[EricH]

Originally Posted by RyanN

Also, mentors shouldn't have to read the rules. We are just here to create ideas, then the students should say legal or illegal.

Au contraire! The mentors need to read the rules too. If a student says something is legal (say, 3" bumper segments), and the other students agree, and the mentors haven't read the rules, there just might be some nasty surprises at competition.

That doesn't mean that the mentors should simply give the students the answer, though. The mentors should ask what the rules say, then let the student find/quote the rules. Only correct them if they are actually wrong.

Also: Have you read the rules? Have your students read the rules?

The mentors should not just be there to create ideas, either. They should actually mentor. This means that they should actually work with the students to generate or refine ideas. Not only this, but they should teach the students how to make those ideas reality.