3/27/2020

Important Updates From Your National Organizer:

March 27, 2020

Dear Friends,

By now, most of you have seen or heard about the press release issued by WRO Association cancelling the WRO International Finals 2020 in Montreal and the three Friendship Invitationals in China, Italy and the USA for this year. If not, here is a link to the press release: link

We understand this was a very hard decision and certainly applaud the WRO Association Board of Directors and Staff for their leadership in doing the right thing. Painful as the decision was, in today’s uncertain atmosphere, the safety and health of our entire community must come first.

As stated in the press release, national organizers are responsible for events held at the national level and, in the United States, that responsibility falls to the WRO Foundation.

After careful consideration and in response to the many questions we have received, we would like to provide you with some direction as we move forward:

• WRO USA will NOT be cancelling the upcoming season yet but will instead recommend a delay to the start of the season to begin in July providing time for the COVID-19 outbreak in the USA to start its downward trend after we as a nation have flattened the curve. Of course, this date and decision will be fluid based on recommendations of the World Health Organization and US Public Health officials.

• The competition season and qualifying rounds will run from July – September with the US National Finals targeted for the end of October/beginning of November. Exact date and location to be determined.

• If you are a host who needs to reschedule the date of your competition, please contact Alex Crooks, WRO USA Program Director, at: ac@wro-foundation.org.

• Anyone who has already registered as a team on the WRO Foundation website for a competition that had been scheduled PRIOR to July 1st will have their registration either refunded at their written request or have it automatically transferred to the NEW date of the cancelled/rescheduled tournament.

• Providing some activities and support to the US community is paramount to the WRO Foundation. Beginning in April, we will be offering a FREE two-week trial of our Virtual Simulation to our WRO community and the general public so that homebound students, teachers, mentors and others can stay active with their STEM and robotic skills. Learning never stops.

• Beginning May, we will be launching our first USA Virtual National Finals Competition with four qualifying rounds occurring during the months of May & June with the USA Virtual National Finals taking place the beginning of July. Again, exact dates to be determined.

More details will be forthcoming next week but we wanted to let you know that we will continue to support your efforts here in the United States and certainly understand the many challenges facing all of you during the Coronavirus pandemic – we are facing them with you. We will be scheduling a conference call with all hosts and state partners next week to discuss details.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact any of us here at the WRO Foundation Office. And we encourage all of you, no matter what state you live in, to please follow the recommended guidelines as issued by the World Health Organization and US Public Health officials.

We are all in this together! Stay safe!

Sincerely,

Larry, Alex and Joyce

WRO Foundation Staff