[Starman]

I don't know how it SHOULD be, but on our team the students do as much of the design and building as they can. The mentors show them how to solve the problems, like helping to figure the size of an air cylinder needed at to move a load with a given air pressure, but we want to kids to do as much as they can. We even expect them to handle the role of coach during competition, something unheard of in FIRST land.

While it is true that engineers now design and give the plans to technicians to build, it can be a very humbling experience for an engineer to try to build something. When that happens, the engineer often develops respect for the tradesman and learns an awful lot that makes him a better designer.

When the students do the design and building, they are developing valuable life skills that will give them confidence as adults to tackle jobs around the house or in the workplace. Our robot last year was built almost entirely by a team or girls who had never before used power tools such as drill presses, belt sanders, cut-off saws, etc. Without the robot project to give them this experience, they probably would have never learned how to use these tools. And guess what, one of these girls has already chosen to enter engineering as a career and is in college. Another, a senior, hopes to go to an engineering school next fall. I wonder if that would have happened if the mentors had designed and built the robot for them?? What do you think!

Our students have become aggressive about wanting to do the work to the point that they really get upset if a mentor steps up to do a job for them. I like that and wish all students could have that feeling of ownership and pride. Sadly, I have seen teams where the students were only allowed to touch the robot controls during competition. The rest of the time adults worked on the robot. One team I know even posts pictures in their pit of all the adult engineers on their team, but no pictures of students. How sad.