[Al Skierkiewicz]

I don't know if I qualify for this but here goes...
I do not work for the sponsoring company (Motorola) but I am an engineer for a public TV station in Chicago. I know they are tired of me talking up FIRST at work, but they have been good about granting my requests for using comp time and vacation days during the season. Additionally, I get to use e-mail and net access to write to these forums and others and use some of our resources to help the team. My hours do not come close to some of the hours that Motorola engineers commit but during the season, I would estimate an average of 20 hours a week. We are fortunate to have some very dedicated people on our team, not all teachers or engineers that help this program work. I have been with this team for five years and I know that some of the Motorola people and teachers have been in longer than that.
Our program is an all year program for students, who receive school credit for their involvement. They are required to attend a once a week class in the fall taught by Motorola employees (and myself) and participate in at least one of the fall activities; CDI, Lego League, or our own mini robot competition. And they must be active throughout the year as attendance and participation affect their grade.
Hope this helps.