Although I am not a mentor, I am a team captain and work with the mentors on a daily basis so I could accurately answer these questions. (Also I'm the only active member of my team on Chief Delphi
)
Who builds robots/where?
The students with the help of the mentors build it in the old auto shop in out school. The students work hand and hand with the mentors to build the robot. The mentors are very useful when helping teach kids about engineering.
Do you have dedicated space/machine shop?
We have a dedicated machine shop that was the old auto shop up until 5 years back. In it we have a large variety of tools. We also have use of the school's woodshop, CAD rooms, and classrooms.
Do you rely on corp. sponsors to build?
Our sponsors supply our team with money and engineers. Although we do not have any parts machined by our sponsors (that may change soon though).
Who manages the team/students?
We have 3 student captains and a head mentor. They both equally lead the students.
How involved is your school?
Not very much involved besides the space donations, but they are seemingly taking interest in us.
How involved are your students parents?
Very involved. Many of them mentor the students, and even more volunteer at events and help with lunches during build.
Every team parent is required to supply a meal for one of the saturday sessions.
What is your teams operating budget?
We have a budget of $33,000 from corporate sponsors, $4,300 from student fees, and $2,000 - $5,000 from fundraisers.
Team fees are $100 per year. If a student is unable to pay this, then we will work out a solution so they don't have to pay. We do this because the team pays for the lodging and hotels for all team members. Also if we attend nationals, we provide that opportunity at only $100 to the students.
How do you get compensated, besides the obvious joy of watching your students grow?
Many important experiences from robotics that we see the students learn, but also the lessons that they learn on the way. Also seeing how many students step up to the plate and learn leadership skills.
What is your typical build season schedule?
Monday - Friday 6-9 PM, Saturday 9-4. Not everyone is needed to attend every day though. The subteams have designated days that they have off.
Team Member Requirements for Being On The Team- Must have 90 hours of participation
- Must attend 2+ competitions (may be excused from them for pre commitments such as band)
- Must participate in 2-3 fundraisers a year
- Must attend majority of manditory meetings
- Alex Dinsmoor
Team 201 Captain