I’m writing out our submission for the Rookie All-Star Award but I’m trying to figure out what to include in the essay. Anyone have any tips?
Same question here…I’m not familiar with the whole rookie dealio. 
Thanks in advance.
Look at the chairman’s questions and answer those. Most importantly tell your story of how you came to be and how you are overcoming all obstacles. Explain what you are learning and how it is making an impact on your life. If possible, include plans for Team Sustainability.
Thank you! and i have one other question, if you don’t mind. The essay is seperate from the executive summary? right?
Our Rookie Year we did a full chairman’s submission just changed the title page, it worked out well. Focus on current/ongoing projects and forethought into sustainability seeing as a rookie you don’t have allot of history to build off of.
Yes, the essay is seperate from the executive summary.
Ok, that makes more sense now, thank you.
Wait, what?! There is a submission required for Rookie All Star? Can you point me to that requirement? That’s news to me.
Now, alternatively, it doesn’t hurt to have an RCA style essay prepared for the judges to show what you have done to distinguish your team for the RAS award, but I would keep it short, more like a bullet point list of your achievements. The judges have a lot going on and really don’t have the bandwidth to carefully read a 10,000 character essay from each of the rookies when judging for RAS.
Of course that statement is null and void if there is some new requirement for RAS that wasn’t there last year.
Please be aware that there is no formal submission for the Rookie All Star Award.
An essay in form of the Chairman’s Award submission can be written and brought with you to the competition to offer to the judges. Use it to capture your team story, or use another format if you choose.
It will be just as important to have the students who are working in your pit also know your teams story. The emphasis is on partnership. With whom has your team formed a partnership? Is it with your school, teachers and adminsitrators? Is it with a business that is sponsoring you? Is it with the community, or a community organization? Is it a combination of all of them? How is your partnership being developed, nurtured, grown and what is the personal impact on your team and the impact on the surrounding community?
Good luck!
OK, I think I might understand some of the confusion. Team 3466 has NASA as a sponsor. The NASA grant requires a “Chairman’s” submission to NASA as part of the grant requirements, see below. This is not a requirement of the Rookie All Star award.
If you plan on bringing that to the Boston Regional with you and giving it to the judges, make sure you give them a copy, not the original, the judges are not responsible for returning material given to them (although many try to).
I would also again stress that you summarize your achievements in a single page bullet point list for the judges. There are 6 rookies at the Boston regional and it is not likely the judges will have the time to review 6 10,000 character essays as part of the judging process (note, Chairman’s Award judges are different in this sense, RCA submissions are submitted ahead of time and have time to be reviewed before the interview process).
From http://robotics.arc.nasa.gov/events/2011_sponsorship.php
Remember, teams accepting NASA robotics competition grants are agreeing to the following critical items:
- Complete BOTH the Entrance Survey and Exit Surveys for all team members.
- Provide NASA with a copy of the team’s Chairman’s Award Submission or an equivalent document.
- Build a robot and compete at the awarded event.