Dean's Homework from Kickoff 2007

[Rich Kressly]

Here's an email I sent out to all FRC teams in Eastern PA and DE and I copied HQ as well. It includes the way in which Team 1712 is approaching the assignment. I dare you, take a precious few moments away from robot zaniness NOW and make a HUGE difference. Do you REALLY have FIRST's mission in your heart? I guess we'll find out soon.

__________________________________________________

Greetings Teams,

I know you're already neck deep in robot brainstorming and strategy, but I'd like you all to consider completing Dean's Homework Assignment of contacting your governor and federal senators and reps to invite them to the Philadelphia Regional and to the Championship in Atlanta very soon.

Here's one model you can copy from Team 1712 if you'd like. All of team 1712's student members and mentors are going to be emailing at least one senator, rep, or the governor with the following information:
1. They will be telling them they are involved in a program for HS students called FIRST that is exciting to participate in and important to the future of our culture because it is cultivating tomorrow's engineers, scientists, technologists, and leaders in a time of critical shortage. To learn more about FIRST, please visit www.usfirst.org
2. They will be informing them that both RI and HI legislators have committed to ensuring that all high schools in these respective states have at least one team involved in a FIRST program and these efforts are well underway. We'd like our state to make a similar commitment.
3. Then they will invite these folks to the FIRST Philadelphia Regional at Drexel University on March 30 and 31 (www.philadelphiafirst.org) and the Championship event at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA on April 13 and 14. so that they can come find out why this is such an important program.
4. Ask them to contact FIRST Senior Mentor Rich Kressly at rkressly@usfirst.org to arrange for a VIP event invitation and to ask questions. (anyone from PA or DE can gladly use me as the point person).
5. Don't forget to copy the email to FIRST HQ

How you encourage your team members to get this critical homework done is ENTIRELY up to you. You can even write it for them and have them send it if you wish. Since I'm also the main contact for Team 1712, I chose to encouage my team this way, "After initial brainstorming, no adult or student on Team 1712 will work on the robot or any related award entry until Dean's homework is done."

Choose to do this any way you want, but I do hope you choose to do it. It can make a HUGE difference if we all work together. Please let me know how I can help your team through build season and thank you again for your commitment to the future!

Best Regards,

Rich Kressly
FIRST Senior Mentor, Eastern PA/DE

[65_Xero_Huskie]

I find it humorous that Deans homework was this. Reaching out to your senators and governors and congress reps, because we started doing this as soon as our school semester started this year. We thought that it would be a good way of getting FIRST more recognized and the more influential figures to support us. WE got in touch with Jennifer Granholm (Michigan's Governor) about a month ago, and our head Public Relations student had a conversation with her about coming to GLR.

I think this is a good way of team to get their states to have more support from the people that can do something about how FIRST is represented and so that there will be no room for politicians not to know that FIRST is here and that it is a good program for students and will create successful adults in the future.

[Branden Ghena]

Does anyone know where we could find a recently updated list of email of the senators and house reps in our states, Michigan would be most helpful. It would be useful for completing our "homework".

[JaneYoung]

Does anyone know where we could find a recently updated list of email of the senators and house reps in our states, Michigan would be most helpful. It would be useful for completing our "homework".

This was posted in another thread here in CD.
Good luck, you guys are doing a great job in Michigan.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showpost.php?p=549794&postcount=32

Jane

[RoboMom]

Does anyone know where we could find a recently updated list of email of the senators and house reps in our states, Michigan would be most helpful. It would be useful for completing our "homework".

There is also a paper in the resource section of the NEMO website titled "Contact Your Elected Officials." http://www.firstnemo.org/resources.htm on how to find out contact information, including local and Washington contacts, searchable by zip code. We are updating this information and will try to post by 1/11/07. (This paper has been on the site since last summer).

Quick hints: in the email subject line or on a fax, write: "ATTN: Scheduler." Do NOT send by mail.

Here in Maryland, there will be an email going out to all the teams from Mildred Porter, the regional director. Mildred worked on "the hill" for many years. We will be trying to coordinate communications from the teams here because the regional committee was already in the process and working on the plan for inviting elected officials and VIP's to the Chesapeake Regional. Teams will be asked to write their own individual message, but we do want to get on the same page with some of the important messages, statistics, and logistics.

The NEMO paper will also include information on "Congressional Record Inserts." How teams can write 1-2 paragraphs about their team to go into the congressional record.

[Dan Zollman]

Does anyone know where we could find a recently updated list of email of the senators and house reps in our states, Michigan would be most helpful. It would be useful for completing our "homework".

