2.) INTRODUCTION TO FIRST. Business Plan FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 1

Transcription

1 2.) INTRODUCTION TO FIRST Business Plan FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 1

2 1.) Executive Summary Table of Contents [1.] Executive Summary 3 [2.] Introduction to FIRST 8 [2.1] FIRST Programs [2.2] FIRST Robotics Competition: What We Do [3.] Team Overview 11 [3.1] Team History [3.2] Student Team Members [3.3] Team Mentors [3.4] Team Sponsors [4.] Team Management 16 [4.1] Team Membership [4.2] Team Organization [4.3] Team Leadership [5.] Building Relationships 20 [5.1] Team Members [5.2] School District [5.3] Local Community [5.4] Global Community [6.] Goals and Implementation Plan 24 [6.1] Financial Goals [6.2] Team Member Goals [6.3] Outreach Goals [6.4] Implementation Plan [7.] Strategic Planning 27 [7.1] SWOT Analysis [7.2] Risk Mitigation [8.] Team Budget and Financial Statement 30 [8.1] Team Income and Expenditures [8.2] Additional Opportunities for Support: In-Kind Donations [9.] Fundraising 33 [10.] Team Contact Information 34 FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 2

3 1.) Executive Summary Mission Statement The mission of Team 1923 is to create a culture where students want to pursue and become leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). We use FIRST as the primary platform to provide students with a hands-on educational experience in engineering and science with the opportunity to develop collaborative leadership skills that will last a lifetime beyond FIRST. The major aim of our business plan is to sustain and grow The MidKnight Inventors for a minimum of 5 years while providing a means of starting and/or assisting new FIRST teams at every level. We accomplish these goals through corporate and local business sponsorships, various grant opportunities, team fees, and hosting FIRST events. Team Origin The MidKnight Inventors, FRC Team 1923, was founded in 2006 in West Windsor, NJ with 4 students from one high school. The MidKnight Inventors have flourished into a family of teams of over 125 students from 2 schools in West Windsor and Plainsboro. Since their inception, Team 1923 has consistently strived to establish a strong relationship with our school district and community. Initially, the team faced major challenges with funding, finding a place to build, and garnering enough interested students. Even 5 years ago, The MidKnight Inventors struggled to raise enough funds to register the team and participate in the regional event. However, by its 10th year, the team had grown to 90 members and our district provided trailer classrooms and hallway space in an elementary school. The team also received several significant monetary grants. Finally, as a result of our unwavering partnership with the school district, in January 2017 we opened our new 1600 sq. foot state of the art engineering lab in our founding school. Additionally, our team s strong fundraising efforts over the past four years plus careful money management have provided all of the equipment and supplies to furnish our new shop. Organizational Structure Team 1923 is similar to a corporation: organized to meet its missions and goals with leadership tiers. The team obtains mentors from the community, school district, local universities, companies, alumni, and parents. A finance co-captain, selected by mentors, collaborates with directors elected by the student body to obtain grants as well as corporate and community sponsors. The finance subteam identifies potential sponsors and contacts them through team supporters and letters outlining the benefits of donation. In addition, the subteam approaches parents for company matched funds and contacts local businesses. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 3

4 1.) Executive Summary In order to strengthen sponsor relationships, the team invites sponsors to our outreach events, such as the ribbon-cutting ceremony of our engineering lab, as well as our official FLL, FTC, and FRC events. The student body is recruited through these community events, club fairs, and MidKnight-affiliated FTC and FLL teams. The finance subteam organizes students, parents, and mentors for an average of 2 fundraising events per month to ensure that all MidKnight Inventors contribute to the fundraising process. Corporate grants and student fees provide more than half of our budget, but these team fundraisers contribute to our funds and introduce more of the community to FIRST. Finally, team members are required to participate in a minimum of 60% of all fundraising opportunities and 60% of all outreach events, reminding students that FIRST is not just about building robots, but also about promoting STEM and core values. Relationships Team 1923 has developed an educational series called MidKnightU to educate new members on topics such as CAD, electrical, mechanical, programming, outreach, business/marketing, and strategy. MidKnightU is livestreamed on Twitch and provided to rookie teams. During the season, all 130 members are engaged in building one robot for competition and one robot for drive practice. Following competition season, leaders begin summer projects to experiment with new ideas and parts. Mentors remain engaged year-round through weekly meetings, competitions, offseason projects, and social events. Mentors are the lifeblood of the team, tirelessly providing their time and resources; the team celebrates their contributions through internal recognition awards and nominations at various MAR-sponsored events. Team 1923 has 11 major corporate sponsors and many smaller in-kind ones. In order to maintain sponsor relationships, team leadership has built a tiered incentive system including letters of recognition, ads in sponsor booklets, social media, public flyers, and logos on shirts/robots. The team organizes visits for potential sponsors with robot demos and shop tours. In the community, The MidKnight Inventors black-and-silver logo is instantly recognizable. The team conducts 3 open houses annually, and can be found at summer camps, science fairs and libraries, where we invite the public to learn about robotics. During these events, team leadership utilizes well-established JumpStart and CONNECT programs to recruit more students into all levels of FIRST. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 4

