Applying for your team?
 

Hey, I'm just curious how other teams get members or how students become members of their robotics teams. For Cyber Blue, every member has to fill out an application and then go through two separate interviews with the mentors every year he/she wants to be on the team.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

For both 971 and 190, if a student wants to join, he or she may join. All that is required is to come to meetings and build sessions.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

On 830 they have an announcement for meetings during the normal morning announcements at school, then basically all you have to do is show up, we have meetings every Friday before the season starts and then the people who don't like it stop comming.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Every person has to submit an application, but lately, it has come to a point where, if you come, and you pay attention, then your are on. But if you start not showing up, then your off.

We have our team leaders (5 or 6) go through the applications with our lead mentor to decide who we want on.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

45 accepts everyone who comes as much as they can, you must come 50% of the time to travel though.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Chief Delphi has an application process. There is the veteran's application, which is for current members to re-apply, yes we have to re-apply every year, and do an interview with the team leaders. Then they make the decision if you come back on the team or not depending on what you did the year before. Then we have an application process for students that want to join and they have to fill out an application and get recomendations from teachers and current students on the team. Then they have to go through the interview process, then the team leaders invite the ones they think will fit the team best to join the team. Then in the fall they open it up to the 9th graders and they have to fill out an application and go through an interview, then they are selected by the team leaders. The interview process allows us to get the best of the best students that our school has to offer and it has always been that way and will continue to be that way.:)

Re: Applying for your team?
 

177 allows everyone to join provided they consistently come to most of the meetings and stay productive. People will gradually wane out during the season though as they lose interest or don't apply themselves.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

1618's rule (for 2007 at least) was that you had to make at least two-thirds of the three-a-week meetings to travel (and, to that end, get the shirt) though we never turned away anyone from working with us.

(I'm being loose with the word "travel" here; we're talking a fifteen-minute trip to downtown.)

Re: Applying for your team?
 

1501- We accept anyone who wants to join. We target age groups from 6-12 grades. They come, fill out a few 4-H sheets, they're good. We have a system that you have to work so many hours to come to BMR and etc. What stinks is that you have to fill out a 4-H Health Form and Student release form to go to any of the activities.

EDIT: For recruitment, I am going to a science club campout for middle schoolers to talk to their members, and just to hang out. We also attend parades and give handouts durring fundraisers.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Mitty Robotics (aka TKO 1351) is treated as a club. Anyone can join and anyone can leave. This makes it very difficult to keep the team roster up to date because there's so much member flow, especially at the start of each school year.

(Pulls up student roster now) Officially we have 52 members. We only have 22 active members though. The rest, we havent seen since the beginning of the year. (Yes our retention rate is horrible)

Every year though, all fifty-two members skip school to go to the regionals and cheer on a robot that they probably are seeing for the first time.

Things are a changin in 2008...

Re: Applying for your team?
 

We accept just about anyone on our team. Eventually people weed out. However, to travel you must attend most meetings, maintain a C average in all your classes, and prove to the team that you are worth taking. We let most of the kids go to our home regional though. Sometimes they show a lot more interest in the next season. Our goal is to inspire as many students as possible so we do our best to keep them on the team. Students even tutor each other to keep their grades up.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Show up at the meetings. Bring in a certain % of the fundraising for going to a regional. Thats pretty much it for us. We're shrinking as a team so we try to get members in and not to do anything that could discourage them.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Application, fundraise a bit (Spaghetti Dinner required, other fundraisers optional), and you're pretty much good to go assuming you're one of the first 15 students. (Capped at 15, and we haven't come close since 2003.:( It's not for lack of trying, though.)

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Team 8 accepts anyone who wants to join and travel to the local regional. Since students had to pay for travel to remote regionals for the last few years, we let whomever wanted to pay join. However, people must show consistent attendance and interest (not to mention knowledge) to move into leadership positions.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

If you are interested in any kind of profession, you are welcome on 612. We have students from a broad range of majors and interests who work as a team to create 612.
(Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, Programmers, DEKA, Marketing, Animators, Business Management, Event Management, Team Promotions etc etc)
The only commitment we require for a member is to be able to put in some time and effort and have fun while doing it. This is what makes our team, one of its kind.

Imad

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Team 648 doesn't require an application, I've never seen the pro's to this*. As a member, you must make 75% of meetings from January to April and maintain a C average in your classes.

*I've never understood the advantages of having the "best" students. One of the FLL teams in the QC is "gifted" children only and I've decided to have to involvement in them for that reason.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

IT is not always an attempt to get the best students but the ones that need the program most. We just can't keep 70 to 80 students busy. Our number of students we can be most affective with is around 40. This is also a great learning experience of the kids. They learn how to fill out applications, resumes, and perform in an interview.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Between 70-80 students apply each year?! I guess those are the perks of living in a major metropolitan area like Indy.

