1. How To Host a FIRST Robotics Workshop Day Nancy McIntyre FIRST Senior Mentor Chair Southern California Regional Organizing Committee Program Director Eagle Engineering Team #1138

2. Purpose of the Day  To prepare teams for the upcoming FIRST season.  To help teams get organized.  To encourage teams to fully participate in all of the facets of the competition.  To get teams excited about the upcoming season.  To bring local area teams together.

3. Audience  Students  Mentor Engineers  Teachers  Parents  Potential Sponsors  Rookie Teams

4. Developing a Planning Schedule  Start Early  Work backwards from the event date.  Order materials so that they arrive a week ahead of time.  Follow up with presenters for last minute changes.  Have all details taken care of early in the week of the event.

5. Selecting a Day  Begin at least six months ahead of time to secure a location.  Check with area schools to see what else is going on locally that could impact your event.  Check with the College Board exams that take place in the fall.  Stay away from holiday weekends.  Inform teams of the date well in advance of the event.

6. The Program  Motivation Motors Drive Systems Pneumatics Arms and Lifts CAD 3D Studio Max Animation How To Story Boarding Animation Work Session Website Design How To Give a Presentation FIRST Awards FIRST Scholarships Chairman’s Award Intro to Electronics Advanced Electronics Programming Intro to C Advanced Programming Sensors Camera Rookie Workshop Design Process Business Plan Systems Engineering Leadership/ Team building Organization Mentor Workshop Team Organization Time Management Team Spirit Summer Camps Vex FIRST Lego League How to Use Parents Safety Project Management Teacher’s Workshop/NASA Alliance Robotics Projects Scouting Welding FIRST Store  Lunch Time LAPD Bomb Squad Medtronics Caltech DARPA Team Shell Solar Technologies ITT Tech Walt Disney Imagineering

7. Lunch Time  Demonstrations and Table Presentations –Local Bomb Squad –Local Technology Companies –FIRST Scholarship Providers –Local Professional Organizations  Food Options {Keeping teams at the event site provide them with the opportunity to share information that they have learned in the morning sessions.} –Have teams bring a potluck lunch and tailgate –Have a local company cater lunch –Have everyone bring their own lunch

8. Strand Workshops  Rookie –Introduction to FIRST –Fund Raising –Project Management  Animation –Autodesk {Double Session} –Storyboarding – Work Session  Teacher –How to Use Parents –Organization Techniques –Robotic Curriculum for the Classroom  Mentor –How to be a Mentor –Project Management –Strategy

9. Securing Equipment  Communicate through writing to with each of the presenters to find out what they need to be successful.  Have needed materials in place in their rooms or at a central check in location.  Typical items include DLP projectors to hook up to lap tops, Internet access, Overhead projectors, microphones.

10. Developing an Event Budget  Location rental  Equipment rental  Food for hospitality room for presenters.  Making Photo copies.  Signs  Office supplies  Handouts  Parking  Security or Physical Plant staff as needed.  Thank you gift for presenters.

11. Registration  Have teams pre- register to ensure that you have enough sessions and rooms.  Provide a financial incentive for teams to register early.  Allow for onsite registration at an increased rate.  Develop a budget for the event and use the funds to offset your expenses

12. Volunteer Staff  Develop a committee to complete the advance work. –Speaker Coordinator. –Lunch Time Presentations. –Lunch Food for Presenters, Staff, Audience. –Equipment –Location Liaison –Registration –Publicity

13. Additional Volunteer Staff Onsite  Presenter Check In  Hospitality Center for Presenters  Team Check In  Coordinator for student team to assist presenters with materials to their rooms.  Staff an information table on FIRST.  Keep a person in the event office for the day.

14. Selecting Presenters  Look for local experts who work with teams.  Look for companies that you would like to involve in FIRST and ask for their time.  Look for groups and organizations who specialize in a specific area.  Work with local universities, community colleges, and trade schools.

15. Details  Parking  Directions  Air conditioning / Heat  Signs for rooms/ maps  Two way radios or cell phones are a good source of communication for trouble shooting.  Having an adult in each room.

16. How to Get Started  Address the needs of your local teams  Start small  Add one or two new things each year.  Ask for feed back from students and adult participants.  Involve teams in support roles. –Hosts for the event. –Check in –Demonstrations at lunch

17.  For additional information or To attend our event on November 4, 2006 at California State University Northridge School of Engineering Northridge, California Contact: Nancy McIntyre nmcintyre@chaminade.org 818 347 8300