[MoeMom]

[quote=anonymousrobot;640316]I don't want to upset people, or start a flame war here but I need some serious advice.


I’m going to go in a different direction. I’m someone who values diversity and inclusion so I’m really sorry they were handled in this way. Most FIRST-folk know that innovation and engineering require new and creative thinking. A diverse team may also have a diversity of ideas to choose from. Ideas are a valuable team resource, just like a really well-equipped machine shop.

A different, but harder way to increase diversity is by outreach to those under-represented communities- presentations and robot demos at local community centers, middle schools, Girl Scout troops, etc. Another great way is to help start “farm teams” of FLL, FTC, or JFLL. It’s a long term strategy that might impress the administrators and lead to greater diversity in a few years.

In the short term, someone else mentioned “travel team” vs. “build team.” If it’s too late for this year, it’s definitely worth thinking about for the future.

Whether or not you agree with me, this is a tough situation for everyone. It’s a great opportunity to show your school and team "generosity" and “gracious professionalism.” It may not be easy, but somebody has to lead the way.

I'm not justifying rules that may have been bent or broken. That seems to be a "done deal" at this point. I'm saying it's a chance to make a tough situation better.