The New York Tech Valley Chairman’s Award is the most prestigious award at FIRST. It honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST.

The Chairman’s Award is presented to the team judged to have the most significant measurable impact of its partnerships among its participants and community over a sustained period, not just a single build season. This team demonstrates progress towards FIRST’s mission of transforming our culture.

What makes this team’s efforts so remarkable? The team strategy to the FIRST mission is to actually share EVERYTHING.

They provide hands on support as mentors and instructors, and open access to their knowledgebase, code, equipment and robots. They even share their HOUSE and run multiple events for FRC, FTC, FLL, and FLL Jr.

In recent years they have expanded their community outreach programs to collect and deliver school supplies, and send gifts and packages to our military members. Even with all this effort, the team keeps RUMBLING along. They’ve challenged themselves to create and send robotics kits for kids in Afghanistan.

The winning team believes in an "our house is your house" philosophy, and truly exemplifies the mission to inspire, impact, and spread FIRST throughout the world.

Congratulations Team 3044, 0xBE4 from Ballston Spa, New York!

FIRST Dean’s List Finalists are outstanding passionate student leaders who demonstrate exemplary effectiveness at attaining FIRST ideals.

They were nominated by their teams for their direct contributions and impact on others – exemplifying leadership and commitment, on the team and in their community. FIRST Dean’s List Finalists, recognized here today, are also our nominees for the FIRST Dean’s List at the Championships.

I will announce the names one at a time…

This person began learning FIRST principles as a young student in FIRST Lego League, and followed the FIRST path to start an FRC team in high school.

In the team’s first year, an international shipping problem delayed their robot kit delivery by three weeks, cutting their build season by half. This student leader kept the team focused and engaged by starting a planning process to get the build going quickly and efficiently when the kit arrived. She says that FIRST makes her believe that all things are possible.

Congratulations to the first FIRST Dean’s List Finalist

Kherollyn Santos from Team Number 7563!

This student believes that including many minds in the decision process results in a better outcome. This student has been described as constantly self-challenging with new learning opportunities.

As a sophomore, he started a CAD group for his FIRST team, more than doubling the use and scope of CAD for the team.

As a boy scout, he reaches out to younger scouts with opportunities in STEM and robotics, spreading the FIRST message further.

Congratulations to the second FIRST Dean’s List Finalist:

Ian Jensen from Team Number 5881!

The Rookie All-Star Award celebrates the rookie team exemplifying a young but strong partnership effort, as well as implementing the mission of FIRST to inspire students to learn more about science and technology. This is not an easy challenge for a rookie team but the judges want to recognize and reward one team that got it right.

This team’s outreach is phenomenal. They make inexpensive robot kits for schools. Its team members are articulate and motivated. Their rookie year is amazing. When you see the team colors you think of the sunrise over São Paulo.

The judges hope you enjoy the Championships!

Congratulations, parabéns, Team 7565, Robonauticos!

The Engineering Inspiration Award celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s community. Inspiring others to respect science and technology requires passion, knowledge and commitment; FIRST celebrates these qualities by presenting its Engineering Inspiration Award.

The Winner of this award will have their 2019 Championship Registration fee sponsored by NASA.

This team reaches out beyond their school to support engineering and technology.

They run a six-week long after-school program in their elementary school, where students learn to make their own robots.

Not only did they help start two FIRST teams in their area, they shared their shop facilities and became mentors to help the team that only had eager freshmen.

One community service project features a great use of technology to overcome physical disability.

Congratulations Team 5943, the Bad News Gears!

The remaining Awards are all awards which qualify the award-winning teams for the Championships in April.

First, the New York Tech Valley FIRST Regional Champions.

This alliance rose to the challenge of Destination Deep Space presented by the Boeing Company, and is truly out of this world. They can now proudly hang a Winner’s banner in their Pit.

Congratulations to the Alliance Captain, Team 20 and their partners: Team 2791 and Team 7651!

Regional Finalist celebrates the alliance that makes it to the final match of the competition. FIRST recognizes the talent of these outstanding competitors. They were sensational and we are proud to honor them.

Congratulations to the Alliance Captain, Team 694 and their partners: Team 1493 and Team 7030!

The Industrial Safety Award sponsored by Underwriters Laboratories celebrates a team that progresses beyond safety fundamentals by using innovative ways to eliminate or protect against hazards. The winning team consistently demonstrates excellence in safety through the heat of competition.

Before we announce the Safety Award winning Team and invite them to the field to receive their award, the UL Safety Advisors would like to recognize two runner-up Teams. Both of these Teams should send their Safety Captain to the Pit Admin desk after the Awards Ceremony to pick up the Hard Hat pins for their team.

Our first runner up is Team 3799, Electric Fire.

The other runner up is Team 20, the Rocketeers.

Underwriters Laboratories would like to thank everyone for making it so difficult to choose just one winner. We were very impressed by the dedication to safety shown by so many teams during this tournament. Our winning team not only had a strong safety culture, but also a well-organized safety cabinet and a carefully thought out plan to expand their safety culture over the next year.

And now we invite to the field our Safety Award winning Team:

Congratulations for your Mega-achievement, Team number 333, the Megalodons, from John Dewey High School in Brooklyn, NY!

The Industrial Design Award sponsored by General Motors celebrates form and function in an efficiently designed machine that effectively addresses the game challenge. Their product and process reflect the mission of FIRST, by demonstrating sound technology development from start to finish.

This team’s use of flashy LEDs helped the drivers stay informed of their robot’s status.

