FTC GameEvery year FTC releases a new game. To help explain what the rules and objectives of the game is, they release a video along with the game. This is this year's game. The actual game reveal starts at 2:05
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FIRST as a wholeFIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a worldwide organization dedicated to STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) education. They host four different leagues, Jr. FLL (FIRST Lego League), FLL, FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge), and FRC (First Robotics Challenge). You can read more about them here
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Gracious ProfessionalismFIRST Subscribes to the philosophy of Gracious Professionalism. Gracious Professionalism is doing the best you can while helping others to do their best as well. It means not being degrading, but being encouraging instead. This makes it easier for everyone to learn and grow, in an environment of co-opertition.
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Why Join FIRST?When you volunteer with FIRST, you get a sense of being part of something bigger than you, that's working to help millions of people all over the world learn about STEM. It's truly an amazing feeling, and the actual volunteering is really fun. Just look at those smiles!
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Why Mentor a Team?We'll let our coach speak for herself:
"Working with the Droids has been one of the most challenging and one of the most rewarding volunteer jobs of my life. If you are an adult reading this, I can only encourage you to volunteer and enjoy the same challenges and rewards. The challenge comes in sharing expertise and offering guidance while respecting the team members' sphere of action. In the world of FIRST, the kids, not the adults, design and build the robot. As a mentor, my job is to offer help and support, to make suggestions, to point out possibilities or principles that the kids may not be aware of...but not to make decisions. You may have to bite your tongue as they choose a less than optimal path! At the same time, this challenge brings its rewards. The kids learn from their attempts, both the successes and the failures. The successes are sweeter and the failures more instructive when the kids own the choices that produced them. You will witness disappointments, but also many "aha" moments. Even more satisfying than seeing the technical skills grow is seeing the personal and interpersonal skills develop.The young people involved in FIRST are smart and engaged, and it is a joy to see them applying their intelligence and enthusiasm to solve problems of all kinds. Along the way, they develop perseverance, patience, and self-confidence. The emphasis on "gracious professionalism" also means that they learn to listen to others, to cooperate, to critique ideas without attacking people. To accompany the kids on this journey is a joy indeed." |