Breaking the Geek-FIRST Bias

[Dorienne]

I honestly don't find it to be attracting only geeks.
I'm not even close to being a geek, really. I'm more of an outgoing business person with serious PR skills. As many people may have found out. ;-)
But really, FIRST attracts all kinds of people; nerds, geeks, dorks, preps, techies, PR people, financial persons, etc. It's a wide range of people, and that's the amazing thing people hardly recognize. FIRST attracts everyone. It appeals to so many different people.
What we need to let people know is that there's something in FIRST for everyone. Not just engineering skills for geeks. There's PR skills, financial skills, CAD skills, Animation, Website building, etc. The list is practically endless!
That's the message we need to convey. FIRST can appeal to all. We just need to show that to them.

[Alex Pelan]

Originally Posted by Dorienne Plait

I honestly don't find it to be attracting only geeks.
I'm not even close to being a geek, really. I'm more of an outgoing business person with serious PR skills. As many people may have found out. ;-)
But really, FIRST attracts all kinds of people; nerds, geeks, dorks, preps, techies, PR people, financial persons, etc. It's a wide range of people, and that's the amazing thing people hardly recognize. FIRST attracts everyone. It appeals to so many different people.
What we need to let people know is that there's something in FIRST for everyone. Not just engineering skills for geeks. There's PR skills, financial skills, CAD skills, Animation, Website building, etc. The list is practically endless!
That's the message we need to convey. FIRST can appeal to all. We just need to show that to them.

Exactly. Each FIRST team is like a mini corporation, and it needs people and trains people for all walks of life. I'm sure that if it was mandatory for freshman at schools that the teams would be huge, with some schools requiring more than one team. The problem is getting kids to committ the time necessary and the interest.

[rocknthehawk]

definetly do not promote robotics based on the trips and such. at least half of our team doesnt do squat, and ends up getting into trouble at the competitions.

To recruit people, use word of mouth, and show off the bot. We put ours in the school cafeteria and show it off, it actually helped out a lot. also, try showing them how it was built, lots of kids think it is really cool using the tools in a machine shop and such. A lego team would also probably help out a lot with kids coming into the school.

[SarahBecker]

Originally Posted by rocknthehawk

definetly do not promote robotics based on the trips and such. at least half of our team doesnt do squat, and ends up getting into trouble at the competitions.

To recruit people, use word of mouth, and show off the bot. We put ours in the school cafeteria and show it off, it actually helped out a lot. also, try showing them how it was built, lots of kids think it is really cool using the tools in a machine shop and such. A lego team would also probably help out a lot with kids coming into the school.

Yes, Aaron makes a VERY good point! Make sure that people earn their spot at the competition. Don't just let people go because they showed up!
And by the way Aaron... was it not your team that got in trouble for surfing at Bash?

[JakeGallagher]

In my school, none of our team cares whether people call us geeks or nerds, or those robotics kids. We have pride in our team and that's all that matters. When someone gives me a hard time, I just break out the fact that my team is the only one that has gone to the National Finals, won a Regional Competition, placed 3rd in another, and will secure me a place in a good college, as well as a good job later in life. Then I ask them what football or hockey is going to do for them. o.O

As for recruiting more people, ask to get your meeting times posted on the announcements, or talk to your friends about it. The easiest way to recruit people is by telling them what you do, how fun it is, and about all the cool people they can meet (like me ).

[Edit]
And who says being called a geek is a bad thing?
[/Edit]

[Yan Wang]

At open house this past Thursday, I found that the most effective recruiting tool was to go right up to a person and start talking about robotics and what a great learning experience it is. I got about 3 girls to apply for the team through this method and met a whole lot more.

I thought the highlight of the evening was when the wife of a Cornell law prof came up to me and started talking animatedly about engineers. One quote sticks out: "If I had to do it over again, I'd marry an engineer. You guys learn to work together instead of arguing... I married a lawyer... Plus, engineers are smart and good problem solvers." She then hailed over the wife of the Dean of the Law School @ Cornell and told her to get money for our team. I was ecstatic.

Another high point came when Steve Squyres discussed FIRST with me. He really seemed to be impressed by the program. "A lot of the things you guys are asked to do have real life applications." He has two daughters at the high school but I haven't been successful in recruiting them yet. Wish me luck.

[DCA Fan]

With all the exhibitions a team can do, you can only do so much. I really find it effective to take new members, especially mentors/school administrators to an offseason competition or a regional to get them involved. Once they have been to a competition, they're hooked.

[n0cturnalxb]

Originally Posted by DCA Fan

Once they have been to a competition, they're hooked.

That is so true.. I was hooked ever since the first scrimmage we went to.