To find contact info for senators and reps in any state, trying searching on google for your state name and "senate" or "house" (e.g. "Michigan Senate").
The congress websites usually let you search for your senators and reps by zip code.

house.gov and senate.gov let you do the same thing for the national level.

[ChuckDickerson]

Does anyone know where to find the email address at FIRST or Dean where we should send copies of emails to that we send to our representatives?

[Petey]

Does anyone know where to find the email address at FIRST or Dean where we should send copies of emails to that we send to our representatives?

This is what I want to know.

[ChuckDickerson]

EDIT: As per below the correct email to copy FIRST is homework@usfirst.org.

I am also curious where Dean/FIRST will actually publish the responses.

[JaneYoung]

I did a search and found this:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showpost.php?p=471310&postcount=1

[ChuckDickerson]

Thanks Jane!

[JaneYoung]

Welcome.

[=Martin=Taylor=]

Last time I did Dean's homework the senator I mailed to left office before receiving my letter:mad: (and it was a good letter too)

Maybe I'll send my next letter to Gov. Schwarzenegger. (After all, he is a robot ;))

[zander_108]

Last time I did Dean's homework the senator I mailed to left office before receiving my letter:mad: (and it was a good letter too)

Maybe I'll send my next letter to Gov. Schwarzenegger. (After all, he is a robot ;))

haha thats funny ;) (Gov. Schwarzenegger being a robot i mean!!)

[Greg Welsch]

Does anyone know where to find the email address at FIRST or Dean where we should send copies of emails to that we send to our representatives?
To find out who all of your local and national Reps are go to the following website and enter your Zip.

http://votesmart.org/index.htm

[RoboMom]

I did a search and found this:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showpost.php?p=471310&postcount=1

I would hold off on sending anything to
homework@usfirst.org
This will probably be the address, but give FIRST a couple of days to send out an email blast. Marketing is working on it.

[RoboMom]

Ok, the updated resource paper is posted.
"Hints for Contacting Your Elected Officials"
http://www.firstnemo.org/resources.htm

Hope this helps.

[RoboMom]

Ok, the updated resource paper is posted.
"Hints for Contacting Your Elected Officials"
http://www.firstnemo.org/resources.htm

Hope this helps.

Although FIRST chose not include the section on the Congressional Record in the official "Dean's Homework Forum-Contacting Your Government Officials", I would still encourage teams to look at the above resource paper on NEMO which describes this.

[Mouse]

Post your sent emails and any replies HERE
(http://forums.usfirst.org/forumdisplay.php?f=293)

http://forums.usfirst.org/forumdisplay.php?f=293

Note: Putting this in the OP is recommended. (Mods or OP...)

[Alekat]

How do we find out where we should direct the politicians for a VIP invitation?

[ChrisH]

How do we find out where we should direct the politicians for a VIP invitation?

I would direct them to your Regional Committee Chairman or the Regional VIP Co-Ordinator. If you don't know who that is try your local Senior Mentor, your team leader should know their contact info. They will know how to get in touch with the people you need for your Regionals.

[Dan Zollman]

I mentioned this in another thread (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=51387), but if anyone is writing one of these letters, I'd be happy to help by editing or critiquing your letter. (I can't promise to reply the same day during build season, but I'll reply as soon as I can.) My email address is z@dawgma.org.

[maltz1881]

To find your State Reps or Senate just go to (if your in Michigan)
www.state of michigan.gov. I would assume it would be that way for all states. As far as posting your invites at FIRST it is on there forum site that you must register for. Our team has already started with the invites and posting them. We are lucky here in Michigan we have a great Governor who is thrilled with the program and has provided sponsorship for up to 25 new teams including 1 that we are mentoring The Lake Fenton HazMats!!! Welcome to the craziness!!:ahh:

[pimam]

Go to Project Vote Smart to get the information on government officials that you will need for the homework. Be aware that it isn't yet updated for this last election...

http://votesmart.org/index.htm

pimam

[Orominuialwen]

My team is lucky enough to have a parent who is in the State Assembly here in WI. We're definitely going to get in contact with him in person, and I think we have plans to send out e-mails as well as promotional DVDs we're working on to the rest of our politicians.

[temujin]

Why are we limiting ourselves to senators and congressman? I would think the mayor of your city, the town council, or whatever your local equivalents are would (or should) be interested in what we are up to. And then there is the school board or your local equivalent... The local chief of police, county police, even state police would no doubt like to know that there are a heck of lot of GOOD students in their area. Why don't we overwhelm Dean with our outreach??