5 1.) Executive Summary Deployment of Resources Team 1923 uses a significant part of its budget to support outreach and community projects; its strong fundraising capabilities aid in promoting FIRST locally and globally. Team 1923 runs events at every FIRST level to reach ~2500 people annually from the community. Open Houses, robotics classes, workshops in underserved areas, science fairs and summer camps reach another In the season, we used our travel budget to bring demos to multiple organizations, reaching another 130,000 people globally. In 2017, Team 1923 supported fees and funds for 4 FLL Jr, 3 FLL and 2 FTC teams. These two FTC teams were further assisted with tools, supplies and the use of Team 1923 s build space. Over the past 4 years, MidKnight Inventors trained over 60 students from 3 rookie FRC teams by providing them the use of supplies, instructors, and build space. Using CONNECT, Team 1923 brought FIRST programs to all 10 schools in the district by matching students to local teams. Students have taken FIRST worldwide by utilizing JumpStart and MKI Global Initiative programs to present to schools in other countries. After starting one FLL and one FTC team in India, the team continues to coach and fund them over the past 2 years. Resources also go into building twin robots to ensure students get enough hands-on build time. Students are also required to participate in 60% of all fundraising and outreach opportunities. These policies help 1923 members develop STEM knowledge, teamwork, leadership, time management, and presentation skills, ensuring well-rounded FIRST students. Future Plans Team 1923 strives to start and mentor 4-5 teams each year. JumpStart, CONNECT, and MKI Global Initiatives will help us ensure success in this area. To support our many FLL teams transition to other FIRST programs, we will bring more FTC teams to the district. This year we maintained 2 FTC teams and have found coaches and mentors for 2 additional teams in Aggressive fundraising will support this effort and our team is currently working with new corporate sponsors for funds. Team 1923 will expand its role in FLL through mentorship of its current 5 teams and the addition of at least one additional team each year. These teams will be supported through food sales from FLL scrimmages. We will support the FLL FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 5

6 1.) Executive Summary community via the Minion Mayhem FLL Qualifier which has grown from 16 teams at its inception to an expected 32 teams in 2016; additionally, FLL Jr is supported through 2 showcase events. Team 1923 continues to grow its influence with our school district. An engineering shop is under construction at one school for Spring 2016 and a robotics engineering course will be added to the curriculum for Fall This effort will be funded by the district with leadership provided by Team A private grant has established 2 robotics scholarships for 10 years. In order to accomplish these goals, we have engaged and coached a parent fundraising group to enhance our already strong student/mentor group. The parent group has been successful in acquiring ~10 additional sponsorships totaling >$10K. Financial Statement Team 1923 has an operating budget of ~$110,000. More than 60% of our funding comes from corporate grants, local businesses, private donations, and team fundraisers. The team organizes at least 2 fundraising/outreach events per month. Examples include many school and community fundraisers (Founders Day, food sales at both schools, bake sales and flea markets) as well as running FIRST events and scrimmages at all levels. All tools and supplies are purchased by the team with funds that the team raises. The team targets major team purchases in the spring of each year and then raises funds necessary to make the acquisitions. The MidKnight Inventors have expanded their support for FLL Jr, FLL and FTC teams that they mentor and coach. Support for our 2 global teams also comes from team-raised funds. Team fees are used to offset travel costs for the team and to support robot transportation for demos and outreach. Risk Analysis Strengths: Team 1923 s biggest strength is in numbers. Our numerous members allow us to conduct many fundraising and outreach events. We participate in at least 20 outreach events annually, which doubles as a recruitment tool. We have dedicated long term mentors who work tirelessly with the team to accomplish goals. We also train our new FRC and FTC recruits early on through our MidKnightU FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 6

