1. Firstfare 2013 The chairman’s Award
JACOB BENDICKSEN
FRC TEAM 1540 – THE FLAMING CHICKENS

2. INTRODUCTION Me! Sophomore Chairman’s manager on 1540
On the presentation team
When I’m not doing robotics I’m climbing 
During the presentation, feel free to interrupt me (with questions)

3. ACTIVITY
With the people around you, discuss what the Chairman’s Award means to you and your team.

4. ACTIVITY
With the people around you, discuss what the Chairman’s Award means to you and your team.
Anyone want to share? Bueller? Bueller?

5. ACTIVITY
With the people around you, discuss what the Chairman’s Award means to you and your team.
Anyone want to share? Bueller? Bueller?
To me, it’s about using the robot as a tool to spread STEM
Competitive spirit can be good if used to better your cause

6. OVERVIEW
“FIRST’s most prestigious award. It honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST. The award helps keep the focus of the FIRST Robotics Competition on the goal of inspiring greater levels of respect and honor for science and technology.” – FIRST
Key here – not all about your team

7. DECONSTRUCTING THAT Role model for other teams
Strong year-round AND multi-year program
Impacts the community (positively)
Spreads its enthusiasm for FIRST in innovative ways
Strong partnerships
Students/corporate sponsors/mentors
Students/mentors
Team/community
All partnerships are important

8. HOW TO QUALIFY Old regional model New district model
Eligible if you submit everything
Present at one event
If you win, you go to world championships
New district model
Submit until you win (not just districts)
If you win, you present at district championships
If you’re one of the 3 winners, then you go to world championships

9. DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
(1 WINNER)
DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS
(3 WINNERS)
DISTRICT
REGIONAL

10. AT CHAMPIONSHIPS Needless to say, the competition is fierce
Eligible to present only if you win at district championships or a regional
Good stuff if you win:
White House? Dean Kamen’s house?
Traveling clock trophy
Epic banner
FIRST Hall of Fame
This means you can’t submit at regionals for five years, but that’s a good problem to have.
Allaire Medal – scholarship!!!

11. ROOKIE/NASA GRANT TEAMS
Rookies can’t submit for Chairman’s
BUT they can be considered for Rookie All-Star by talking to roving judges
NASA Grant teams must provide a copy of the submission as part of the grant, even if they’re rookies
RAS gives you a ticket to champs
Shoutout to 4488 shockwave!

12. ENGINEERING INSPIRATION
“Celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s school and community.”
All teams attending are considered
2nd place Chairman’s?
More about inspiration – one awesome story can get you it.

13. POTENTIAL ACTIVITIES On your team FIRST community
Organize to maximize learning
Student leadership
Year-round program
Alumni
FIRST community
Organize events (informational, scrimmages, other?)
Mentor other teams
FLL
Hosting kick-offs
Year-round program means that you have more time for outreach events, which is good for chairman’s, and also it’s good for the experience.
Alumni are potential mentors!
Coaching FLL shows that you care about the whole community, not just FRC.

14. POTENTIAL ACTIVITIES PT. 2
School community
Add robotics to the curriculum
Camps
Demo at school events
General public
Use your engineering knowledge to help an organization
Demos
Community service
Fundraisers
Sponsor relations
Media (online, social, TV, newspaper, etc.)
Local, state, national, and international presence
Local, state, national, and international presence is a big thing to shoot for but if you can do it you’ll have a great shot

15. POTENTIAL ACTIVITIES PT. 3
Karthik: “Pie in the sky”
Think of something difficult to do for your team
BUT that would be awesome if you could
Make it happen.

16. THE SUBMISSION Executive summary Essay + ‘optional’ 4 pictures
The two above are due Thursday, February 13th
Presentation at event
Q&A at event (after presentation)
Video at event
Roving judges at event
Important part – even if you do a lot of stuff but don’t submit you can’t win
10,000 characters ~ 4 pages
PICTURES AREN’T OPTIONAL!!!

17. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Each 500 characters (including spaces)
Briefly describe the impact of the FIRST program on team participants with special emphasis on the 2013/2014 year and the preceding two years
Examples of role model characteristics for other teams to emulate
Describe the impact of the FIRST program on your team and community with special emphasis on the 2013/2014 year and the preceding two years
Team’s innovative methods to spread the FIRST message
Describe the strength of your partnership with special emphasis on the 2013/2014 year and the preceding two years
Team’s communication methods and results
Other matters of interest to the FIRST judges, if any
Partnership can be defined a lot of different ways – students/mentors/alumni/school/sponsors

18. ESSAY 10,000 characters ~ 4 pages
Submit online along with executive summary
Submit at one regional/district event
‘May’ include up to 4 pictures
Submit at one regional or district event, then at district championships and world championships if you make it
Include the pictures!

19. ESSAY TIPS Clear headings and sections Concise Good flow
Relevant facts/numbers
Focus on the FIRST experience and its impact
Address questions judges want to know
Explain your work this year and the past two
Write early, then revise (maybe enlist your English teacher)
Have non-FIRST adults read it and tell you the main points that they got
Concise – you only have 10,000 characters!
Relevant facts and numbers – nobody cares that the earth is 93 million miles from the sun!
There’s a fine line between telling them what they want to know, then not getting a chance to elaborate in the Q&A, and not telling them anything and not getting to elaborate at all! Entice them!

20. PRESENTATION 5 minutes 2-3 judges 2-3 representatives from your team
Any presentation style
Team provides special equipment
They’ll have a table and sometimes some chairs, but other than that you have to bring it.

21. Q&A 5 minutes Immediately after the presentation Judges ask questions
Interest them during the presentation
Sample questions later in presentation

22. PRESENTATION/Q&A TIPS
Practice!!!!!!!
Make sure you can say everything in 5 minutes – 4:45 is better
Don’t rush. Practice it slow.
Be memorable, but communicate your main points
Tell personal anecdotes
Incorporate other points when answering questions
Ideas?
Memorability is harder when your name isn’t Exploding Bacon.
Incorporate other points, but don’t’ go too far. If they ask about your finances don’t start telling them about your management system.

23. ROVING JUDGE TIPS
Have documentation ready for them (business plan, some pictures, etc.)
Make sure you have knowledgeable team members in the pit to talk to them
Develop a list of main points to cover, work these into the answers to their questions
It seems that the judges always come when your spokespeople are in the bathroom, so anyone and everyone should be able to cover for them until they get back.

24. SAMPLE JUDGING QUESTIONS
What was the hardest part of robotics this year?
What do you wish your team was better at?
Why that team name?
What was a big challenge that your team faced? How did you solve it?
How does your team raise money?
How has robotics impacted you personally?
Why should you get the Chairman’s Award?
If you could pick another team to get the Chairman’s Award, who would it be?
How is your team run?
What will you do differently next year?
What does gracious professionalism mean to you?
Finances are big—they show that you’re really reaching out to sponsors
Picking another team shows that you know what to look for – and that you’ve done your homework.

25. ACTIVITY
Everybody stand up! Stretch!

26. ACTIVITY Everybody stand up! Stretch!
I’m going to go around and ask random people these questions.
This is not to make you uncomfortable, but for you to get a sense of what it’s like to answer questions on the spot

27. Sample Judging Questions
What was the hardest part of robotics this year?
What do you wish your team was better at?
Why that team name?
What was a big challenge that your team faced? How did you solve it?
How does your team raise money?
How has robotics impacted you personally?
Why should you get the Chairman’s Award?
If you could pick another team to get the Chairman’s Award, who would it be?
How is your team run?
What will you do differently next year?
What does gracious professionalism mean to you?

28. VIDEO 1-3 minutes long Clean audio No copyright infringements
May consist of:
Video footage
Voice over/music over pictures
Animated presentation
PowerPoint converted to movie format
Required for judging
When 2-3 teams have been chosen, video is viewed to make sure it meets requirements
Often shown when recipient is announced
Use all 3 minutes!
Don’t necessarily just regurgitate your essay – this isn’t a place to introduce new information, it’s so that the audience can get to know you once you’ve won.

29. EXAMPLE VIDEOS
Flaming Chickens
Holy Cows
Simbotics

30. MORE INFORMATION
Awards guidelines, sample championship videos:
Team 1540 website with resources, videos, and our essay from last year:
Feel free to me with questions!

31. QUESTIONS? Ginny Cornyn is here! Seasoned Chairman’s judge
Ask her stuff!

32. THANKS FOR COMING!