State funding for FIRST teams

[Rosiebotboss]

Ladies and gentlemen,

I find myself in a pretty daunting (and exciting) position up here in Massachusetts. Through a course of events largely orchestrated by the (retiring) Tech Ed teacher and Rosie co-founder and mentor at Agawam HS, John Burns, I find myself in a position to help a large number of teams, rookie and veteran, through a grant program I am developing along with Per Christiansen at the Commonwealth of Mass. Dept of Ed. (Baker and Kressly met him in ATL, some of you others may have also, Per was all over the place soaking it all up and getting a real flavor of FIRST)

Our conversations have centered around writing a grant program in which teams could apply for state money to help fund their team. ($10-15K for starters) One of the more important questions that the Board will ask is, "What are other states doing to support FIRST monetarily?" It's one thing to give a proclamation stating that such and such a day is Team xxx day, it's another thing that the state actually "pony up" $4M to help fund a great number of teams within their jurisdiction.

So, my question to this distinguished body of mentors is: "What is YOUR state doing to fund teams in your state?"

Please give specifics:
1. How much money is in "the pool" and available for all to draw from?
2. How much is given out to individual teams? Is there a monetary distinction between rookie and veteran teams?
3. What form is it dispensed? Is it in a grant the team has to apply for? Is it in a plain brown envelope that is just dropped off in the school district office? (Oh, by the way, your school now has a FIRST team. Here's some money, go build a robot.) What are the criteria the team has to meet to get the full amount?
4. Is there more money availalbe to veterans that have shown growth in other FIRST areas? ex. sponsor a FLL tournament? sponsor a FVC team?
5. Which FIRST program is the money availalble for? FRC, FVC, FLL?

Please include links to online documents supporting those specifics, contact information for verification purposes, and any other pertinent supporting data.

I realize this is asking a lot of information to go look up, but if this is done right, and is successful, I will publish the work for your use to go to your state boards of education to get similar funding options.

I have brought it up to some folks at FIRST and have not gotten a lot of info back. Maybe I should tickle them again.

I am not on a collision course with a deadline, but if we are to put in a pilot program for September, I do need this info as soon as I can get it. (I would like a big chunck of it by 6 June. I have a meeting with Per the next day.)

Thank you for your support. You are what makes FIRST look good.

[Chris_Elston]

Indiana has this.

Basically read this post to get up to speed:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...iana+workforce

Then here is a release of all the teams and what they got:
http://www.in.gov/dwd/newsroom/news_...R_12-18-06.pdf

How that was figured was based on the AGE of the team, and if you got the NASA ROOKIE grant or not. I thought it was an excellent system to figure out how much to give each team.

I don't have the "rules" or the break down, but I saw a paper that explained it.

We fell into a 3RD year team, with no NASA GRANT = $7,000. The older you get the less you get, assuming that your growing your sponsor base enough to support your team.

Also, if you win a regional and your going to the championship, the funds gave the Indiana team an additional bonus $5,000 to cover travel and such for winning the regional.

I am sure someone from IndianaFIRST can post the break down chart.

I can't thank Terri Shultz from Indiana Department of Workforce Development enough for helping with this as well as the people in the post ABOVE. I am sure if you private message me, I could give you Terri's contact information and your people and her can get together and work it out. I just don't want to publish someone elses contact information public without asking them first.

Also rumor has it, a foundation is trying to be formed in 2007-2008 season so the funds are easier to draw from rather than going through the State of Indiana. That would be great.

[JackN]

Here in the Wolverine state, MICHIGAN, we have a system by the state.
1. How much money is in "the pool" and available for all to draw from?
Somewhere around 250K dollars were available
2. How much is given out to individual teams? Is there a monetary distinction between rookie and veteran teams?
Teams could ask for however much they want. Team 494, 70 and 2137 each applied for $6000, with only 2137 receiving their funds. Teams that recieved it were teams that needed money or rookie teams.
3. What form is it dispensed? Is it in a grant the team has to apply for? Is it in a plain brown envelope that is just dropped off in the school district office? (Oh, by the way, your school now has a FIRST team. Here's some money, go build a robot.) What are the criteria the team has to meet to get the full amount?
Each team that wanted the money needed to submit a grant application (Similar to the NASA grant application)
4. Is there more money available to veterans that have shown growth in other FIRST areas? ex. sponsor a FLL tournament? sponsor a FVC team?
I do not think that this money is available
5. Which FIRST program is the money available for? FRC, FVC, FLL?
I know it is for FRC and am pretty sure other FIRST teams could submit for it.

I will see if I can post 2137's application (my mom is their head mentor so we have it). I would try and PM Gail Alpert (gail on CD) or Beth Sweet (I know 1504 received money) for more info.

[Rosiebotboss]

Thanks guys......This is all good stuff.........anyone else have anything?

I am specifically looking for Rhode Island, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Nevada, California, Florida, ... oh heck, all of the rest.

[dtengineering]

I know you are looking for data from the states, but you might want to contact the organizers of the GTR regarding the strong support that the Toronto District School board provides to Toronto teams, and ways in which the province supports FIRST.

Right now in BC there is nothing in the way of provincial support, but I have reason to believe that may change in the next year.

Good luck,

Jason

[MoeMom]

Thanks for sharing this info. We are working here in DE/PA to establish similar support for FIRST teams and when folks ask "How are other states doing it?" it's great to have an example or two (or more!) Good luck everybody!

[GaryVoshol]

The rubric Michigan used for last season's program is here:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/papers/2006

The State has a budget crisis so it is unknown if the grants will be available for the upcoming year.

[KathieK]

Arizona has announced a $525,000 grant. "The investment will be used to expand FIRST in Arizona, including the development of additional teams and recruitment of teachers to mentor them. "

[RoboMom]

Maryland just awarded STEM implementation grants to school systems in a competitive process. Although not specifically for FIRST, Baltimore City received a grant that has a component for current and pre-rookie FRC teams, tying into the curriculum. http://www.marylandpublicschools.org...007_07_19b.htm
I am trying to get info now on whether this was replicated in any other districts.

[Alex Cormier]

Originally Posted by RoboMom

Maryland just awarded STEM implementation grants to school systems in a competitive process. Although not specifically for FIRST, Baltimore City received a grant that has a component for current and pre-rookie FRC teams, tying into the curriculum. http://www.marylandpublicschools.org...007_07_19b.htm
I am trying to get info now on whether this was replicated in any other districts.

I believe that was thought out and such from Todd Martin. He was excited that it went through one day when i was down there.

[Rosiebotboss]

Thank you Jenny. I'll pass this along to the folks up in the DOE to re-kindle the flame. They need a reminder right about now.

[JB987]

Dana,

The State of Nevada does not currently provide financial support for any of the FIRST teams here in Nevada. Following our Championship with 190 and 177 this year, however, we did provide the Governor with a photo op suggesting that he was a great supporter of educational efforts in the state. Unfortunatley, even with many efforts to engage political support for teams here, we are still on our own financially. We continue to work hard to enlist the help of our government as we push for Pell Grant support much as Indiana has done and hope for success down the road. We have done "Dean's homework" many times and hope it pays off eventually.

987 has found a possible down-side to our great successes when it comes time to campaign for financial support from local/state sources...a catch-22 of sorts comes with our success (we did so well with private sources, why do we need money from the government?). The hard part is making them understand how hard it is for an increasing number of teams in Nevada to find financial support to stay afloat. Any ideas?

[Rosiebotboss]

Lots of ideas...

1. Get them to an event. We had been lobbying for a while (So hadn't a lot of other teams in MA) to try to get someone to an event to see first hand what FIRST does to assist in educating new engineers and ....you know the rest. It didn't really hit home with them (the Dept of Ed) until a representative of the DOE came to the Boston Regional on Friday. He came was duly impressed. He came back on Saturday with the #2 guy in the DOE. The process started...with excitement.

2. Start locally. Our first contact to gain support was our local school board. I actually contacted a school board member immediately after we got the team going 7 years ago and have had strong support locally ever since. The first year we were in existence, we presented to a state wide convention of school boards because our local member was the President of the Assn. You never know who knows who or who can help... Start locally.

3. Stay in the press. Write up your own articles with photos. Get them in the press, on TV, anywhere. Sell the sizzle. Give he politicians the oppurtunity to get a photo op. Your program is the most successful one in the school district for educating students and exposing them to real life situations. Pols love photos with successful students. (Future voters!)

4. Maintain a high level of visibility. Keep after them They'll come around.

5. Promote it as a resource for ALL teams, not just you. The more students they see involved in FIRST, the more they will see the value of it. That's why it is imperative to get them (whoever you decide "THEM" is) to a regional. The original guy that came to Boston from the DOE was sent to Atlanta for more fact finding. After networking with a BUNCH of people over the three days he was there, including FIRST heavyweights such as Baker, Kressly, the Kentfields, Ken Stafford and many others in ALL the programs, FLL, FTC, he came back excited! They got to see BIG picture.

Does that help?

[JB987]

Originally Posted by Rosiebotboss

Lots of ideas...

1. Get them to an event. We had been lobbying for a while (So hadn't a lot of other teams in MA) to try to get someone to an event to see first hand what FIRST does to assist in educating new engineers and ....you know the rest. It didn't really hit home with them (the Dept of Ed) until a representative of the DOE came to the Boston Regional on Friday. He came was duly impressed. He came back on Saturday with the #2 guy in the DOE. The process started...with excitement. GOOD IDEA THOUGH NOT EASY SINCE THE STATE DEPT. OF ED. IS LOCATED 450 MILES AWAY FROM LAS VEGAS...BUT I WILL BE SURE TO INVITE THEM (AFTER ALL, THE GOVERNOR CAME TO OUR SCHOOL TO RECOGNIZE OUR ACHIEVEMENTS)

2. Start locally. Our first contact to gain support was our local school board. I actually contacted a school board member immediately after we got the team going 7 years ago and have had strong support locally ever since. The first year we were in existence, we presented to a state wide convention of school boards because our local member was the President of the Assn. You never know who knows who or who can help... Start locally. WE HAVE THE EAR OF A BOARD MEMBER BUT SHE IS ONE OF THOSE WHO SEEMS TO BELIEVE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR OUR AND OTHER'S TEAMS BEST COMES FROM SPONSORS IN THE COMMUNITY...

3. Stay in the press. Write up your own articles with photos. Get them in the press, on TV, anywhere. Sell the sizzle. Give he politicians the oppurtunity to get a photo op. Your program is the most successful one in the school district for educating students and exposing them to real life situations. Pols love photos with successful students. (Future voters!) TONS OF GREAT PRESS HERE HAS TRANSLATED INTO NEW SPONSORS (ESPECIALLY FOR OUR TEAM) BUT GOING IS SLOWER FOR NEWER TEAMS

4. Maintain a high level of visibility. Keep after them They'll come around. MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY OF 2 MILLION ACTUALLY KNOW ABOUT FIRST NOW THANKS TO A FAIR AMOUNT OF PRESS...

5. Promote it as a resource for ALL teams, not just you. The more students they see involved in FIRST, the more they will see the value of it. That's why it is imperative to get them (whoever you decide "THEM" is) to a regional. The original guy that came to Boston from the DOE was sent to Atlanta for more fact finding. After networking with a BUNCH of people over the three days he was there, including FIRST heavyweights such as Baker, Kressly, the Kentfields, Ken Stafford and many others in ALL the programs, FLL, FTC, he came back excited! They got to see BIG picture. GREAT IDEA...WE WILL INVITE STATE LEVEL HOT SHOTS TO ATLANTA IN ADDITION TO OUR LVREGIONAL AND BE SURE TO SEND DVD PRODUCTIONS TO THEM, ESPECIALLY IF THEY CAN'T ATTEND!

Does that help?

EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION IS ALWAYS HELPFUL...THANKS DANA.

ANY OTHER IDEAS OUT THERE???

[Barry Bonzack]

Glad you made this post. I know you've already seen this whitepaper, but thought I should add it to the list for others that would also like this information.

Oklahoma Legislature will appropriate $100,000