7 1.) Executive Summary program. Finally, we work effectively with our district administration to bring robotics classes into the curriculum and provide the team a permanent home. Weaknesses: There is always a threat that students will lose interest from lack of participation on the robot because we are a large team. To combat this weakness, we build 2 robots, have summer projects, and ~2 outreach/fundraising events per month. Furthermore, we have created a travel team that allows students to travel to competitions only by fulfilling participation requirements, thus giving them an incentive to stay active on the team. Another weakness is coordination of the team between 2 schools, as students can find it difficult to get from one school to the other. Opportunities: One opportunity we are always seeking is to recruit more sponsors and gain additional funding from our local businesses, as well as identify new sponsors. Additionally, through our FTC teams we can train new students that will potentially join the FRC team. Our large parent base is a vital resource. We also can engage with the numerous FIRST teams we mentor to further spread the message of FIRST. Finally, we want to take full advantage of our local university resources. Threats: A major threat is our inconsistent funding, because we need to reapply for existing sponsorships each year and secure new ones. Loss of experienced team members is an annual threat as seniors graduate, but we hope to overcome this through our MidKnightU classes aimed at teaching new team members the basics. Another threat is a loss of experienced mentors, which is overcome by adding additional mentors in each subteam. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 7

8 2.) Introduction to FIRST 2.1) FIRST Programs Someday, some kid in FIRST right now will cure Alzheimer s, or cancer, or build an engine that doesn t pollute. They re the future and we re part of it by helping them figure out what to do with their lives. - Dean Kamen (Founder of FIRST) FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) aims to create a culture where young students want to become leaders in science and technology. FIRST helps students to build STEM skills as well as lifelong ones such as confidence, collaboration, and leadership. Two important values of FIRST are Gracious Professionalism and co-opertition. Gracious Professionalism is a way of producing high quality work with integrity and respect for all team members. Co-opertition is an amalgam of cooperation and competition. It encourages sportsmanship and collaboration between teams, even in the face of competition. The FIRST organization inspires students of all ages in four main mentor based programs: Junior FIRST Lego League (Jr. FLL ages 6-9): Students in teams of 2-6 are given a challenge and must develop a solution. Students will then build a Lego model of their solution and present their findings through a poster. FIRST Lego League (FLL ages 9-14): Students in teams of 2-10 are given a themed challenge and must build and program a Lego robot to complete different missions. Students must research a theme-related issue and present innovative solutions for it. FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC ages 12-18): Students are given a game challenge and must design, build, and program a robot to compete with other teams. FTC aims to provide the same challenge as FRC, but in a more affordable format. Students must also find creative ways to fund the team and spread the message of FIRST. FIRST Robotics Challenge (FRC ages 14-18): Students design, build, and program a 120 pound robot in six weeks to meet the demands of a competition game challenge. Students must also find ways to fund the team and spread the message of FIRST, just as in FTC. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 8

9 2.) Introduction to FIRST 2.2) FRC Team 1923: What We Do Team 1923 is a proud FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team. FIRST Robotics Competition brings a model of a real life engineering experience to the high school level. The tireless dedication of mentors and volunteers enable students on Team 1923 to explore the realm of STEM and develop lifelong skills year round. Team 1923 s season starts in late May with the election of new officers and co-captains. Recruitment of new FRC students as well as all other FIRST levels is in full swing. Student and parents who have expressed interest at one or more of our outreach events are contacted and invited to a Jump Start session targeting the appropriate age-level of the student. We also target rising 7 th and 8 th graders for our FTC and/or FRC teams. Following registration, we begin to mentor the FLL and FTC teams in earnest, often meeting 1-2 times/team throughout the summer. New FRC members and FRC leaders also meet throughout the summer for various activities such as outreach events, fundraising, new student tool certification and of course, summer build projects. During the summer of 2017, the MidKnight Inventors will be conducting summer camps for Adventures Day Camp. The campers will build Lego robots 3 days each week, followed by a competition at the end of the week. Through these projects, the campers will learn some build mechanics as well as EV3 programming. Our MidKnight FLL teams are also hard at work, learning EV3 programming and building small Lego projects. We also teach them how to research a project and present it. The MidKnight Inventors focus on team building and co-opertition for the new teams: 2 of the fundamental core values of FIRST. Meanwhile, our FTC teams are learning robot build strategy and doing some fundraising of their own. The MidKnight Inventors also teach new students how to safely use power tools and hand tools. The goal is to have the FTC teams prepared for their September kickoff. Late August and early September finds the MidKnight Inventors no less busy. We host an FLL Kickoff for 20 teams and have our FTC kickoff as well. This means our mentoring season is in full swing. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 9

