MARS efforts. suggestions?

[DonRotolo]

Oh My God, you guys are awesome!

Some may say you are doing more than enough - witness the actual, visible change to the community.

If you feel a need to do more, community service is always good - helping folks who need help. Maybe a local food bank, or clean up a park, or adopt some stretch of I65, or - well, I dunno. I'm sure there are folks who could use help - find them and help them.

Invite your government to your events. Mayors like stuff like that. Maybe have them issue a proclamation stating how great MARS is. Be sure the newspapers know what you're doing, and get them some photo opportunities. Girl Scouts are good recruits for robotics.

My 2 cents'

[Alex2614]

thanks for the suggestions! we do get the local newspapers and the news stations up to date. after each competition and event, the newspapers always have articles about us (the main paper in morgantown is a sponsor). We do hold a food drive at our FLL scrimmages, participate in the relay for life, and the habitat for humanity triathlon. the problem with stuff like that, is that our mentors have day jobs (as much as we deny it).

[Chris is me]

Do you have your Chairman's feedback form on you? Look at that first. Honestly if you do all that, and somehow manage to figure out how to improve from THERE, you are a shoe in for EI at 90% of regionals.

[Alex2614]

If i remember right, the only "negative" thing it said was that we should contact the other FRC teams in West Virginia. There are only 2 others, and we have been making efforts to do that. Other than that, there really wasn't any other "area for improvement."

[Akash Rastogi]

Curriculum changes in the district. Get WVU to sponsor new teams. And then take those teams and form a partnership/collaboration/alliance.

[Alex2614]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

Curriculum changes in the district. Get WVU to sponsor new teams. And then take those teams and form a partnership/collaboration/alliance.

Are you talking about new FRC teams?

As far as curriculum changes, these middle schools are now creating elective classes for FLL so kids can get elective credit. the research project is already integrated into the science curriculum at these middle schools.

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by Alex2614

Are you talking about new FRC teams?

Yes

And VEX Teams. Lots and lots and lots of VEX teams.

[Alex2614]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

Yes

And VEX Teams. Lots and lots and lots of VEX teams.

The problem is, Morgantown cannot sustain more than one FRC team. I mean we are barely getting by financially. We are working to put FTC teams in other areas of the state. Most areas won't support an FRC team; we are talking some areas where there are 30 kids in the county high school. However, we are trying to start FTC teams in these areas. and in larger areas, we will start FTC teams in hopes they will "graduate" to FRC someday. However, we have been hitting roadblock after roadblock in getting these teams started. the main one being trying to find teachers that are willing. But believe me, we are trying. And we hope that once a county has an FLL team or two, they will be more willing to try FTC as well.

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by Alex2614

The problem is, Morgantown cannot sustain more than one FRC team. I mean we are barely getting by financially. We are working to put FTC teams in other areas of the state. Most areas won't support an FRC team; we are talking some areas where there are 30 kids in the county high school. However, we are trying to start FTC teams in these areas. and in larger areas, we will start FTC teams in hopes they will "graduate" to FRC someday. However, we have been hitting roadblock after roadblock in getting these teams started. the main one being trying to find teachers that are willing. But believe me, we are trying. And we hope that once a county has an FLL team or two, they will be more willing to try FTC as well.

FTC Team are not cost effective. Look at more VEX teams in the state. And I meant more FRC teams in your state, not the district or county.

[Alex2614]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

FTC Team are not cost effective. Look at more VEX teams in the state. And I meant more FRC teams in your state, not the district or county.

Okay well like i said, most areas will not support a full FRC program. Now, clue me in. What is the difference between FTC and VEX?

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Alex2614

Now, clue me in. What is the difference between FTC and VEX?

Plenty. VEX (was) run by IFI. See the second announcement down in the Portal. It's cheaper, it's excellently run, and it's completely independent of FIRST. The size, material, and challenge difficulty are comparable--an FTC team could easily build a robot to compete in VEX, and vice versa, though rules in both could easily block a robot built by the other group.

[Chris is me]

In areas that can't support FRC, start Vex teams. Your team's ability to recognize that many sustainable Vex teams > a bunch of floundering FRC teams is a very wise thing that so may teams aiming for Chairmans simply ignore, and for that I commend you guys.

[Alex2614]

Originally Posted by EricH

Plenty. VEX (was) run by IFI. See the second announcement down in the Portal. It's cheaper, it's excellently run, and it's completely independent of FIRST. The size, material, and challenge difficulty are comparable--an FTC team could easily build a robot to compete in VEX, and vice versa, though rules in both could easily block a robot built by the other group.

Ok well thanks a lot for the information btw! we will look in to this as well. but whether it be FTC or VEX, we still need to find teachers that are willing.

There are already 3 FTC teams in WV. No VEX teams. That being said, i think it will be better if the new teams have teams that they know in their competitions. Plus, we were thinking about holding an FTC scrimmage/competition at the FLL tournament. That way we could be there at both the FLL event and the FTC one as well. And since it is FIRST sponsored, they will probably be more willing to hold FTC than VEX. Idk, like i said we will look in to it and see what we can do.