Forgive me if I’m repeating myself as this has come up in other posts re: FRC elevator speeches.
For the past 5 years, along with the Ambassador Coordinator I have trained “Student Ambassadors” at the Chesapeake Regional. I know this is done at many events, but believe this should be a formalized role at all the events. In fact, I would love to see a "training" offered at kickoff's and incorporated in more workshops for teams year round.
Student volunteers from any teams attending the event are gathered up and have a 1-2 hour training. The first part of the training is a mini-Toastmasters. Speaking up. Eye contact. Listening skills. Not playing with their hair. The elevator speech about themselves. The students sit in a semi-circle and are called on and are grilled. In a nice way.
These are the same skills the students need to interview for college and for jobs.
The second part is the elevator speech about FIRST. Students are given some background materials and get to practice. Then they sign up for times to escort VIP’s, school groups, and the public.
One of the best resources to help students explain FIRST is John Abele’s “The Psychology of the FIRST Experience.”
http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprogr...er.aspx?id=952
I have gotten great feedback on this approach; from politicians, from the Supt. of Schools for Maryland and education community, and from the corporate world. There are students who discover they shine in this role. Some discover that even though they didn’t have a leadership role on the team or have a major role building the robot they do have a very important role to play at the Regional. I have some wonderful stories which I am happy to share on our next elevator ride.
From my experience, the very hardest audience for the elevator pitch is with the TV media, standing at an event with a mike in your face and noise everywhere. I’ve been lucky to get the words “robots, teamwork, partnerships, alliances, mentoring, scholarships, innovation, awards and gracious professionalism” into the pitch and leave a little time (very little) for whatever the game is that year.
Last year was a very difficult game for an elevator pitch.