FIRST Robotics Mentoring

1. FIRST Robotics Mentoring “Where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes…” • Being a Mentor Helps Many Groups: • You Individually • You Professionally • High School Students • College & Vocational/Technical Students • Your Company • Scientific & Technical Communities Now • Future Scientific & Technical Endeavors

2. Why Should I Do it? • You Make The Impossible Very Possible • The Students Need Your Experience • The Faculty Advisor Needs Your Expertise • The Robot Needs Your Brain

3. There’s A FIRST for Every Age Range of Programs K-12 FIRST Robotics Competition FIRST Vex Challenge FIRST LEGO League Junior FIRST LEGO League K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Grade Level

4. FIRST Robotics Team Growth • 991 teams • 25,000 high-school-age students • 22% CAGR since 2000 • 30 regional competitions across U.S.

5. “Once You’re In, You’re Hooked” “I’d be in FIRST my whole life, if I could””It’s … the smartest decision I ever made”

6. What Skills Are Needed? • Transportation • Lodging • Food • Snacks • Drink • Coffee • OSHA /Safety • Construction • Wiring • Machining • Sensors • Gears • Motors • Fasteners • Connectors • Valves • Relays • Composites • Metals • Marketing • Fund Raising • Networking / Contacts • Public Relations • Press Relations • Purchasing • Budgeting • Writing

7. What Skills Are Needed? • Management • Requirements • Scheduling • Strategy/Tactical • Reconnaissance • Statistical Analysis • Criminal Justice • Photography • Drafting / CAD • Graphic Design • Drawing / Artwork • Video • Software Programming • Website Design • Web Search • Information Organization • Word/Excel/PowerPoint • Psychology • Sociology • Team Spirit • Motivation • Presentation • Research

8. How Would It Challenge Me?

9. Am I In Over My Head?

10. What’s In It For Me?

11. What About The Commitment? • Depends on A Few Factors: • When You Get Started • The Design You Influence • The Number of Mentors Available • Some Can Give More Than Others • 2-3 Hours Two to Three Days After Work During the Week is Reasonable • Typically 4-5 Hours One Day On the Weekend • Give What You Can • Probably Give A Little Extra Once-In-A-While • Typically A Big Push The Last Week Before Ship

12. What’s In It Professionally? • Professional Development • Work With Volunteers • Try Your Hand at Something Out-Of-Scope • Management Experience • Technical Experience • Use FIRST Experience on Job • Respect of Colleagues • Corporate Community Relations • Work With Potential Future Employees • Select Your Scholarship Award Winners

13. What’s In It For The Students? • Skills That Will Serve Them Well For A Lifetime • Where the Theory Meets The Road • The Formulas Have To Perform • Extracurricular School Activity • Success-Oriented Program • Graceful Professionalism • Unlocked Potential • Self-Confidence • Independence • Self-Respect • Leadership • Risk

14. Education in Science & Technology • FIRST Students vs. Comparison Group • Seek Education in Science &Technology • Twice as likely to major in science or engineering • More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

15. What About The College/Vo-Tech? • You Get To Use Last Year’s Seniors for a Few More Years • They Become Student Mentors and Big Brothers/Sisters to Underclassmen • A Role Shift From Teacher To Mentor • Some Colleges and Universities Have Changed Their Curriculum to Support The Needs of the FIRST Robotics Competition • Continue to Encourage Your Bright Stars Of Tomorrow

16. Scholarships Over 70 Universities provide $8 million in scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17. FIRST Robotics Scholarships

18. Scientific/Tech Communities? • Students With More Than Book Knowledge • Better Student Base of Science and Technology • Get to Know the Best and Most Motivated College-Bound or Industry-Bound • Opportunity to Directly Influence the Education System in Your Community • Compete with Other Companies for the Projected Workforce Shortfall • Encourage Students to Fulfill Projected Shortage • Scholarships In The Hands of Potential Employees You Have Experience With

19. Careers in Science & Technology • FIRST Students vs. Comparison Group • Earn Career Opportunities: • Almost ten times more likely to have internship • Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers: • More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career • Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering

20. FIRST Sponsorship Over 2,000 leading corporations, foundations, agencies, including: L R. J. TRICON CO., LLC Prager Engineering

21. Don’t Forget The LEGO Crew • Junior First Lego League • FIRST LEGO League • They Become Student Mentors and Big Brothers/Sisters to Underclassmen • A Role Shift From Teacher To Mentor • Some Colleges and Universities Have Changed Their Curriculum to Support The Needs of the FIRST Robotics Competition • Continue to Encourage Your Bright Stars Of Tomorrow

22. 7500 5859 4331 3001 1902 1540 960 200 OUTSIDE US and CANADA US and CANADA Don’t Forget The LEGO Crew • 7,500 teams • 62,000 middle-school-age students • 31 countries • 300+ qualifying events • 69 tournaments • Junior FLL Pilot for 6 to 9 year-olds

23. The Future? • Scholarships and Sponsorships will Soar • Teams Will Continue To Increase • FIRST Will Continue to Expand • You Will Become Legendary • High School Curricula Will Change • College Curricula Will Change • It Will Become Necessary for Science and Technology-Based Companies to Participate in FIRST to Win Workforce Share • FIRST Robotics Will Become Harder as Students’ Ability Improves • You May Become a Mentor’s Mentor • We May Need Your Skills at Other Schools

24. What’s Next? • Clear Your Calendar Through March • Sign-up • Pick a Team, Have One Assigned Be a Floater: • North: Covington, Northshore, Salmen, Bogalusa • South: McMain Magnet • Team Kickoffs before Christmas Vacation • Kickoff Feed January 7th 10:30 - Stennis Space Center • Live Team Kickoff Workshops at Stennis 11:30 – 3:30 • Mechanical Systems • Robot Programming • Website Design • Pneumatics