Robotics Collaborative Space?

[gblake]

Originally Posted by elemental

Hello,
Recently, my team and two others in my area have been discussing a proposal for a youth robotics center
...

Instead of supplying an answer, I'm going to ask a question How narrowly focused is this robotics center supposed to be?

Is it supposed to involve area youth of all ages, skills and incomes in robotics? or is it targeting only those already involved in FRC?

Either is good, but...

Getting the use of a public space like a piece of a museum seems to be a golden opportunity to catalyze more than just FRC in your community. There are also the FTC, FLL, jFLL, VRC, BEST, BotBall, OOTM, etc. programs to consider, publicize and involve.

Each has advantages and benefits for some target audience, and together they are still just scratching the surface of the North American population. "We" need to use every tool in our arsenals if we are going to change that scratching-the-surface situation.

I suggest thinking about how much more effective the space, and your investments in it, can be if, in addition to helping FRC teams ($10,000 to $25,000 per team per season) share resources and cross-fertilize their talent; you use it to also invigorate programs that can cost as little as $500 or $1000 per team per season;

Food for thought,
Blake