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Why, if Dean and Woodie continually coax us on to be involved in college, is there so little collegiate support for college-aged FIRST mentors? Just as high schools have adapted curricula to the FIRST program that allows their students to receive credit and compete with their team, why isn't there a similar movement or support for a movement for college students?
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Well, college curricula are developed and executed by the faculty. FIRST is not perfectly suited to incorporation in most engineering curricula. So, someone has to "be clever" to accomplish the adaptation. Then, he has to sell this idea to the entire college/university faculty, usually at several levels. This is a difficult, time-consuming process with no tangible reward to the faculty member.
Some faculty are forward looking and have been undertaking this task at a few institutions over the past decade.
The administration at these institutions also has to be convinced to put together the resources to support the activity (usually money, space, faculty/student time, fabrication resources). What is the benefit to the institution? How does this activity fall within the institution's mission (which is usually educating college students, not mentoring high school students).
How can high school students best help this process?
Go to a school that already has a FIRST team and tell the administration that you chose that school because of the FIRST team.
Or, try to get a faculty member involved by selling him on the benefits (to him and the school) of a FIRST program. Point those faculty members to existing "model" programs.
Or, include Krispy Kreme donuts in your fund-raising activities. Make sure the faculty know that continuing receipt of KKs is contingent on the continuation and growth of the FIRST team.
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I just can't understand the predilection that most people have toward choosing grades over mentorship, particularly when all of that combined energy, manpower, and experience could be so much better at really effecting change in the lives of those people.
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Blame all of your colleagues who get poor grades due to excessive partying for this predilection.