY empowers manufacturers to come together to address their collective challenges so they can help their communities and future generations thrive.

Sponsors include:

• Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, International 
• National Association of Manufacturers
• Manufacturing Extension Partnership

 Look for other MFG Day events at the MFG Day site. 

 The link to the BEST site is here.

#paydirt2015 Sponsor Spotlight: Fort Payne Improvement Authority

We are excited to announce that Fort Payne Improvement Authority is once again committed as a sponsor of Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics. Not only do they keep the lights on in Fort Payne, they help to support the work of BEST Robotics, making participation available at no cost to local schools. A sponsor since 2013, thanks to FPIA for their continued support!

#paydirt2015 Kick Off Schedule Announced

Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics has announced details for Kick Off Day 2015, which will take place on Saturday, September 26 at the Tom Bevill Lyceum on the campus of Northeast Alabama Community College. Unlike previous years there will be no breakout workshop sessions on Kick Off Day. Instead, those workshops will be offered at Technical Training Day on September 30.

The general session will include topics of interest to everyone. The schedule for Kick Off Day is shown below.

Kick Off Day

Location:   Tom Bevill Lyceum, Northeast Alabama Community College

8:00                      Registration Open

(All teams should be registered and seated by 8:25 am)

8:15                      Theatre Doors Open

8:30                      Opening Session – Kick Off of 2015 BEST Robotics

9:00                      General Session:

·        Game Explanation/Scoring

·        Organizing Your Team

·        42 Days of BEST

·        BEST Award Rules and Scoring

Location: Industrial Systems Technology Building, NACC Campus

11:00                    Kit Pick Up and Field Viewing (Each team gets 15 minutes on the field)

#paydirt2015 Sponsor Spotlight: Berry & Dunn Office Equipment

Berry and Dunn Office Equipment, with locations in Rainsville, Fort Payne and Scottsboro, has been a sponsor of Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics from its inception in 2012. We thank them for their continued support of BEST!

#paydirt2015 Pisgah High School is Registered!

We are pleased that the team from Pisgah High School has registered, giving us a total of 16 teams for this year!

#paydirt2015 Fyffe HS is Registered

We are pleased to announce that Fyffe High School is registered for BEST Robotics 2015! Always a powerhouse, the team from FHS will be a contender! Welcome to Mrs. Parris and her team.

#Paydirt2015 Kits Are Ready!

The returnable kits are ready to be issued on kick off day, which will be here before we know it!
There are a few changes in the kits this year, including:

• programming hardware kit has been replaced with a USB cable
• new motion kit has replaced old skate wheel and belt and pulley kit

Also, look for minor changes in the consumable kit, which will be discussed on kick off day.

Speaking of kick off day, look for changes in the format of that day's schedule also. More details coming soon...

Ider High School is Registered!

We are pleased to announce that Sharlyn Huber and her Ider High School team have registered for BEST 2015! Ider has been a key contender every year. Is this the year that they will break out into first place?

North Sand Mountain is Registered!

North Sand Mountain High School is registered for BEST Robotics 2015! We are excited to have Mr. Roden and his team on board for 2015.

Deadline to Register is September 12

The deadline to register for Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics 2015 is fast approaching. Registration is available by clicking the registration link on the right side of this page. The deadline is September 12.

We are excited to have four new teams registered already and expect this year's competition to be the best yet!

Woodville High School is Registered

Always a strong competitor, Woodville High School has signed up for Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics this year. We are excited to welcome WHS for their fourth BEST season!