Quote:
Originally Posted by lynca
I didn't want this to turn into a FRC horror story thread.
Please try to keep the questions positive and not scare teams away from STEM activities.
There are many STEM alternatives for teams to approach if FRC is not the right match.
Let's keep the questions for potential teams positive and we will definitely get the highest quality rookies into FRC.
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Not telling rookie teams what to expect in FRC hasn't worked for the last decade.
On 422 we're about 80% there to keeping the ship sailing by itself, and that's after 15 years and an RCA. Not to toot our own horns, but we have managed to survive and begin to thrive in an environment where we shouldn't be successful (inner city "Governor's" magnet school of <750 focused in international studies, government, and social sciences), but the Math and Science High School in my hometown can barely field an FTC team after bowing out of FRC after 3 years. The Health and Applied Sciences School? Same thing. The Leadership development school? Lost its FRC team to a wrestling room. It really sucks.
There is a map I had over my desk (I took it down while I clean out my stuff before build season) with a lot of red dots for folded teams in Virginia. It's really depressing to think about. We pitched in a little bit to help turn one of those dots back to green and restart a team at the Regional Governor's School for Arts and Technology (yes, the Technology school did not have a robotics program for 11 years after FRC folded).
I know FRC can really thrive in my commonwealth if the right people at the state level do the right things and the strong teams get down in the trenches and develop some really strong rookies. We're trying, but it's not going to be done the way it was 10 years ago. It's destructive.