[Denman]

you say your gunna have a vacuum of people as all your people are first years . . .
[RANT]
We only have people in our team for 2 years, as we are based at a 6th form college. This means we only ever have people in year 12 and 13 (ie 15/16-18 yr olds)this makes it very hard for us to get enough people with skills and we basically have something like 1 month to train the lowers up for next year, and they have to do the same the year after etc.. .. ..
[/RANT]
if your colllege has like a societies listing/fair or something, then you can make sure you get more people by having the most attractive female and one of the really clever people maning hte stand, making a point of the team needing (to use an awful phrase)"non-geeks"

i agree with av11d

[tribotec_ca88]

Wow this is quite an interesting thread...very controversial...

The world to me seems such a false, shallow, and hypocritical place. Many people (such as FIRSTers) are victims of this negative stereotype, because we're portrayed in such a bad manner. Life's already complicated, and having to face this kind prejudice is just insulting. And unfortunately we live in a society where success isnt based on skill or dedication, but almost entirely on your "social status". Not that sociability is a bad thing, but the rest of us people that are focusing our efforts in different areas are literally excluded and ignored. And when society decides it doesn't want our type in, simply because our brains function differently and we have different interests, we end up coming last, because their influence is great. This whole "model" human form (mental and physical) thing is nonsense. Unfortunately theres not much that can be done. What we need to do is learn to cope with these people. Although we may never be respected or acknowledged, we will find our inner peace, something all of us desire and search for throughout our lifetimes. They're the ones that lack confidence, the ones that spend their lives disguised as someone they're not, when in the end they'll come to find they'd been illuded and mistaken the entire time.

So...I would suggest trying to convince people one-on-one, and get personal. Make an attempt to describe FIRST as it really is. And if they can't see how advantageous and enriching it is, let it be. A 5-person team that is motivated, dedicated, and united will accomplish so much more than a 30-person team of students that are mildly interested. Of 1000 people there will be someone conscious enough to perceive this kind of discrimination, and despite of it, will be able to ignore it and focus on the positive aspects, and those are the ones that really matter.

[KelliV]

I don't think that we should try to appeal to people just by shaking off the "geek" title... If someone wants to join FIRST they should do it becuase they want to... not because the team travels, gives you extra credits ( at least at my school it does),or offers a chance to be on a winning team, unlike most of the others at RMHS. Why should FIRST be flooded with people that do not want to work and just want to ride along on the other team members coat tails. Who cares if we are geeks, dorks, or nerds.
Being in a club won't change a status title. For example I was the cheerleading captin for two years and a FIRST team leader but even with the cheerleading title I am still pegged with the geek name.
Geek in our school has become accepted... being a geek is better than being a jock, cheerleader, or a loaner in our school. I like to think that FIRST has had a part in changing this. After our team started to win way back in '95 the school shifted gears and became more accepting of people with the geek name. My teacher even has a stamp that reads geek. The clubs that are being signed up for are no longer cheerleading and football although those are still very respected people have started to join debate, speech, student council and our now 67+ member FIRST team.
I guess what I am getting at is for people to try and make people accept the "geek" name... not try and change it, you never know what might happen!

[suneel112]

There should be some "cool" activities if it really was worthwhile to prove yourself.
I like the IRI talent show (deferred, wha wha!!), especially Dean Simmons and the Kamens, and even though I spent most of my time laughing at them, there was one good solo.
There should also be a rap-off. One thing geeks are stereotyped as is being "polite" and not using vulgar language. We have to be graciously professional, but a good, semi-clean FIRST rap (without bad language) would instantaneously break the image of Geeks and Nerds.
Then again, we should show some geek pride. wha wha!

[phrontist]

Originally Posted by suneel112

There should also be a rap-off. One thing geeks are stereotyped as is being "polite" and not using vulgar language. We have to be graciously professional, but a good, semi-clean FIRST rap (without bad language) would instantaneously break the image of Geeks and Nerds.
Then again, we should show some geek pride. wha wha!

That would be the most awkward thing ever.

[aaronbr28040]

I never really worried about the being called a geek. I'm in college now and try to help out with my former team when I can and I dont really care if people give me a hard time. I guess I got over worrying about being called a geek early on. In anything you do there will be sacrifices. I really dont see why people worry so much about what their friends and others will think about them if they join a FIRST team. If they are really your friends then it wont matter to them. I can honestly say that joining the FIRST team at my high school was the best thing that I ever did. It has already helped me in college and also helped me land a part time job here on campus.
-Aaron

[rocknthehawk]

And by the way Aaron... was it not your team that got in trouble for surfing at Bash?

haha yes that was us.