Anybody as stoked as I am about the partnership of Boy’s and Girl’s Club of America and FIRST?
For me, this is great news. I have for some time wanted to start a team local to where I live… and a Club is 4 blocks away. If the partnership works out and the club gets a team, they already have their first mentor.
I heard Dean say ~4,000 new teams within 3 years? Was that right? Can you imagine?
The deal is, can they maintain those teams for a long time?
This is a great partnership, a logical one too. I hope it works out the same way that 4-H teams have been popping up in recent years, only at a much more accelerated pace. I’ll have to check out where the local Clubs are in my area and help get their teams started up.
I’d like to transfer my current “club” from municipal to B&Gs club facilities, just to start. I would not mind mentoring a rookie each year at that site, Even if it meant I had to go to three teams’ meetings.
It’s one thing to have as large a pool of potential kids and quite another to find four or five mentors for each of those 4,000 new teams. That’s the real Dean’s homework: tell a team it has to find mentors for another team.
No one said they were all FRC teams… (not that that’s a bad thing!) In fact I highly doubt they are, as that would completely overwhelm the current system.
Don’t forget about JrFLL/FLL/FTC
Statistics: Member percentages as of 2010:
43% are 6–10 years old
19% are 11–12 years old
21% are 13–15 years old
12% are 16–18 years old
so probably 500 FRC teams
Ah yes…good calls. It slipped my mind that it would be across all of FIRST, not just simply FRC. Also, after reading the press release on the FIRST website, it’s 3,000 teams not 4,000.
But yes, its still a dang good thing for so many new teams across all of FIRST. FTC and JFLL will probably take the best advantage of this.
With the potential reach of 4 million students in the next 3 years, simply 1% will nearly double the existing number of FRC student participants. The historic partnership provides a great opportunity for all FIRST teams to show their Gracious Professionalism ™ and reach out to the increased inflow of new teams and members.
It’ll certainly help FIRST programs in our San Francisco community expand. We are very excited about working with our local B&G club to help them succeed.
Not to be a wet blanket on all this, but… If there weren’t a “mentor crunch” before, there sure will be when all these teams come to fruition. A lot of the success of a team, the longevity of a team, the inspiration of a team comes from its mentors. A second homework assignment, then, is necessary – figure out how to attract and retain a huge, talented, dedicated crop of mentors!
Our team is blessed with a world class crew of mentors. It would be wonderful if it were possible to say that about all teams, especially these nascent B&G Club teams!
As the team based out of West Philadelphia (where the Boys and Girls club started) and the team who will be heading up expansion in Philly along with 1218, we will do our best to maintain the teams we develop through the next few years. It will definitely be a challenge but we will all be doing our best to help each other. Congressman Fattah talked to our team at the MAR championship about Philly expanding to more FRC, FTC, and FLL teams (he is the Philadelphia representative) and we will be supporting his efforts in any way possible and vice-versa. With some of the local talent joining forces (3929, 1218, 341, 365) I’m pretty sure we can make teams in our area sustainable within one of the levels of FIRST, whether that is FRC FTC or FLL. I hope other areas of the country can band together in a similar way.
In regards to a “mentor Crunch”, our team has quite a few mentors; most of our mentors come from parents of students on the team. Granted, these mentors may not have had a lot of FIRST experience, but the growth of students may correspond to a growth of mentors in this way.
I am kind of confused with respect to a “partnership” with The Boy’s and Girl’s Clubs. Will this just mean that they will market and promote FIRST to those students; will they support new teams; or something else? (I didn’t watch all of Dean’s speech if he explained this in it.)
I’m very very excited for this partnership, GUS Robotics and I were very close to starting an FLL and FTC team in our local Boys and Girls club, but the only thing that was holding us back was mentors and funding. Hopefully this should give us a shot to really get started! Logically, I don’t think they’ll get to that magical 4000 teams, but it’s sure something to shoot for. FIRST was really thinking when they pulled B&Gs club on board, what better way to find kids than a place that is already a safe and stable environment!
I spoke with First Deputy Director Frank Merrick flying home yesterday and he clarified the vast majority of the new teams will be FLL and FTC. However, we should see a growth in FRC as these teams mature.
Anyone out there have a team or starting one with a Boys and Girls Club? I am working to start a FRC team at our local club. We should be ready to recruit members by the end of the month and plan to be competition ready for this season.
I’m looking to understand what the alliance has brought to the table and if there is anyone at FIRST acting as a contact for these teams. If the goal is 3000 teams by 2015 through BAGC then I would assume something is going on this season to get started.
I would also like to get in touch with others working in a similar situation so we can compare notes. I’m envisioning the need for a greater degree of operating commonality with the BAGC than we’ve seen working through public or private schools. At the very least, others experience would help us get started.
Thank you,
I wish they had a list of what clubs were ready/looking to start this year… I contacted my local one but they hadn’t even heard about the agreement. They have my name/email/cell number but you know how those get lost/forgotten… It’s frustrating.