“The Woodie Flowers Award celebrates effective communication in the art and science of engineering and design.” – FRC 2004 Manual

Unsung FIRST Heroes is proud to announce a new feature we are holding during the 2004 FIRST season.

In the coming weeks, we will be spotlighting those individuals from within the FIRST community who have been honored with the Woodie Flowers Award. Each week we will profile one of the previous WFA winners, starting with Andy Baker (2003 winner) and working chronologically backwards. Then we will get the chance to spotlight the 2004 honoree!

We are proud to have the chance to spotlight these men and women who have been honored by FIRST, and to emphasize the importance of this award. These mentors are the heroes who make FIRST as great as it is. Their positive impact on this program is immeasurable.

We feel it is important to remember those heroes from the past, as we begin the new era of regional WFA winners, and as we prepare to honor this year’s national winner.

So, on behalf of all of the UFH crew, I urge you to read, remember, and give thanks to these true heroes of FIRST.

Thanks, John V-Neun

Only one candidate from a team may be nominated. This nominee must be an adult mentor who truly inspires the team. This individual demonstrates excellence in engineering instruction by explaining complex ideas to students in an inspiring way. Judging criteria is based on the team’s description of how the teacher or engineer inspired each member of the team in some or all of the following ways:

• Level of student participation
• Creativity of effort
• Clear explanation of mathematical, scientific, and engineering concepts
• Demonstration of enthusiasm for science and engineering
• Encouragement to work on projects as a team effort
• Inspiration to use problem-solving skills
• Inspiration to become an effective communicator

FIRST team completes a product development cycle as it designs a concept, develops a prototype, and builds and debugs a unique machine. This requires teamwork, attention to detail, scheduling, and hard work. The award-winning essay should answer this question; “How did the candidate inspire your team throughout this process?” If the essay describes how this individual excels above all others as he or she inspires the team, then that mentor truly deserves to be recognized with the award that honors Professor Woodie Flowers and his contribution to engineering, education, and communication.