Aquiring Space

[MrJohnston]

Space has been an issue for our team for years... However, this year we got it remedied.

We have a large enough district that we knew that there was unused space "somewhere," so we spoke with our administration and started making guesses as to where there might be some. Admin then checked it out. Eventually we found a school that needed more after school activities but had a portable that was not in use. They agreed to let us take over the portable (which we converted into a shop) and, in return, we agreed to invite their students onto the team with the idea that, eventually, they would split off and establish their own team. We're set for the next four or five years.

[Clem1640]

We've been without School support for a couple of years and we have been able to find local companies with unused space who are willing to donate this space for a time. Of course, you need to track these opportunities down and you need to ask. We have found local realtors willing to help with this.

Such space is generally temporary (up for sale or lease). You need to keep the space presentable while there. You also need to be prepared to relocate quickly when the need arises. We had to move between Christmas and New Years at the end of last year. Not such an easy trick, but we pulled it off.

To be able to utilize donated space, you will need to be insured. You will probably need to cover utility costs if the property is idle. This can become serious money.

None of this is easy, but we've had the benefit of having some awesome build sites over the past three years.

[216Robochick288]

We were fortunate this last year in that our school was gracious enough as well as having the [former] alternative school that we ended up [I believe] paying for utilities and whatnot, but we were given the former alternative school to turn into our districts new robotics center. It had somewhere around 10 rooms, a main room, as well as a long hallway. We were very fortunate to get it, and it looks like we will be there for a while.

Previously, we have been in the cafeteria of the old 6th grade building, as well as in the "dungeon" aka the basement just underneath said cafeteria. We have also rented out part of a strip mall... that one... that was interesting.

Just ask around, get someone at the school involved. If they see you doing good in the community and getting kids lessons outside the classroom, often schools will be very happy to help with a location.

[2789_B_Garcia]

Our school was a remodel of the former high school campus in the school district, and luckily, our district is in a predominantly rural area just east of Austin, Tx, so the old high school had an Ag Barn that was used as a machine shop by the FFA program. We found out that the district's technology department was using it for storage and to house the copy center for our district. When our central office was remodeled, we asked the school board if we could use the space, and with the help of our principal and a few other central office administrators, we were able to get the space cleared out and have HVAC installed, and we have since inherited a lathe, a drill press, a band saw and a welder that were no longer being used by the Ag department at the main high school in our district. Long story short: if your district has an Ag department, make friends with them, they probably have a lot of the tools and space you need, otherwise, they could probably hook you up with people that do!