As far as robot building goes. Making sure all students who are responsible for the building / design know basic components and how they interact. We went over this last week with our teams. It was a review for some and brand new to others. We have other breakout sessions scheduled for the following weeks. Next we are going to do a wiring board. Other things on our list are: intro to Java, tool usage, public speaking, CAD, awards we want to try for ect. We are also rebuilding a promo bot.
developing or buying a good universal drive train can save a lot of time and often can be reused year to year.
also events like this are very helpful there may be some in your area
https://advancedroboticstraining.wordpress.com/