My response was mostly prompted by this:

I would like to know how many people apply to be on team 47 and exactly why they want the "best." I most definitely wouldn't be defined as "best" but look at me now, FIRST has changed my life and has the ability to change thousands of other students' lives. Why keep that from them?

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Our team has an application process where you must fill out one and write a 500 word essay and do an interview. We conduct ours like a business place. Along with this you must keep up a 3.0 GPA and come to around 3/4 the meetings.
We usually get around 25 people that apply and we only travel with 20. We have alternates who are not on the team but who still halp and try to get on the travel team and whoever shows the work usually travels (Even if it ends up being more than 20 )

Re: Applying for your team?
 

1885 allows any student who's non-disruption and not distracting to come to our meetings. We enjoying working with any student willing to learn, no matter the knowledge level.

To travel, students must have a certain % attendance or have contributed to a significant portion of the robot, website, or community outreach. We have a set amount of seats on the bus/plane and most of the time we know who is going to the events well before competition season. Students also must maintain a C average or better in ALL classes in order to travel, as this is a county-wide policy for all extracirrucular activities I've recently learned. Finally, students must pay or help fundraise for their travel, hotel, and food on trips. Any student who we feel deserves a trip but cannot make it due to financial reasons, we either fundraise for or on a rare occasion the Mentors get a fund together -- done anonymously of course.

I definitely see the point in the application/interview process though. It allows students to become oriented with that type of process and hopefully will help them communicate their strengths better to the group during build season and in the future when they're going for a job.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

One thing a good process can get you is making sure information is passed both ways. Students will supply contact information - phone, cell, email, address, emergency contact - for themselves and their parents/guardians, any medical information the team leaders should know, etc. Also what area(s) the kids are interested in working on. Teams will be able to provide to the students and their parents what is expected of them - financial, fundraising and time commitments, grade and behavior policies, etc. By requiring a parent signature, teams can be sure that parents know what their student is signing onto.

That could be considered a registration process or an application process. If there are additional inputs for application, such as an essay or teacher recommendation, it serves as a moderate indication of the how serious the student is about joining. For teams that have a limited number of members, the additional application process (vs. just registration) can be used to decide who is admitted onto the team.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

all that want to join are allowd to, since we are so large (120+ and still growing), we have everyone fill out an application of what sub team they want to be on the most (FIRST build, VEX build, BEST build, tech team, fundraising, etc) and we place them by that and other things that we ask them about
being able to maintain a good grade during the build season is taken into account.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Our team is not completely FRC based. There are two parts of our season. The first part is the first semester of school (August-December) where we mentor FLL teams and BEST teams and host and help out with various robotics competitions (BEST, FLL, EARLY). Based on our dedication and involvement with the community we are than selected after interviews with the head teacher sponsor from our district with regards to passing grades and overall attitude as well.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

This is entirely true. We accept anyone who is a Kokomo High School student onto the TechnoKats. Also, we accept students from other area schools (or home schooled kids) whose parents are employed by one of the team sponsors and are active mentors.

This does not work for all teams, but it works for the TechnoKats.

-----------------

Here is an example of how this non-application process can be a success:

This year, we had 2 students who had dismal grades in the fall. They didn't fit in with the other students too well, and were not really "accepted" by their teammates. Many FIRST teams with application processes would not have accepted these two onto their team.

During our fall events and meetings, there was a definite lack of respect going on between these and their peers on the team. However, these two gals persisted and worked hard. Other students took notice and realized they were valuable. Mentors took notice and invited them to be on the pit crew. They became good teammates who were respected.

They got their grades up, and made the trip to Atlanta. They met some incredible people (Woodie, Jane Young, Heidi Foster, Fredi Lajvardi) and made friends with guys on one of the Brazillian teams.

Just recently, one of these two girls was recognized with a "Turn Around Award" in our county. This award goes to students who have made noticeable improvements during the past school year.

Here is an article about these Turn Around Students. Corine is highlighted in the middle of the article.

I especially like this part of the article: "O’Neill said she wants 'to turn into someone who does great things'."

I bet she will.

Andy B.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

For us, once your on your on, and we take peopel from all schools associated with our carreer center along with others (such as franklin central and cathedral) and also homeschool kids.

The more the merrier on 1024! :]

-q

p.s. we're always looking for new programmers to replace yours truly when he graduates as well systems engineers and machinist students.... :rolleyes:

Re: Applying for your team?
 

