Lego Robotics Tournament
High Tech Kids
“…where kids work together to discover how science and technology impact the world around them”
2018-19 Lego Robotics Tournament
Volunteers needed in both technical and non-technical roles.
High Tech Kids annual tournament season is coming soon featuring events at two student levels:
- First Lego League: grades 4 – 9. Volunteers needed as judges, referees, and scoring coordinators to evaluate teamwork skills, research quality, and technical robot design.
- First Tech Challenge: grades 7 – 12. Volunteers needed as judges, inspectors, referees, and scoring coordinators to evaluate teamwork, outreach, mechanical and programming skills.
Regional tournaments are on Saturdays & Sundays, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
November 10, 11, 17, 18
December 1, 2, 8, 9
January 12, 13, 19, 20, 26
State championships begin on Friday, February 8 and continue on Saturdays, February 8 and 23.
Sign up to volunteer for as many event dates as you wish. Volunteer training is required and online resources available.
Free training sessions are given throughout the month of October, including one hosted at the University of Minnesota on Saturday, Oct. 27th from 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. The full list of training dates and locations are:
- Tuesday, Oct. 9 - Cummins Power Generation, Shoreview, 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 18 - Target Corporate, Downtown Minneapolis, 6:00 p.m. -8:30 p.m.
- Monday, Oct. 22 - Thomson Reuters, Eagan, 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 27 - University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 30 - Boston Scientific, Maple Grove, 6:00 p. m. - 8:00 p.m.
Contact [email protected] for judge training, to register as a volunteer, and to designate your available dates/locations. A background check will be required.
News
The election of UMRA officers and new board members for 2024–25 will be conducted via an online poll from May 13 to 19, with the results to be announced at our annual meeting on May 21. Look for the ballot in your email inbox on May 13. Diane Young has been nominated to be president-elect.
“I convinced myself I could handle this problem without support groups or doing additional research, but that’s only because I didn’t want to make it any more real than it already was. Denial comes in many forms, and one is to avoid thinking about the problem any more than need be.” —Alice A. Larson
Meet UMRA member Peter Moe. He retired in 2023 after a career that spanned nearly half a century at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and is credited with developing the “Arb” into one of the few in the U.S. with world-class fruit and landscape breeding programs.
The University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) has welcomed two new members with valuable skills and experience to the URVC Leadership Council: Lynn Slifer and Jeanne Jacobson.
The University plans to remove retirees from the @umn.edu internet identity domain on December 7. UMRA has advocated for ensuring continued access to this identity (including email, Google Workspace, and associated services), citing University retirees’ enduring contributions to and engagement with the University. Thus far, our efforts have not prompted any change of plans.
Leading the online Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays has been a labor of love for Kris Bettin. Alas, a change in family needs has necessitated her retirement. So, JOIE is seeking a new leader to join a savvy editorial committee of five and bring fresh ideas for continued development of the UMRA-sponsored journal.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to explore your photographic interests, hone your photographic skills, and hear what other retirees are up to, the UMRA Photo Club is a great place to be. We have fun! And whatever your skill level, there is room for everybody.
Soon you will receive an email or letter inviting you to renew your UMRA membership for the 2024–25 year. Please renew before you get busy with your summer activities. Your support helps to make our programs and many other member benefits possible!
This will be a new regular column where you can find organizational tasks that need your help! We are currently looking for help researching a new UMRA Membership Database and URVC volunteer database, and a co-producer for UMRA's Zoom webinars. See more details: