Share or not to share CA submissions

[Rich Kressly]

I believe each team can make up their own mind about publishing their submission, just like each makes up its mind about robot information, manufacturing techniques, and game strategy. Personally, I lean toward sharing - especially the Chairman's submission. Let's inspire as many as we can to go further than before. Raise the bar and we ALL get better.

My esteemed colleague Pete and many others are exactly correct. Submissions should be read for the purposes of that inspiration, understanding what kinds of outreach exist, learning about community building that has taken place, and obstacles overcome.

Copying a submission is completely worthless as it flies in the face of the Chairman's Award itself. The award is about "who" a team is and the "how" and "what" of presenting play only a partial role here. Any team choosing to "copy" would only harm themselves in the eyes of the judges. Instead, the collective reading of submissions, to me, is like one huge motivational
pep rally.

As for the judging process being a mystery, that's not completely true. Yes, the submission format has changed and may change again. Yes, judges have a difficult and subjective task to perform. However, instead of concentrating on the unknown, my suggestion is to work on what is known.

The questions a team needs to address in their CA submission have not changed in the three years I have been involved (with the exception of "the season" being changed to "year-round"). Check the manual, and I quote:
There is no single “best way” for a team to win the Chairman’s Award. Many factors come into play. The primary factors the judges will evaluate are:
1. How strong is the year-round team partnership effort?
(Partnership can be defined in many ways, including: the partnership among the team’s students/corporate sponsor/engineers; school/university sponsor/engineers; students/adults; community/team)
2. How strongly does the submission document how FIRST impacted the learning experience of the students, school curriculum, engineers, and/or community?
3. How strongly does the submission provide examples of what the participants experienced in the FIRST program (i.e.: challenges, accomplishments, pitfalls, “lessons learned” etc.)?
4. How well has the team communicated its excitement and impact within the entire school, community, and beyond (state/nation) through its participation in FIRST?
5. Has the team documented an innovative way to spread the FIRST message?
6. Has the team explained/demonstrated why/how it should be a role model for other FIRST teams to emulate?
7. As a whole, does the content of the documentation exemplify the true meaning of FIRST?
Your Chairman’s Award submission should include documentation for all of the above factors.

In NJ, for the past two years, all submitting teams received feedback in these seven areas along with general comments. Aren't all regionals this way? As a matter of fact, it was those 2002 comments (along with the stories about those who won regionals and nationals) that inspired Team 103 to go further in 2003.

Now, when you read a submission or come across a team that portrays all seven aspects in resounding "wow" fashion, that should be enough to inspire your team to take it to the next level from where you were. Even if the next level for you means submitting an entry if your team has never before done it. It's truly an awesome experience for the students - regardless of the outcome.

One of the most satisfying parts of this experience for Cybersonics has been sharing information with other teams and seeing how it motivates them and what they are already working on for 2004. To know that what we have done not only touches the lives of Team 103 members, but reaches throughout this international community is a feeling of satisfaction that words cannot describe.

[RoboMom]

I'm hoping to dig up this thread again as it's more appropriate for my questions than all the other threads I've been in. Thanks Rich, for directing me.

Now that the Chairman's Award entries are 4 page electronic submissions, it would be wonderful to have a central depository that everyone can visit to see the Regional winners. Team 103 is to be commended for being so open with what they have done and what they continue to do. But most of the winners don't have their entry posted on their site; in fact many don't have working web sites. Information is power. I want to know what is going on around the country and beyond. I would love to hear about the innovative things being done and get ideas about whether they would work in Baltimore. This award is all about being role models. I guess it could be voluntary, but why wouldn't you want to publicize what you have done?

RE: the issue of "copying" another teams submission, well, isn't that in fact what we are suppose to be doing? I'm only halfway joking. I think this is a non-issue.

I'm drafting a letter to FIRST, but would love to hear whether I'm totally off base here, before I send it.

[Redhead Jokes]

Originally Posted by RoboMom007

Information is power. RE: the issue of "copying" another teams submission, well, isn't that in fact what we are suppose to be doing?

I think it's about empowerment. Chairman's award is about the work you're doing for your home regional, for FIRST, and it's about you being an inspiration to both, so it's about empowering other teams.

In addition, in my experience with FIRST, the robots are about inspiring other teams and tho many keep their robot aspects secret til competition, teams then share about their robot and other teams incorporate parts into their own future robots...I think "CA" applications are like that. If you want to choose to keep them to yourself til you've won *shrug* ok, but if you keep it to yourself after winning an award for being a role model team to all other FIRST'rs, why wouldn't you want to publicize what you're doing and inspire other teams with it?

