pic: Senior Mentors are rounded up for a picture

[RoboMom]

loading photo ...

[Beth Sweet]

Jenny, can you label these people with names so that we all know who these generous people are who are taking care of us, are? I'd love to be able to address any of them who I see by name!

[Kyle]

TO ALL OF FIRST :

This is a picture of the most dedicated and helpful people in all of FIRST and it will be a great loss to every team if this program is not funded to continue after December 2007.
I call on each student/mentor/alum/parent to write to FIRST and let them know how important and helpful the senior mentors are. They are a quick link to FIRST HQ and they can usually help solve many problems at a regional level rather then having to keep calling FIRST HQ to get answers or help, and that can take a long time sometimes.
The FIRST senior mentors know the teams in their areas and are all experienced FIRSTers loosing this program can hurt FIRST in many ways by not having a middle person from a team to FIRST and having a FIRST contact that knows your team and area and the problems that you face.


Thank you to all of the FIRST Senior Mentors for everything that you have done and will do in the future.

[Rich Kressly]

Originally Posted by Beth Sweet

Jenny, can you label these people with names so that we all know who these generous people are who are taking care of us, are? I'd love to be able to address any of them who I see by name!

The entire listing is here:
http://www.usfirst.org/community/vol...t.aspx?id=3310

Let's see how many from the photo you all can get

[Beth Sweet]

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

The entire listing is here:
http://www.usfirst.org/community/vol...t.aspx?id=3310

Let's see how many from the photo you all can get

I've got 2, you and Jenny...

[Protronie]

Originally Posted by Kyle

TO ALL OF FIRST :

This is a picture of the most dedicated and helpful people in all of FIRST and it will be a great loss to every team if this program is not funded to continue after December 2007.
I call on each student/mentor/alum/parent to write to FIRST and let them know how important and helpful the senior mentors are. They are a quick link to FIRST HQ and they can usually help solve many problems at a regional level rather then having to keep calling FIRST HQ to get answers or help, and that can take a long time sometimes.
The FIRST senior mentors know the teams in their areas and are all experienced FIRSTers loosing this program can hurt FIRST in many ways by not having a middle person from a team to FIRST and having a FIRST contact that knows your team and area and the problems that you face.


Thank you to all of the FIRST Senior Mentors for everything that you have done and will do in the future.

Did I miss something? Where are the senior mentors going?
What program is in danger of being cut out?

[Rich Kressly]

Originally Posted by Beth Sweet

I've got 2, you and Jenny...

haha fair enough....there are a few new members I only met for the first time at this meeting, so I won't know them all, but..

Back Row: George Burcin, Brad Lauer (RD and SM project grant administrator), Dee Tomczak, Paul Kloberg, Jenny Beatty, some knothead from PA, Mike "water boy" Sperber, Dan Coget, Richard Bodor, Janet Lathan (in front of Dan), Dennis Howland (FIRST HQ - in front of Richard)

Front Row: ________ , Jean Hoppert, Dawn Lutz, _______, Steve Cremer, Valerie Strain, Jackie Moore

Jenny - fill in the blanks for me ...

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

Let's see how many from the photo you all can get

Jenny introduced me to a serious force of nature, Mr. Paul Kloberg,
this past weekend.
I think Mr. Dennis Howland was my 'boss' in volunteering.
Mr. Stephen Cremer who seemed to be everywhere at once.

Edit: oops, sorry Rich..

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

Front Row: ________ , Jean Hoppert, Dawn Lutz, Nancy McIntyre, Steve Cremer, Valerie Strain, Jackie Moore

One blank down, one blank to go to have the list complete...

[Barry Bonzack]

From all of us that have gotten an opportunity to learn from you, we have one thing to say to our senior mentors...



Thank you.

[RoboMom]

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

haha fair enough....there are a few new members I only met for the first time at this meeting, so I won't know them all, but..

Back Row: George Burcin, Brad Lauer (RD and SM project grant administrator), Dee Tomczak, Paul Kloberg, Jenny Beatty, some knothead from PA, Mike "water boy" Sperber, Dan Coget, Richard Bodor, Janet Lathan (in front of Dan), Dennis Howland (FIRST HQ - in front of Richard)

Front Row: ________ , Jean Hoppert, Dawn Lutz, _______, Steve Cremer, Valerie Strain, Jackie Moore

Jenny - fill in the blanks for me ...

Geez Rich, were you snoozing during the intros and ice breaker?
I believe that would be Kristian Breton-NYC and Nancy McIntyre from CA.
Kristian is one of the featured stories in the newest FIRST book-not the robot one but the people and inspiration one-titled "FIRST"
As a side note: almost everytime I talked, the lights would go out in the room...

[Rich Kressly]

Originally Posted by RoboMom

Geez Rich, were you snoozing during the intros and ice breaker?
I believe that would be Kristian Breton-NYC and Nancy McIntyre from CA.
Kristian is one of the featured stories in the newest FIRST book-not the robot one but the people and inspiration one-titled "FIRST"
As a side note: almost everytime I talked, the lights would go out in the room...

Me, snooze or be off task?????????? I actually thought those were the right names, but I didn't want to make a mistake. Especially since I needed A phone call and three people waving me in just to find the meeting room.

[KathieK]

Originally Posted by Kyle

TO ALL OF FIRST :

This is a picture of the most dedicated and helpful people in all of FIRST and it will be a great loss to every team if this program is not funded to continue after December 2007....

Thank you to all of the FIRST Senior Mentors for everything that you have done and will do in the future.

I second that! I'd also like to add THANK YOU to all of them for being the level-headed ones who calm me when I get upset, and who patiently answer my millions of questions, e-mails and phone calls. A wonderful group of people!

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by KathieK

I second that! I'd also like to add THANK YOU to all of them for being the level-headed ones who calm me when I get upset, and who patiently answer my millions of questions, e-mails and phone calls. A wonderful group of people!

If the FIRST Senior Mentor program is ending - I'm assuming funding is root cause - this is not good.
As FIRST expands and develops, it will need - more - Senior Mentors .. not zero. Senior Mentors are key to the development of rookie teams in our different areas and in helping them learn how to establish themselves and grow.

And, Senior Mentors' eyes twinkle and sparkle - even after a long exhausting competition.

Thanks for everything,
Jane

[Rich Kressly]

Originally Posted by Protronie

Did I miss something? Where are the senior mentors going? What program is in danger of being cut out?

No, you didn't really miss anything at all. The Senior Mentor project has been funded through a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service since October of 2004. The initial grant was written/scheduled for two years (the maximum for their grant program), but the foundation was so impressed with the results, it granted a one time exception (something it hasn't done ever before to my knowledge) and has extended the grant through December of 2007.

FIRST already knows the value of the effort and would like to do what it can to help the project to continue. Between now and December, the SM group still under contract will be working with HQ staff to help shape the future of the program (or one like it) beyond 2007. Pursuing new/other grant opportunities or sources of funding, however, will be one key element to sustaining beyond 2007.

Fear not, FIRST is stronger now than it was before the SM's and whatever happens in the future, there are more volunteers, mentors, and supporters now than there were before October 2004.