422 allows any member of our school to join the team and help build then to miss school to go to competitions you must attend at least 10 meetings and have not more than 1 grade below a C. any member that has shown up to a meeting may travel with the team to other events provided they do not miss school time to do so.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Our only requirements are the willingness to be apart of the team, and no D's or F's.

We really don't have that many requirements because we don't think it's completely necessary. To us, wanting to be on a robotics team is a good enough reason.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

As a parent, mentor, sponsor and potential employer of some of these students, here is why I like the Cyber Blue process:

1. Students learn to create an application and write a resume.

2. Students learn how to prepare for a "job" interview.

3. Students recieve formal feedback on their performance from the prior year, with input provided by all of the mentors.

4. It is an opportunity for the mentors to meet and learn about every student, especially the new ones.

5. It can be a screening process, to make sure the students know what they are signing up for and give us some initial ideas about the student.

6. It emphasizes that this is something special, and that you cannot just show up. You need to apply and put some effort into the process.

And, there are very few students who do not make the team. usually there are very specific reasons (behavior, past performance, grade concerns, etc.) for someone not getting on. Most get the opportunity, especially freshmen or others that are trying for the first time.

Many students have told us that the experience was extremely beneficial to them when they had to go through interviews for scholarships, college applications, and jobs.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

well the p51 - mustang screening process is very long, tough, and rigorous.

it starts with showing up.
then then. when you do show up you have to do something.
after that the coaches/officers need to know your name so they can fill out forms saying your on the team.
...

see hard.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Lightning Robotics membership is open to anyone who wants to join, from the surrounding area. Our membership at its highest point was 73 students. We do have annual dues which cover cost of our team shirts 2 a year, Holiday Party, Kickoff party, Build season meals, and End of the Year Banquet. Though the dues don't define team membership they just allow the students to enjoy the previously mentioned benefits.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

On MOE we do have an application, Since we demonstrate at events all year around we hope that they generate interest for students, and adults, to join.We let students know our website www.moe365.org when we go to events that have high school students or 8th graders. Since we take students from any local area or high school, home schools included we needed a way to see who has interest in the team and a way for them to sign up to attend our team kick off in September, we use these student applications * to do that. The applications are mostly for information on what the student is interested in and what type of FIRST related experience(s) they have such as taking a CAD class in school or being part of an FLL team. These are not used to deny or sort students in any way but just a way us to see who we have coming onto the team. We also have a adult application * for the same reasons. Once the students attend our team kickoff in early September we have weekly meetings and run our MOE University
After MOE University in December students are reviewed based on their attendance and attitude during MOE U, I can't remember a student not joining the team after showing up to MOE U other then school/personal reasons.

I like the idea of having some kind of application to join the team just to get a general idea of what a student or adult wants to get from the team before they join. But it should not be the end all of a student being allowed on a team a team should look at involvement and also the experience that the student is getting out of the team.

* Please do not fill out or submit the applications unless you really plan on joining our team. :)

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Our team has a big big problem on that very issure, so we happily accept anyone who wants to be on our team.
This year we had 5 constantly coming members, so we had to take a few non-consistent people with us to our one and only regional.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Team 1418 welcomes any students from our high school or the middle school next door who want to come to meetings. This year, one of our most active non-seniors was a seventh grader.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

This thread is great. It shows one aspect of the diversity of FIRST.
418 has traditionally been open to everyone. Overall, the mentors' philosophy lead by our teacher, Mr. Bertucci, is that we don't know who we are reaching, when we are reaching them, or how they are being reached. There isn't a time line for inspiration. Many of our students come in from the sci tech classes but not all of them.

Of course as you grow and develop as a team, you find what works for you and there is always room for tweaks and improvement. We're in process of becoming more organized in several areas but our team will remain open to those who walk through the door and stay.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Wow, making people apply seems like it would be a put off. I guess if you were swamped with applicants that might be something to consider, but I would recommend spinning off another team were that to be the case, assuming you can afford it. We have no requirements, other than in order to go to regionals, you must pay for your hotel room and work at least 20 hours on the robot. And that last part isn't rigidly enforced.

Re: Applying for your team?
 

Also, if anyone cares, the issue of applications for teams dealing specifically with grade requirements was discussed here:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=57245

Re: Applying for your team?
 

nope no application this year. although next year that might be nice just to get some contact information in the beginning.

-vivek

Re: Applying for your team?
 

I think for some teams that is somewhat desirable. For teams who are just building themselves up, it's probably not the greatest idea, though there are always exceptions. However, many teams don't have the mentor support to handle large numbers of team members. For us, it's not about the number of students, it's about the inspiration each student gets... and we decided that to support the FIRST program goals we'd have to limit membership. While it's a tough decision, I don't think the application process some teams have deters those students who will benefit most from the program from applying, and in many cases it has a very positive effect on teams.