Preparing Your Chairman’s Award: Almost As Fun As Building a Robot FIRST Philadelphia Kick-off Event January 5, 2008

1. Preparing Your Chairman’s Award: Almost As Fun As Building a RobotFIRST Philadelphia Kick-off EventJanuary 5, 2008 John Larock / Carol Perrotto

2. Agenda • Introductions • What is the Chairman’s Award? • Why submit? • Organizing your team • Submission process • Submission / Presentation Tips • Examples • Q & A

3. What’s all the fuss about the Chairman’s Award?

4. What is the Chairman’s Award? • Top award in FIRST • Recognized as role model for other teams and embodies the goals and purpose of FIRST • Regional award winners qualify to compete at Championship • Championship winners enter FIRST Hall of Fame • Qualify for Championship event • Choose student to receive Allaire Medal • Scholarship of $10,000 • Work with producer/director to develop video tape of team • If you’re lucky, you can visit the White House

5. Chairman’s Award Process • Complete on-line information • Yearbook Page • Complete submission on-line • Executive Summary • Chairman’s Essay Submission • Select regional event to submit at • Same event you submit Woodie Flowers award • Presentation to judges at Regional • If qualify, present to judges at Championship 2008 Deadline – Feb 21, 2008, 11:59pm EST

6. Why Submit An Entry? • To be able to organize, document, and communicate what your team does • Allow students a chance to share their experience with FIRST judges • For recognition of what you already do • To get a nice trophy & banner • To allow students another avenue to demonstrate their skills and creativity • To satisfy your competitive urges another way

7. Why Submit An Entry? • Your team must submit an entry if you have received a NASA Grant • Rookies should submit if you are vying for Rookie All-Star Award • Rookies not eligible to win Chairman’s Award • Rookies to bring hardcopy for judges at Regional • FIRST Hall of Fame teams are not eligible to win Regional Chairman’s Award • Encouraged to submit to verify teams are maintaining their Hall of Fame status

8. Organizing Your Team

9. Know the Criteria • From Chairman’s Award documentation in FIRST manual • Emphasis on recent accomplishments (2007-08 year) and those of the past two years. • IMPACT on learning experience of students, school curriculum, engineers and community • ROLE MODEL – demonstrate why should your team be considered one • COMMUNICATION – how well has team communicated excitement and impact? • INNOVATION – team documented innovative way to spread FIRST message • PARTNERSHIP – strengths of team partnerships • DOCUMENTATION – does content exemplify true meaning of FIRST?

10. Selecting Your CA Team • Two main teams • Documentation / Submission team • Presentation team • Strongly suggest that Presentation Team is a subset of your Documentation / Submission team • General Criteria for Documentation / Submission Team • First-hand knowledge of team history • First-hand knowledge / experience of team outreach • Embody the spirit of FIRST

11. CA Documentation / Submission Team • Select leader for team • Responsibilities / Tasks • Proposes where to submit Chairman’s entry to rest of team • Gathers information for entry • Develops draft of entry • Obtains feedback on entry • Submits entry • Develops judge presentation

12. CA Presentation Team • Additional Criteria • Students who “get it” and are committed • Students who know most / all aspects of team • Students who are available to put in time necessary • Select a leader for team • Responsibilities / Tasks • All responsibilities of Documentation / Submission Team • Develop presentation for judges • Practice presentation • Gather presentation aids • Give presentation

13. Considerations on Which Regional to Submit Entry to • What do you consider your “home regional”? • The judges here will know your team best • The regional has a history of your team’s activity • Competition • Number of teams attending regional • Number of teams you estimate will submit • Competitiveness of teams most likely to submit • Availability of Presenters • Other reasons?

14. Planning your SubmissionPart I – The written part

15. Know Your FIRST Team • What is your team mission, vision, goals, accomplishments? • How do these match up against the award criteria? • How can you best tell your team story to meet criteria? It is okay to not have strengths in all areas of the award criteria – your submission should focus on telling your team’s story

16. Executive Summary • Answer the question asked • Stay within the word counts • Focus on time frame requested • More impact in recent years • Less impact many years ago • Provide as many concrete results as possible • Use burger dots to provide more information in the space alloted Any questions about Executive Summary?

17. MOE Executive Summary 2007

18. Essay • Use your creativity! • Adhere to word count • Write what you need to and then edit down • Get to the point as effectively as you can • How can you best tell your team story to meet criteria? • More words to complement info in your Exec Summary • Emphasize areas you really want judges to focus on • Emphasize what is unique / special about your team • Balance results and emotion • Use exact quotes if you can • Show impact your team has had Any questions about Essay?

19. MOE CA Essay 2007

20. Planning your SubmissionPart II – The Presentation Part

21. Presentation Prep • Ensure the presentation team gets along with each other • Complement info from Exec Summary and Essay • Add info you could not get into essay due to space • Enhance topics you want to emphasize • Definitely cover topic areas you need judges to hear • Develop a script of your presentation • Better chance of getting specific information across • Presenters can then focus on memorizing their section(s) • Include props (posters, slides, etc.) • Stay within time limit (including set-up)

22. MOE CA Presentation Script 2007

23. Presentation Prep • PRACTICE!!!! • Assess the flow • Determine how presentation works with props • Have different people review presentation and comment • Continually upgrade Any questions about Presentation Prep?

24. Chairman’s Process Tips

25. It’s not only about what is submitted and presented • Judges and others will be observing Chairman’s Award contenders during the competition • Input from judges and others (event volunteers, other teams) may be a factor in the judges’ decision • Your team should “walk the talk” • Team members should act as you describe your team in your essay and presentation • Your team (especially competition team) should demonstrate Gracious Professionalism • Every team member is an ambassador for your team • It’s not just about the students presenting your entry; it’s about every member of your team • This may include parents of team members

26. General Tips • Best people on CA team are those who actively participated in team events & outreach • They have personal experiences they can share • Look for ways to differentiate your team • Get as much feedback on your Essay and Presentation as you can from a diverse audience before you submit / present • Being well organized is extremely important • Check out the layout of your presentation room in advance (if you can) • Bring ALL of your props (including easels) • Be on time for your presentation

27. Examples of MOE 365 Chairman’s Entry 2007

28. MOE’s Vision and Mission • Vision • to be a model FIRST robotics team • Mission • We inspire & motivate young people to pursue science and technology careers and become confident, self-reliant, responsible citizens poised to make a real difference in our world using a fun, creative, and unique environment that extends learning beyond the classroom

29. MOrE- Specific Examples www.moe365.org - go to “Chairman’s Award” under “Main” menu list

30. Questions?Good luck!