Innovative Fundraising

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Innovative Fundraising Aka Community Management
Team 839 Rosie Robotics Agawam High School
(Agawam, MA)
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Who we are

• Authored by
• Many
• Presented by
• Dana Henry
• Rosie Founder (2002)
• Technician, Hamilton Sundstrand Space, Land and
  Sea Systems
• John Burns
• Rosie Founder (2002)
• Tech Ed Coordinator Agawam School District
• Many State Wide Tech Ed Committees

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Who we are

• Rosies story---
• Rookie year 2002
• Offshoot of Buzz
• Rookie All Star/Top Rookie Seed 2002
• KPCB Entrepreneurship 2004, 05 and 06.
• Daimler Chrysler Spirit 2004
• Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam 2004

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What are we going to talk about?

• It takes a village to make a FIRST Robotics team
  truly successful.
• More than just a teacher and some students.
• Support from every discipline.
• Support from every level.
• Support from parents.
• Promote promote promote!!!
• By drawing attention to your team, you draw
  checks

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School Support

• School Committee
• Play the game
• A strong backer or two on the school board is a
  must.
• A MA State Rep named Rosemary is a good thing.
• Visibility for the team is the goal.
• Put the students up front.
• Fit the program into the Superintendents goals.

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Superintendents Goals for 2004-2007(and how
Rosie helped)

• To increase student achievement.
• FIRST Robotics is the premier program of its type
  in the country for giving students a reason to
  stay in school, get good grades and become
  excited again about math, science, and business.
• To provide a positive and safe learning
  environment
• Weve brought in trainers from Hamilton
  Sundstrand and FIRST to help teach the students
  conflict resolution, constructive feedback,
  working in a diverse group setting,
  brainstorming, setting goals (and achieving
  them). Encourage students to explore their
  options, offer praise appropriately, but not
  sparingly.
• To promote parent and community involvement in
  the education of the children.
• There is no way that one individual teacher can
  run a program of this scope without significant
  parental involvement, from chaperoning a road
  trip to supervising shop work. Rosie has
  recruited about 10 adults all from different
  employers some parents, some recent graduates,
  some homemakers, etc.

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Superintendents Goals for 2004-2007(and how
Rosie helped)

• To foster a climate of communication and
  collaboration.
• Without communication, we would be nowhere. MIT,
  Balzar Tool, LM, Mechanical Plastics, HS, Buzz,
  Science dept., Career Center
• To recognize and support varied learning styles
  and differences in order to maximize individual
  success.
• We have a place for everybody. Every skill set is
  utilized. Its not just for nerds everyone has
  different intelligences.
• To provide professional development for all
  employees.
• Ask John Burns how much he has learned from this
  program!
• To maintain favorable student/staff ratios.
• We do pretty well in this department mentors are
  always available and present in multiples.
• To provide a curriculum with high standards for
  all students.
• Performance is the key. Expect high performance
  and you will get it..

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Curriculum Connections

• Become part of the schools approved course of
  study

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Curriculum Connections

• Engineering the Future is the curriculum designed
  by the Boston Museum of Science
• Automated systems is a VEX based robotics course

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Curriculum Connections

• Put independent study course in your curriculum

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Curriculum Connections

• Use the quality and diversity of your mentors to
  provide an alternate method for your students to
  receive credit and recognition for what they
  learn.

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Curriculum Connections

• Bring your show to the Elementary Schools and
  demonstrate using the State Standards

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School Support

• School Administration
• Meet with the Principal regularly.
• Even if its just in the hall for 3 minutes.
• It does not hurt to have a parent or two on the
  PTSO/SIC.
• Good way to find out what is happening within the
  school.
• Get quality face time. Go to school committee
  meetings, PTSO, football games.
• Volunteer to host a career fair or club night.
• If you volunteer to do the set up, then its
  automatic you get prime real estate!!
• Do NOT upset the custodial staff!
• Feed them!

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School Support

• Student Body
• NOT just for nerds. Thats a tough one to get
  over.
• Wide variety of skills needed. Spirit, writing,
  www
• Diversity we are about 50/50.
• Develop a job application
• Faculty/Staff
• Get a great one. We did.
• Multiple is good. (Were training the 2nd one!)
• Make sure they are the Keeper of the Keys.
• Showcasing Achievements
• Show off trophies/awards. We have our own case in
  the hall.
• Get on principals brag board.
• Showcase the robots, runem at lunch in the
  halls, display in the library, Back to School,
  Open House, Town parades etc.
• Lower Grade Levels
• Farm System VEX/FLL/JFLL
• FIRST is providing it, utilize it.

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Community Support

• Local Government
• Mayor, you need the office.
• Provide photo ops, they all love them.
• Be honest and forthright remember, they want to
  get reelected!

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Community Support

• Councilors/School Committee
• Young and Amerusso
• State Government
• DOE get in front of them any way you can
• Driscoll and the Jensen twins at Conference
  hosted at AHS, MASC

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Raising Awareness in the Community

• Brochures / Pamphlets
• Provide tangible communications not just words
  unique designs (triangle, tion ball)
• Fundraisers
• Look at it not just as an opportunity to make
  money, but also to get the word out and provide a
  service to the community.
• Display your product
• bring bots to fundraisers, march in parades
• Build a World Class display booth
• Work with other city departments DPW, Senior
  Center for something that benefits them
• Were still getting mileage from Road Iron.
• Mentors/NEMOs dont turn down any assistance
  offered

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Media Management

• Find a parent that doesnt like to see there kid
  on TV, in the paper, or on the radio. Not the
  police log or scanner.
• Do you know the phone/fax/email of your local
  beat reporter?
• Do you know the phone/fax/email of you local
  TV/Radio reporters?
• Letters to the Editor
• Press Releases PR
• Can you write your own articles for the local
  paper?
• Do you have an AP English student?

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Media

• Interviews Say YES!!!
• Students opportunity to shine
• Kris/John on radio.
• Internet Publication
• Website
• Foreign Policy
• Au Canada!!, Au Belgique!!
• Thank you!

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ION (Inter Organizational Networking)

• Local and National Engineering Societies
• ESWM/ASME/SME
• Colleges Universities
• MIT, Northeastern, UMass, WPI, STCC
• Other Teams
• Team173/1368
• True North Events
• Community Orgs
• Lions Club
• Masonic Lodges
• Rotary
• Chamber of Commerce

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ION (Inter Organizational Networking)

• Civic Organizations
• Junior Womens Club
• Shriners Hospital for Children
• Springfield Science Museum
• Sponsors
• Berkshire Power
• Hamilton Sundstrand
• Hartford Steam Boiler
• Red Sox
• Mass Mentoring Partnership

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FIRST exposure

• FIRST Hierarchy
• Woody, Dean Dave
• Competition Staff
• Be nice to Judges/Staff/Cuers
• Other Teams
• Offer assistance
• Regional chapters
• NE FIRST

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FIRST and NEMO

• Traditional fundraising events include
• Rosies World Famous Ziti Dinners
• 6th Annual Tournament of Rosie
• Butter Braid/Gourmet Coffee sales
• Raffles
• Specifics and white papers of these ideas can be
  found on www.firstnemo.org

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Community Management

• Topics that were covered
• Getting support from the school
• From the top
• Raising Awareness in the Community
• High profile
• Dealing with the media
• Get published
• Manipulating the Man
• Hello Mr. Mayor.
• Inter-organization Networking
• ESWM/MIT

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Take away this

• Leadership is an opportunity to serve. It is not
  a trumpet call to self-importance. Anonymous

www.team839.com www.rosierobotics.com