[Al Skierkiewicz]

Ryan,
You need to start small with small goals that are attainable. Then build on your successes. Before you know it the students will be off and running. As in FRC, the team needs a driving base. It doesn't need to be great just yet, just good enough to let software get a crack at putting a program together. Go for the easiest thing on the table to accomplish. This year, pushing a chair or grabbing the glasses are two of the easiest. To get the glasses a robot needs to go forward, turn and drive back. Add a simple hook on the front of the robot and you are set. About a 2 hour job to complete.
Then add to that. When the designers realize the base is going to fall apart they will start to make a more robust design. The programmers will need more than just a simple turn but they will already have figured how to do that by trying other things in the software.
A big challenge will be teaching teamwork, keeping on task and GP. With this age, teamwork is a challenge since the student views change daily and are affected more by what they had (or didn't have) for lunch and how much sleep they got last night. Plan a mini competition weekly to help stay on task and hammer GP at every opportunity.
Thanks for stepping up to the plate and helping out.