I don't think it's possible to copy a Chairman's Award submission and win. You can take ideas and inspiration from those before you, but to have a compelling submission and win requires real effort...As to the concern some teams may have about their work being pirated for the following year's submission, realize that they would be copying your now year-old template and strategy. Back to the subject of FIRST's spirit, isn't making your CA submission available to other teams a token of gracious professionalism? I say if you have work you feel is worth copying, put it out there to help less experienced teams see what kind of things your team has done.

I agree and...
it's not only about letting less experienced teams see what you've done. One of the criteria is "innovative ways" to spread the FIRST message. Experienced teams will learn from published CA awards from across the WORLD.

[Rich Wong]

Originally Posted by RoboMom007

I'm hoping to dig up this thread again as it's more appropriate for my questions than all the other threads I've been in. Thanks Rich, for directing me.

Now that the Chairman's Award entries are 4 page electronic submissions, it would be wonderful to have a central depository that everyone can visit to see the Regional winners. Team 103 is to be commended for being so open with what they have done and what they continue to do. But most of the winners don't have their entry posted on their site; in fact many don't have working web sites. Information is power. I want to know what is going on around the country and beyond. I would love to hear about the innovative things being done and get ideas about whether they would work in Baltimore. This award is all about being role models. I guess it could be voluntary, but why wouldn't you want to publicize what you have done?

RE: the issue of "copying" another teams submission, well, isn't that in fact what we are suppose to be doing? I'm only halfway joking. I think this is a non-issue.

I'm drafting a letter to FIRST, but would love to hear whether I'm totally off base here, before I send it.

(Wow… an old posting from the past which still rings true)

As a mentor of many, many NYC teams, I enjoy reading other FIRST team CA submissions (winners and non-winners) and I encourage each team to create a CA submission every year.

Reading CAs always brings a smile to me because the it truly convey the team’s spirit and their hard work, not the robots they build. (It’s not all about the BOT!)


CA submissions are amazing positive role models to other students. When I show teams the CA of Regional Winners, they immediately become inspired because now they have an example, a direction, and the motivation.

It would be a wonderful idea for FIRST to collect the CA Submissions (winners and non-winners) and add them to the Team booklets they give out at the events (obviously with the permission of the teams). HINT, HINT!



added: I 2nd on what Redhead said too!

[Redhead Jokes]

Originally Posted by Rich Wong

It would be a wonderful idea for FIRST to collect the CA Submissions (winners and non-winners) and add them to the Team booklets they give out at the events (obviously with the permission of the teams).

LOVE that idea!

[RoboMom]

The process of putting together a CA entry is also a exercise that holds so much value. As all the NASA grant teams know, this is a requirement for receiving $$. Last year, the students on the team that had no huge role, not the tool or engineering or PR types, but rather the ones who wanted to be involved, well, they put together an entry. And they amazed me. They had to learn about all the team and all the dimensions. The entry may not have been of winning quality but the exercise was well worth it and got this group engaged in the team.
This year, one of the students had an idea to ask various people for a paragraph about the team. And what came back was letter after letter letting the team know what an impact they were having. Talk about a boost! They ended up changing the entry and mostly just including the testimonials. Regardless the entry, these letters would never have come without the idea to use them for the CA. I am a huge believer in this process.
ps. Team 007's entry will be on our website soon!

[Redhead Jokes]

Originally Posted by RoboMom007

The process of putting together a CA entry is also a exercise that holds so much value. They had to learn about all the team and all the dimensions. The entry may not have been of winning quality but the exercise was well worth it and got this group engaged in the team.
This year, one of the students had an idea to ask various people for a paragraph about the team. And what came back was letter after letter letting the team know what an impact they were having. Talk about a boost! Team 007's entry will be on our website soon!

Yes, that's our experience. It concisely expresses what the team has done and is about - and helps new members understand more quickly what's going on.

