Question zero: what are we doing and why are we doing it ?
From FIRST: Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
I would like to respectfully submit to this working group that we create a well formed statement of what the award(s) recognize. For example there could be an award for design and another for creative visualization. The former award typically would be for mechanical or electrical design. The latter award could be much more creative.
To give you an idea of what the latter award might possibly recognize please reference Dr. Flowers presentation of April 1, 2009 at Olin College on educational reform. Please view
this video, only 4 minutes of it from the 28:00 to 32:00 minute mark.
Pursuant to the mission and vision of FIRST we have an opportunity to reinvent the award and do something really cool and exciting. I know some of you would prefer to limit it to robotics topics but personally I would like to see a broader view of how Autodesk tools can be used to help reform education and explain STEM topics. My vote is to create a competition that will help transform education and get us into the 21st century classroom.
Of course I'm bloviating on a topic (Autodesk) that my group has not been particularly successful in doing. But we are committed to getting our work done and participating in the Autodesk competition in the future.
Ed