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
Purpose of the Day
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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.
Audience
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Students
Mentor Engineers
Teachers
Parents
Potential Sponsors
Rookie Teams
Developing a Planning Schedule
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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.
Selecting a Day
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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.
The Program
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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
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Lunch Time LAPD Bomb Squad Medtronics Caltech DARPA
Team Shell Solar Technologies ITT Tech Walt Disney
Imagineering
Lunch Time
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Demonstrations and Table Presentations
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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
Strand Workshops
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Rookie
– Introduction to FIRST
– Fund Raising
– Project Management
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Animation
– Autodesk {Double Session}
– Storyboarding
– Work Session
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Teacher
– How to Use Parents
– Organization Techniques
– Robotic Curriculum for the Classroom
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Mentor
– How to be a Mentor
– Project Management
– Strategy
Securing Equipment
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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.
Developing an Event Budget
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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.
Registration
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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
Volunteer Staff
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Develop a committee to complete the
advance work.
– Speaker Coordinator.
– Lunch Time Presentations.
– Lunch Food for Presenters, Staff, Audience.
– Equipment
– Location Liaison
– Registration
– Publicity
Additional
Volunteer Staff Onsite
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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.
Selecting Presenters
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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.
Details
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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.
How to Get Started
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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
For additional information or
To attend our event on November 4, 2006 at
California State University Northridge
School of Engineering
Northridge, California
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Contact:
Nancy McIntyre
nmcintyre@chaminade.org
818 347 8300