How to keep new students entertained?

[RyanCahoon]

Originally Posted by Dale

There's really nothing quite like building a robot, even a simple box on wheels.

My experience mostly agrees with Dale on this one. You have to separate offseason activities into things that we need to do and things that we like to do. Most incoming students will be expecting to build robots ("it is robot club after all"), and so, at least to a certain degree, you have to oblige them. Unlike many of the more established teams, most students at your school will probably not know the total of what goes on in your team (yet they will still think they do), but you don't want to drive them away once you've got them in the door. Your team's job is to grow their enthusiasm in FIRST.

Try delegating responsibility for the have to tasks to veteran team members; since they have been through a season already, they will get why it's critical that you raise $10,000+, and will appreciate the responsibility. This does not mean that you deal them the task and forget them: they still need to know that you are supprting them and that it's ok if they experience failures (cite: JVN).

Another approach is to assign each of the new students to your mentors and the more mature of your veteran students, after talking to the veterans about what this means for them. Think apprenticeship program.

In regards to education, this can be a valid exercise, but needs to be implemented correctly. In my experience, if you (or your mentors, or ...) lecture at the students for more than a meeting or so, the students will start to wonder why they've signed up for another class. Some may like this, but there's a good chance many won't. Try the one-on-one (or up to about one-on-three) approach instead.

Specific ideas: Try having the some kids work on CAD (if you know it) as all this requires is access to a computer lab and they can create as many designs as they want. Having some sort of hands-on activity is critical, though, as many students (esp. freshmen) will not have the patience for CAD. VEX has also been mentioned, which is excellent if your team has $700-$1000 to spend on it (I believe this is about the price range actually needed). Also, try asking veteran teams in your area if they have any extra parts and material you could use if you can't afford your own (no matter what type of robot you build). Try to stay away from some of the more crafty hobby kits that are available or more DIY-type projects, as they usually require a fair amount of precision to get working and if you have a whole room of kids competing for your assistance, neither they nor you will be happy.

Also, try to find an offseason FRC competition near you. These are great ways for new students to get a feel for FIRST before the season starts.

--Ryan