[coreyjon]

OK, Since I've known about VEX, I've wanted to start a team. Being in Atlanta, and scoping out exactly what the kit's where like, and what was possible really got me pumped up about this new system. Only one logical thing to do - Start a team, and get even more young kids hooked on FIRST, Science and Engineering.

The Plan: I plan on contacting local middle schools, and getting in tough with the technology teachers, as they are the most likely to be interested, and would be able to pass the word around the school, and find the kids who are most interested in such a program. I also plan on hooking up with the local Lego league teams and to see who might be interested in crossing over.

The Resources: While the middle school tech teachers are doing their thing, I plan on finalizing who exactly will be mentoring, and start to set up the infrastructure to support a team. I think once that is established, fund raising can Begin, and the "team" can start to getting together, maybe for a fun event at first just to get to know each other better, and to understand the goals of the team. This is my first time starting a team of this nature, but I've been involved with first for over 4 years, and now that I am a college mentor, I feel I will be able to mentor both a FIRST team, and a VEX team. It will be nice to give these kids a head start into science and engineering, and then when they get into high school, they can join team 250.

The Question: Who has started their own teams, be it a VEX team, or a FLL team. I am still trying to hash out what exactly the infrastructure should look like. I want to plan it around a business structure, and run it like a corporation. I'm still unsure of all of the costs, and I am wondering about sponsorship.

I know of many people on the FIRST team, students, and mentors/engineers who are also pumped up about this, and I just wanted to see what others are doing to run/start teams for this coming year.