Managing a Multiple School FRC Team 2005 FRC Conference

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Managing a Multiple School FRC Team2005 FRC
Conference

• John Larock - MOE 365
• Kathie Kentfield - RAGE 173

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Agenda

• Why A Multi-School Team?
• Pros Cons of a Multi-School Team
• Existing Mulit-School Models in FIRST
• RAGE 173
• CHUCK 84
• MOE 365
• Special Issues With Multi-School Teams
• Q A - Open Discussion

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Why A Multi-School Team?

• Traditional FRC is reaching a plateau of growth
• Large corporate sponsors providing support are
  becoming saturated
• More difficulty finding committed mentors to
  enable growth of new FIRST teams
• Team sustainability might rely on combining
  existing teams or creating teams consisting of
  multiple schools

Going forward, the Traditional FIRST team may
not be the best model for sustainability due to
the current FIRST cost structure, difficulty in
finding committed mentors, and saturation of
sponsors.
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PROs of a Multi-School Team

• Geographic Reach
• Extends geographic area for potential sponsors
• Can spread FIRST program into new areas
• Gets as many students involved as possible
• Use of wider range of facilities
• Community Building
• Brings communities together
• Our team versus my school
• Eliminate school stereotypes
• Diversity
• Ideas / people
• Opportunity for mentors and students to meet new
  people
• Can expand mentor base

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PROs of a Multi-School Team

• Team Sustainability
• Older teams that cannot sustain can join with
  other teams
• Allows a team to exist
• Potential exists for better media coverage

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CONs of a Multi-School Team

• Equality
• students
• Finances / resources
• Recognition
• Travel / Distance
• Difficult for some to travel to central location
  - GAS Most convenient to meet at night during
  week
• Recruiting
• Separate build location reduces exposure to other
  students
• Difficulty recruiting
• Differing socioeconomic backgrounds might have
  some students better able to afford to
  participate in team than others
• Communication more difficult

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CONs of a Multi-School Team

• Different School Schedules (impact team
  meetings/events)
• Awards nights
• Graduations
• Dances, proms, other events
• Recognition
• Who gets trophies to display?
• Which high schools get put into TIMS system?
• All names dont fit on the T-shirts?
• Special School Issues
• Dealing with multiple school boards
• Not having teachers from all schools involved
• Difficult for school to support - not a school
  thing
• Us versus Them
• Charges of favoritism / bias

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Existing Multi-School Models in FIRST

• Co-affiliation with two schools
• RAGE 173
• Co-affiliation with more than two schools
• Chuck 84
• No affiliation with specific schools, separate
  organization
• MOE 365
• Affiliation with a School District, not a school
• Toltechs, Team 499
• Others?

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School Affiliation - 2 Schools
Two typical model breakdowns
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RAGE 173

• Number of students on team each season (average)
• 30
• Number of schools involved each season (average)
• 2 main high schools additional schools vary
• Student team member requirements
• No team-issued GPA / grade requirements
• Attendance / participation (community service
  encouraged)
• Team fundraisers required optional personal
  fundraisers
• Several mandatory team meetings / clean-up days
  each year
• Basic structure
• Affiliated with two schools teacher liaison is
  required by schools
• Strong partnerships with corporate sponsors
• Student-led committee structure with elected
  officers and school liaisons
• Connection with High Schools / School Boards
• Presents several times/year with 2 school boards
  communicates in-between via e-mails and
  newsletter
• Moderate success in engaging schools

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FIRST School Affiliated Teams(2 Schools)
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School Affiliation - 3 Schools
Two typical model breakdowns
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CHUCK 84

• Number of students on team each season (average)
• 15-30
• Number of schools involved each season (average)
• 4-6 (from several different communities)
• Student team member requirements
• Set by schools
• Attendance / participation
• Adhere to requirements, expectations, and
  consequences policies
• Basic structure
• Teacher or other school liaison with each school
  required
• Set-up as a school affiliated activity
• Connection with High Schools / School Boards
• Annual presentations to schools
• Annual status update with school administration

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FIRST School Affiliated Teams(3 Schools)
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Non-school Affiliation
No School District
Team
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MOE 365

• Number of students on team each season (average)
• 30-35
• Number of schools involved each season (average)
• 10-14
• Student team member requirements
• No GPA / grade requirements
• Attendance / participation / community service /
  sponsorship
• Basic structure
• Non-school affiliated
• 501 c3 non-profit organization First State
  Robotics, Inc.
• Set-up as a non-school affiliated afterschool
  club
• Connection with High Schools / School Boards
• Minimal interaction
• Annual status update with certain school boards

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FIRST Non-School Affiliated Teams
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School District Affiliation
School District
Team
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FIRST School District Affiliated Teams
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Special Considerations with Multi-School Teams

• Equality / Fairness
• Funding / financials / support
• Participants (students / mentors)
• Facilities
• Recognition
• Developing Team Member Relationships
• Mentors with students
• Students with other students
• Recruitment of Students
• How do you recruit students from multiple
  schools?
• Identifying a Common Work Location
• Neutral location or one affiliated with a
  specific school?
• Travel issues? Turf issues?

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Special Considerations with Multi-School Teams

• Maintaining Effective Communication
• with team members
• e-mail
• website
• phone hotline
• with schools where student team members reside
• newsletters
• targeted distribution lists
• website
• meetings
• School Recognition
• who displays the awards
• how is team recognized in media articles
  (newspaper, tv, etc.)

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Special Considerations with Multiple School Teams

• Administrative Concerns
• differing school requirements for student team
  members
• how to handle?
• require common set of requirements and
  negotiation with schools to reach agreement
• Keeping up with Schools Policies
• travel requirements
• school board connections
• chaperone approval / ratio
• days off, school events, etc.
• Who owns your robot?

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Q AOpen Discussion
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Multiple School FIRST Teams ROCK!
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Presenter Contact Information

• John Larock (Team 365) John.A.Larock_at_usa.dupon
  t.com
• Kathie Kentfield (Team 173) kkentfield_at_sjc.edu
• Judy Vanderpool (Team 84) jvanderpool_at_troyareasd.o
  rg