August 15, 2025 | firstalberta.ca

Hello and Bonjour Teams!

The FIRST Age season is just around the corner! Here is some preseason information:

1. DECODE Kickoff
2. Season Registration
3. Leagues and Events
4. Message from TKS (Deadline August 17)

DECODE Kickoff

Save the date! The DECODE Kickoff is on September 6, 2025. Kickoff video will start at 10AM sharp, with kickoff activity starting around 9AM. Be on the lookout for more kickoff information in the upcoming days.

Season Registration

Season registration is open! Please, register by November 1st to take part in the 2025-2026 season. Do not forget that you have to register with HQ on your FIRST Portal, and with FIRST Alberta here to be able to join the events.

Leagues and Events

Take a look at our new event page! Central Alberta is currently part of Canoe League and Northern Alberta is part of the Fur Pelt League. Calgary teams, be on the lookout for your league assignment in the next few weeks and please let us know if you are interested in doing the Buffalo Jump qualifier season instead of the league season.

An additional reminder from the last mentor meeting that this year we are requiring each league to provide a volunteer and league coordinator from the parents and mentors in the teams. Each position will require approximately 30 hours of volunteer time over 3.5 months. Please let us know if you or someone in your community would be willing to volunteer. Events will unfortunately be cancelled without volunteers.

Message from TKS (Deadline August 17)

If you’re working with students who are already building and solving with FIRST, they might be ready for what’s next.

The Knowledge Society (TKS) is a 10-month global innovation program for high school students (ages 13–17) who want to explore cutting-edge technologies and make real-world impact. On weekends, they dive into fields like AI, robotics, biotech, climate tech, and quantum computing—then apply what they learn to solve real problems.

TKS students have:

• Interned at NASA, SpaceX, Microsoft, and OpenAI
• Published research in genomics, nanotech, and neuroscience
• Earned full scholarships to MIT, Stanford, and Oxford
• Built projects that have led to startups, TEDx talks, and global awards

This year, TKS alum Marta was named a 2025 National Geographic Young Explorer for her work in robotics and wildlife conservation

We had a huge response to our July 31 deadline — but also heard from students and families who just learned about TKS or needed a bit more time. So we’ve opened a final round of applications until August 17. This is the last opportunity to join the 2025–2026 cohort.

📍 Students in Alberta can join our in-person Calgary program:

🔗 Apply to TKS Calgary

🌎 Or they can apply to our Global Virtual program from anywhere:

🔗 Apply to TKS Global

🎁 Students can use the code FIRSTroboticsTKS2025 to unlock an exclusive $500 program grant.

🗓 Final Deadline: August 17

Questions?

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us! We are here to help. Unless you have a specific question for one of us, please feel free to use the generic FIRST Tech Challenge leadership team email (firsttechchallenge@firstalberta.ca) so you can get a faster response from one of our dedicated members.

Your FIRST Tech Challenge Alberta Leadership Team