A cohesive design of the robot using a spring elevator, smooth ramp rate drive and many automation controls reflect a team effort.

Adding a robust lift design, this team was able to ROCKET to the top platform.

Congratulations Team 20, The Rocketeers!

During the course of the competition, the judging panel encounters teams whose unique efforts, performance, or dynamics merit recognition yet do not fit into any of the existing award categories. Today, the judges have defined the following special award as a Judges’ Award for one such deserving team.

Although this team is young in age, they are using problem analysis models that take seasoned technologists years to understand and successfully use. Faced with more than 200 students hoping to join the team, they developed a six-week program to train and develop problem-solving skills in the candidates. Exercises followed a well-defined plan that included building teamwork, robot construction, and brainstorming, such as "how would you design a chair?"

They clearly have great leadership, passionate mentors, and a determination for excellence that will serve them well in their professional careers for years to come. The winning team aims to develop members who can do Tech during the day and Tech at Knight.

The Judges Award goes to Team 334, the TechKnights!

The Rookie Inspiration Award sponsored by National Instruments celebrates a rookie team for outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering and engineers, both within their school, as well as in their community.

This Rookie Team demonstrated a jump start. From great outreach and good visuals to attractive printed materials, they set a standard. Their outreach evaluation is impressive and they share their programming by capatcha coder. So we say well done or muito bem!

Congratulations, parabéns - Team 7563, Megazord!

Highest Rookie Seed Award: This award celebrates the highest seeded rookie team at the conclusion of the qualifying rounds.

Congratulations Team 7651, Bethlehem Eagles!

The Entrepreneurship Award sponsored by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit by recognizing a team that has developed the framework for a comprehensive business plan plan in order to define, manage, and achieve the team’s ongoing objectives.

This team’s business plan emphasized their global reach, not just in leadership but in mentorship.

They supported their 150 member team with sponsors, grants, dues, merchandizing, and bake and book sales with funds to spare.

Extensive volunteering helps this team stay on the "Pulse" of their community.

Congratulations Team 694, StuyPulse!

The Team Spirit Award sponsored by FCA Foundation recognizes extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit through exceptional partnership and teamwork furthering the objectives of FIRST.

This year’s Team Spirit award goes to veterans who, color-for-color, wore their passion and camaraderie on their shirts, faces, hair and safety glasses.

Their code to unified success is in their core values and dedication to "Build Better People".

When this team sees red, they do not stop.

Make way because it’s full speed ahead for them!

Congratulations Team 639, Code Red Robotics!

The Excellence in Engineering Award sponsored by Delphi celebrates an elegant and advantageous machine feature. The team that wins this award must be able to describe as well as demonstrate the chosen machine feature.

This team was able to play all three levels while still maintaining a good center of gravity due to their excellent weight-balance system.

Besides using their step-point elevator control, they were able to line-follow using IR angle-correctness sensors with elegance.

They had an extremely well thought-out and precisely well-timed climb system that helped them finish on time.

Congratulations Team 2791, Shaker Robotics!

The Gracious Professionalism^® Award sponsored by Johnson & Johnson recognizes outstanding demonstration of FIRST Core Values such as continuous Gracious Professionalism, working together both on and off the field of play. To win, a team must exemplify the principles of FIRST – fairness, humility, sharing, and persevering – and a winning attitude.

This team puts Gracious Professionalism into practice in real time, in multiple ways. They have been quick to supply tools and parts for teams in need, from their well-stocked and attractive pit facility.

They’ve pitched in to make the competition run smoothly, even helping round up stragglers in queuing.

This team is proof that it’s not how many parts you have, but how you use them to help other teams in need.

Fired with enthusiasm, this year’s Gracious Professionalism Award goes to Team 3799, Electric Fire!

The Creativity Award sponsored by Xerox celebrates creativity in design, use of components, or unique strategy of play.

This team used a maneuverable drive base to quickly cycle game pieces. They considered the rigors of competition when designing a mechanism with planned failure points. Their retractable hatch system was easy to service or replace and even had a backup, manual-operation mode.

Congratulations Team 514 Entropy, Miller Place Robotics!

The Quality Award sponsored by Motorola Solutions Foundation celebrates machine robustness in concept and fabrication. The winning team demonstrates these characteristics in many ways from planning through execution. Building the robot is only part of their success and the judges recognize them as a quality example to others.

Elegant and organized both in their pit and with their robot, this team focused on "HAB" climbing and first-level game pieces. They used a unique hatch grabber and hybrid tank / omni drive as they traveled the field. Their shirts and robot echoed colors from the flag they proudly display.

Congratulations Team 1860 – the Alphabots!

The Innovation in Control Award sponsored by Rockwell Automation celebrates an innovative control system or application of control components to provide unique machine functions.

This robot integrates multiple PID layers with magnetic limit switches to create an effective control system.

Their deftly-designed pneumatic system helped them soar to greater heights.

Like a bird of prey, this bot was highly maneuverable with their swerve drive.

Congratulations Team 2875, the Cyber Hawks!

The Imagery Award is in honor of Jack Kamen. This award celebrates attractiveness in engineering and outstanding visual aesthetic integration from the machine to the team appearance.

Although they are not millions of years old, the members of this winning team are veterans. Rising from the depths of the deep blue sea, they successfully and creatively integrated their theme into all aspects of their team. If someone looks carefully, they can see that theme reflected in the pit and on the robot. Deep Space Rocket lies at the core of these Apex Predators.

Congratulations, Team 333, The Megalodons!