A white paper by Mike McIntyre that helped guide me when our team began that journey. link

Looking forward to seeing your entry.

and post the link to your entry here

[Rich Wong]

Originally Posted by RoboMom007

The process of putting together a CA entry is also a exercise that holds so much value. As all the NASA grant teams know, this is a requirement for receiving $$. Last year, the students on the team that had no huge role, not the tool or engineering or PR types, but rather the ones who wanted to be involved, well, they put together an entry. And they amazed me. They had to learn about all the team and all the dimensions. The entry may not have been of winning quality but the exercise was well worth it and got this group engaged in the team.
This year, one of the students had an idea to ask various people for a paragraph about the team. And what came back was letter after letter letting the team know what an impact they were having. Talk about a boost! They ended up changing the entry and mostly just including the testimonials. Regardless the entry, these letters would never have come without the idea to use them for the CA. I am a huge believer in this process.
ps. Team 007's entry will be on our website soon!

That's a GOOD idea!
Another idea used by one of my team:

They took last year's CA submission, change it into a booklet (folded 17x11 paper) and mail them to all pass, present and future sponsors.
They reported POSITIVE feedback from their existing sponsors.

[Redhead Jokes]

Originally Posted by Rich Wong

They took last year's CA submission, change it into a booklet (folded 17x11 paper) and mail them to all pass, present and future sponsors. They reported position feedback from their existing sponsors.

Our ca submission has been an excellent way to communicate from our pits too. I'm letting everyone know, our local Kinko's is very supportive of nonprofits. The 2x3 posters usually $149 ea were on sale for $89 each, but she gave it to me for $49, and those posters are our ca submission hanging in our pits. The posters are laminated, on core board, and Kinko's gave me stickers for the back of the boards allowing us to hang the boards in the pits with zip ties.



*puzzled* What's position feedback?

[Rich Wong]

Originally Posted by Redhead Jokes

Our ca submission has been an excellent way to communicate from our pits too. I'm letting everyone know, our local Kinko's is very supportive of nonprofits. The 2x3 posters usually $149 ea were on sale for $89 each, but she gave it to me for $49, and those posters are our ca submission hanging in our pits. The posters are laminated, on core board, and Kinko's gave me stickers for the back of the boards allowing us to hang the boards in the pits with zip ties.



*puzzled* What's position feedback?

OOPS! (spelling error or just fat fingers)

Positive sponsor feedbacks-
The sponsors didn't know that the teams did so much.
They are also passing it along to other companies that may want to sponsor a high school team of future engineers.
They feel that their money was well spent.
They are encouraging more of the senior staff to visit the regional.
Talk to the students.
They are proud to be associated with a team.
Sponsor Bragging Rights!

Best of all: They took us out for DINNER!

[Redhead Jokes]

Originally Posted by Rich Wong

The sponsors didn't know that the teams did so much.
They feel that their money was well spent.
They are encouraging more of the senior staff to visit the regional.
They are proud to be associated with a team.
Sponsor Bragging Rights!
Best of all: They took us out for DINNER!

I can imagine all that from our sponsors too. They want to keep sponsoring our team cuz they see our team helping to spread the program. It's helping other local big guns to realize they need to step up to the plate more, to see the possibilities, to put their heads up and consider funding for the local regional...

I think our heavy publicity helps them be informed, feel and do all of that except

*whine* Didn't take us out to dinner!

[Nate Edwards]

We are always into helping other teams any way we can. Last year we gave our winning submission on paper to the Chairman's Team of Team #847 PHRED. This year they won the Chairman's Award. Our Chairman's Award Submission should be on our site next week. It currently is on vacation when it comes back ill be sure to post it. We also have our winning submission from 2003 online at our website www.wahsrobotics.com so check that out if you want and ill be sure to update you on when this years is up.
Nate

[Redhead Jokes]

Originally Posted by Nate Edwards

Last year we gave our winning submission on paper to the Chairman's Team of Team #847 PHRED. This year they won the Chairman's Award. We also have our winning submission from 2003 online at our website

Go ahead and post your 2003 app on this thread

cuz the thread was started in 2003, and it can remain a repository for people trying to find others' apps.

[SlickChicFallen]

I would personally be honored if a team tried to emulate our submission on their team.

Sharing of CA submissions +++

[SlickChicFallen]

Originally Posted by Rich Wong

OOPS! (spelling error or just fat fingers)

Positive sponsor feedbacks-
The sponsors didn't know that the teams did so much.
They are also passing it along to other companies that may want to sponsor a high school team of future engineers.
They feel that their money was well spent.
They are encouraging more of the senior staff to visit the regional.
Talk to the students.
They are proud to be associated with a team.
Sponsor Bragging Rights!

Best of all: They took us out for DINNER!

Yeah, our team is turning our CA submission into a sponsor dealie too, hopefully to encourage current sponsors to keep sponsoring, and to invite new sponsors into the game. Wonderful experience.