[Penny]

Team 330, the Beach Bots, is a homeschool team. As such, we've faced some tremendous challenges over the years -- most notably in the areas of finding a place to build and in fund-raising. If there are other homeschool teams looking for help or if you're a team considering whether to allow homeschoolers to join and have questions or concerns, let me know. We'd love to help fellow homeschoolers over the hurdles!

By the way, the concerns raised in this thread relating to homeschoolers are nothing new. They come up every time homeschool students want to compete in high school athletics and other extracurricular activities. Sometimes the problems are related to outright discrimination, but usually it is a more practical concern such as insurance. Many times, a school insurance policy only covers full-time enrolled students. I can understand a school official's reluctance to allow an uninsured student around power tools.

As homeschooling becomes a more accepted educational option, I am hopeful that many of these other issues will be able to be worked out. In the meantime, I'm hopeful we'll see more community-based and/or homeschool teams!!!!

Penny Ross
Homeschool Mom as well as long-time FIRST mom and wife and
Vice Principal of Hope Chapel Academy