Recruiting mentors

[GeeTwo]

Whenever you go out looking for money, material, or fabrication sponsors, also ask about mentors. You're already there, and many companies actually link mentorship and sponsorship. (Likewise, when you get a mentor, after he or she is settled in, ask about sponsorship from the mentor's employer.)

A majority of the mentoring on our team comes from parents of members or former members. Most of the others just showed up, possibly spurred by their employer (e.g. NASA, Naval Research, NDEP) to do outreach. About the only thing you can do here is to advertise the existence of the team. If you're doing outreach events and put up some banners or wear uniform shirts when you do them, that's a great start.

Only one of our mentors was targeted individually. Larry and I attend the same church, and my son recruited him as the team was forming; he had earned a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in then-recent months.

Wherever you're recruiting, never take "but I don't know anything about robotics" for an answer. Counter with something like "but you do know about [electrical systems/building things/organizing a business/managing a project/whatever skills the prospect has], and we need those skills on the team. If you know the person at all, tailor your pitch to their motivators, whether it's competition, teaching, making the world a better place, or building neat stuff. I suspect this is why all of our successful mentor recruitments have been done by someone who already knows the prospect.

[philso]

Originally Posted by Tom Ore

I always thought it would be interesting to have a psychologist work up a profile of the most common personality traits of long time mentors. Then, armed with this list of traits you could seek out people with those traits. (This may be a bit unethical, knowing ahead of time that you may be causing someone to become addicted to FIRST.)

I think some of us are involved as mentors "because we wish we had something like this available to us when we were teenagers" and a time machine is not available. Perhaps some of us are trying to relive our childhood

Originally Posted by GeeTwo

Wherever you're recruiting, never take "but I don't know anything about robotics" for an answer. Counter with something like "but you do know about [electrical systems/building things/organizing a business/managing a project/whatever skills the prospect has], and we need those skills on the team. If you know the person at all, tailor your pitch to their motivators, whether it's competition, teaching, making the world a better place, or building neat stuff. I suspect this is why all of our successful mentor recruitments have been done by someone who already knows the prospect.

Many of the skills needed for FRC can be found in other fields. The OP may be in a rural area so there might not be many "technology companies" that are accessible but FRC is about more than just the technology. One has to learn skills in the areas of leadership, risk analysis/management, project management, creating sound business plans, salesmanship, presentation, etc. These skills can be found in many businesses and organizations that can be found in rural areas. Granted, one may have to drive some distance to find them.

[GeeTwo]

Originally Posted by philso

Many of the skills needed for FRC can be found in other fields. The OP may be in a rural area so there might not be many "technology companies" that are accessible but FRC is about more than just the technology.

And technology doesn't necessarily mean high-tech. The skills and experience of (for example) maintaining a tractor and adapting its tools to different needs have plenty of overlap with those needed to build a robot. It's like music or cooking - a good musician can quickly learn to play a new song, and a good cook can learn a new recipe, because the skills are there, you just need to learn the variations and practice. Taking it to a different style of music or ethnicity of cooking takes another level of effort, but someone with the basic understanding of how things come together can (with a bit of motivation) broaden that knowledge. In my experience, the vast majority of FRC mentors come to FRC with no robotics experience, but with building or design or programming or business skills and are applying them according to a "new style."

[Tim Sharp]

Originally Posted by GeeTwo

And technology doesn't necessarily mean high-tech. The skills and experience of (for example) maintaining a tractor and adapting its tools to different needs have plenty of overlap with those needed to build a robot.
."

As a (very) rural team one of our biggest strengths is the practical skills many of our students have already mastered when they show up (mostly from working in agricultural settings). Many of them also have a "farmers" work ethic, which can overcome many shortcomings.

[philso]

Originally Posted by Tim Sharp

As a (very) rural team one of our biggest strengths is the practical skills many of our students have already mastered when they show up (mostly from working in agricultural settings). Many of them also have a "farmers" work ethic, which can overcome many shortcomings.

One of the best thought out robots I have seen was from a team like Tim's in the Rio Grande Valley. They had only enough money to pay for the registration for one Regional and had to cannibalize the previous year's robot. Their teacher/coach said that they filled notebooks with sketches before cutting any metal because they could not afford to waste any.

[snoman]

One of the best thought out robots I have seen was from a team like Tim's in the Rio Grande Valley. They had only enough money to pay for the registration for one Regional and had to cannibalize the previous year's robot.

Yeah we do this every year too for each team. All very good advice and we are trying some this year. Thank you.

[GreyingJay]

Originally Posted by Tim Sharp

As a (very) rural team one of our biggest strengths is the practical skills many of our students have already mastered when they show up (mostly from working in agricultural settings). Many of them also have a "farmers" work ethic, which can overcome many shortcomings.

Experience in a rural setting could also be advantageous because of all the heavy equipment and the mechanisms in use on that equipment. I saw a story about one team from a rural area whose Recycle Rush robot was inspired by a hay baler.