Quote:
Originally Posted by itsjustjon
It's kind of disheartening for teams like us who can't afford trips to China, yet we do our hardest to change our community.
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Well, before the China trip, we didn't have the funds to do anything international. It was disheartening, but we used that as motivation to find a way to make it work It's great that a team can do international outreach, but I honestly value local outreach more. I think we have to change our own communities before we change the world. IIRC, the main reason we went to China was because we were invited to present about robotics education from someone who knew our team and had connections to the middle school we went to. We graciously took the opportunity, and although I was not able to go myself, I know that our students had a great outreach experience and a cultural experience.
I have some of my own connections to my hometown in the Philippines regarding education, and I hope to start some robotics based programs there too in the near future. To others, this may seem like international outreach, but for me personally, that would be local. I'd like to do this whether or not my team has any involvement in it, but it would be great if they did.
Remember that Chairman's Award is just that: An award. Not winning it doesn't mean your efforts are lesser than the winners. The things teams do to get Chairman's Award should not be motivated by the award itself, but by the impact of their deeds.