FIRSTFare with Oregon Robotics Tournament and Outreach Program
π
Event: FIRSTfare Fall 2025 β ORTOP Conference
π Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025
π Time: 9:00am-3:30pm (team check in at 8:30am)
π Location: Maseeh College of Engineering, Portland State University
π§ Address: 1930 SW 4th Ave, Portland 97201
π About the Event:
FIRSTfare is the annual fall conference for Oregon and Southwest Washington teams competing in FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) and FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC). Led by students, coaches and mentors, the event includes sessions on game strategy, programming, machine vision, shop skills, and more.
π Hosted By:
ORTOP (Oregon Robotics Tournament and Outreach Program) β Oregonβs nonprofit partner for FIRST programs, supporting STEM education through tournaments, mentoring, and equity-based funding.
π Registration Information
FIRST Teams and Coaches - Itβs time to register! ORTOP would appreciate signups from both students and mentors, but you do not need to sign up for a workshop for which you are listed as an instructor. Please have your students register by Wed, Sep 17, so we can complete room assignments and send confirmation emails on Thur, Sep 18. Once a room is full, the workshop will close for registration.
Course Offerings
Here are links for you to view the course offerings. Please note that students who participate in FTC and FRC can select both programs when they register.
Link to view FTC courses in a card view.
Link to view FRC courses in a card view.
Registration
Please use this link to register for courses.
Consent and Release
All participants must have a consent and release completed. The easiest way to do this is to bring us your team roster. We understand that your season is just starting and you may not have everyone on your roster yet. Please contact us if you need a paper consent form.
Link to Express Students Enrollment information - the new Express Enrollment application is available now for coaches/mentors in the United States and Canada with completed FIRST Youth Protection Screenings and provides a simplified experience on mobile and desktop to register and accept youth to FIRST teams.
General Schedule
8:30am: Team Check-in: One person per team to check in the entire team
9:15am: Opening Ceremony: streamed to your first workshop classroom-go directly to your first workshop
9:30-11:15am: Workshops
11:15am-12:30pm: Lunch Break (teams are responsible for their own lunch-student workshop instructors will eat lunch with their teams)
Lab tours available during lunch break
12:30-3:15pm: Workshops
3:30pm: Social in Lovejoy Fountain Park
Grab a treat and socialize with other teams!
Lunch
Teams are responsible for their own lunch. Student workshop instructors should plan to eat lunch with their team, lunch will not be provided for student instructors. There are several places nearby to order lunch, in addition to food trucks across the street. Please note: the food trucks do not take pre-orders; lines and wait times can be long. There is a Chipotle, Domino's Pizza and Einstein Bagel nearby where you can pre-order lunch, as well as many other options.
Parking
Please plan to carpool!
Limited paid parking is available in the Engineering Building's parking garage at PSU, which is shared with the 4th Avenue Building (FAB) next door. The parking entrance is on SW 4th Ave, on the right just before College St. We will have a limited number of free parking passes to hand out at check in to pay for parking but we please ask that you carpool as we cannot cover the cost for everyone and the garage becomes too crowded.
There is street parking and also paid lots that you can park in.
Buses may park (for a fee) at the University Hotel. Please contact us for more information.