[MrJohnston]

Boy, all of this sounds like my school district in a lot of ways.

* Mentor to get through red tape: Yup, that's my role. I find that I have to actively pursue anything I think important to the team. The first thing I have to do is make sure that hte building administration really sees what FIRST does for kids. Second, I have to show them that not only to the kids love it, but so do the local colleges, businesses, etc. I then point to the little clause in the district mission statement about STEM..... I have been known to ask such questions as, "If robotics fits into our mission so obviously and all the current research shows that football is harmful to kids, why does football get funded at 100 time the level of robotics? This seems especially strange when we have more robotics students than football players."

* It is often easier to ask forgiveness than ask permission... Consider: Parents can excuse kids from school for a "vacation" in most states. There are no rules that say families cannot vacation together. So, why not suggest that your parents simply plan a vacation together to your next district event. If kids are on vacation, no school buses are required. Frankly, they should not have to do this, but... I tell must students that it is up to them to get themselves to events and expect them to show up at X time. I then leave it to the parents to figure out how to make it happen. (If I do anything to organize a carpool, I create liability for the district. However, if they do it on their own, no liability in incurred.)

* I don't favor the idea of getting the clubs out of schools. There is a lot more opportunity to "inspire" kids if they are in the same building as the club. We get to perform at assemblies, have an easier time presenting in elementary shcools, etc.