[PayneTrain]

When you are recruiting students, it's important to make the robot almost the last priority. It sounds counter intuitive, but look at the variety of opportunities the team can provide to a student.

Things to highlight:

• Scholarships and Statistics: Encourage parents to have their child take part in one of the biggest scholarship opportunities ever offered in an organization. The FIRST scholarships available put other activities, (outside of sports ) to shame
• Non-Technical Divisions: People "Don't know anything about how to build a robot." That's not a good answer. I didn't know how to build a robot when I joined and some could argue I still don't, but FIRST is awesome because of other opportunities it provides. If someone has interest in creative writing, public speaking, art and graphic design, marketing, lobbying or political aspirations, photography, videography, and other things I can't think of at 1:30 AM, a FIRST team is likely their best extracurricular vehicle for that but few FIRST teams ever talk about them. Draw people in with that, and coax them to pick up a drill or rivet gun every once in a while later on. Get them on the team now so they have an opportunity to branch out later.
• Community Service: One thing I liked on my team was the opportunity to serve the community through service projects, FLL activities, community events and fundraisers, and the like. Advertise that to team members.

Things to do:

• Have a plan: plan to hold a detailed information meeting at a set date, and maybe even a competition you attend offseason as well
• Give them something to walk away with and go to: A handout that contains statistics about FIRST and your team, the opportunities the organization and your team provide, pictures of the team, and the like, along with the usfirst.org and your team's Facebook page or website for them to go to to learn more about FIRST and your team. Keep them interested after they leave the open house event. Keep them thinking about it.

I hope I mentioned everything I wanted to in a coherent manner. FIRST is a gift, and it's something we have the duty to spread to as many people as possible.