[Bob Steele]

For FRC, my suggestion would be to give the money out to rookie teams, second year teams and mentor teams.

I would give out $6000 to a rookie team and $4000 to the team that mentors them. The mentoring would require a report and some required duties for mentoring teams in terms of what help was given and received. For a second year team they would recieve $3000 and their mentor would get $2000. A third year team would get $1500 and their mentor $1000. This gives three years of support and enough time for a team to begin to develop its own support system.

I have seen too many teams get a NASA grant and then after two years have no idea where to get money... they have not been weaned away from free money... many of these teams survive for a third year.. but then drift away.

This money does several things then. It encourages established teams to mentor young teams, it also allows those teams to sign up for a second regional for their efforts. It gives a rookie team the means to play for three years while encouraging them to come up with their own funding sources....

I would also put some of this money into a fund which gives support to teams that qualify for nationals... Rookie all star teams in particular. Perhaps a $2500 stipend that helps with travel for a rookie all star team for nationals. This would pay for half of their registration fee for CMP.

If the state had its own regional, this would require about $15,000 which would give these grants to 3 regional champions, the chairman's award winner, the engineering inspiration award winner, and the rookie all star. No team could get two stipends and non-state teams would not quailfy for the awards.

Support could be given to FTC teams in the same way...
Perhaps $1500 the first year, $1000 the second, $500 the third...
with FTC mentors getting $500 to mentor a first year team, and $250 the second year... with no third year mentor help...

Rookie awards should also be offered to FLL teams at $500 each.

All of these awards need to be tied to a demonstration of putting a robot in competition.... this means that both the rookie and the mentor would have to make sure that the rookie robot makes it to the field. In cases where this does not happen, both of those teams would not be eligible the second year for awards. Some type of report would also be required... similar to what NASA requires....to show the team progress.

I think some of the money should also go to establishing an off-season event and workshops to help teachers/mentors/and students understand what FIRST is about.

I would probably break this down like this:

10 FRC rookie awards $60,000
10 FRC mentor awards $40,000

10 FRC 2nd year awards $30,000
10 FRC 2nd year mentor awards $20,000

10 FRC 3rd year awards $15,000
10 FRC 3rd year mentor awards 10,000

10 FTC rookie awards $15000
10 mentor awards $5000

10 FTC 2nd year awards $10,000
no 2nd year mentor awards for FTC

10 FLL Rookie Awards - $5000

Regional awards to Championship qualifiers: $15,000

Off-season event(s) $15,000
Workshops (FRC, FTC, FLL) $10,000

This is a well balanced program that encourages mentoring and long term viability for teams. It also spans all three FIRST programs.

With this program in three years it would increase the number of FRC teams in the state by 30. FTC and FLL would also increase by 30 teams each.

It also provides some vital infrastructure that gives workshop and information help to new and old teams alike. It also increases the state's ability to support these teams and the old teams by having these off season events and workshops.

This is a WIN WIN....