10 2.) Introduction to FIRST In late September, our recruitment of new students through club fairs at the high schools is complete and we begin our training for the FRC team. MidKnightU begins with a mandatory parent/new student meeting the then we start our series of workshops in electrical, programming, and mechanical fields, as well as non-technical fields such as business and outreach. MidKnightU is conducted by our student leadership under the guidance of the mentors and helps to prepare students for the build season starting in January. The second Saturday in January finds the entire team together for Kickoff as FIRST broadcasts the game challenge for the season; this year the game is Steamworks. At Kickoff, we brainstorm game strategies and robot designs, then move onto the 6-week build season to design, build, and program the robot. We have a strict schedule for our design objectives in order to meet our 6-week deadline. We compete from March to April in district and regional competitions in the hopes of obtaining a slot in the FIRST World Championships. During the build season we also host various events such as the STATE FTC Championships, several science fairs, and some fundraisers. Organizational work also begins for hosting our off-season event and our RoboExpo which highlights all of our robotics teams. That brings us back to late spring, where we start all over again. The MidKnight Inventors eagerly and continuously strive to change the culture around STEM, fundraise, and participate in projects to learn new design concepts. We aim to demonstrate the joy of learning and the excitement of science and technology to students of all ages. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 10

11 3.) Team Overview 3.1) Team History This is the MidKnight Inventors 12 th year as a team, and we have come a long way since the team s inception. FRC Team 1923: The MidKnight Inventors, was founded in the fall of 2005 at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North by Libby Kamen with help from her parents, the late Dr. Bart Kamen and his wife Dr. Ruth Kamen. As a rookie team with limited support from the school and a very small budget, Team 1923 built the robot in a parent s garage. In the season, the team was able to expand by accepting students from West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South. Even today, students from these rival schools leave their differences by the door and unify in order to successfully build a robot and compete year after year. Over time, the team gained sponsors and developed a stronger relationship with the school district and community. For the build seasons, the team used a donated retail space that was open to the public for tours. In 2013 season the team was recognized as a co-curricular activity and given a district robotics advisor. For our 2015 and 2016 build seasons, the school district provided build space in 2 classroom trailers and computer labs in one of our district elementary schools. In 2015, we were excited to learn that funds were approved for construction of a robotics engineering lab in our founding high school. We moved into our state of the art engineering lab at the beginning of our build season. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 11

12 3.) Team Overview The MidKnight Inventors Awards and Achievements 2009 Winner, New Jersey Regional 2009 Judges Award, Philadelphia Regional 2009 Galileo Division Quarterfinalist, FIRST Championship 2010 Engineering Inspiration Award, Boston Regional 2011 Dean s List Finalist, New Jersey Regional: Krishna Yarabarla Winner, Connecticut Regional 2011 Gracious Professionalism Award, Connecticut Regional 2011 Coopertition Award, Connecticut Regional 2011 Participant, FIRST Championship 2012 Engineering Inspiration Award, Hatboro-Horsham District Competition 2012 Team Spirit Award, Mt. Olive District Competition 2012 Participant, FIRST Championship 2014 Creativity Award, Mt. Olive District Competition 2014 World Championship Dean s List Winner: Michael Foley Judges Award, Mt. Olive District Competition 2015 Woodie Flowers Finalist Award, NY Tech Valley Regional: Libby Kamen 2015 Engineering Inspiration Award, NY Tech Valley Regional 2015 Chairman s Award, North Brunswick District Competition 2015 Dean s List Finalist, Mid-Atlantic Region Championship: Rohan Chatterjee Curie Division Winner, FIRST Championship 2015 World Championship Semi-Finalist 2016 Chairman s Award, Mt. Olive District Competition 2016 Entrepreneurship Award, Montgomery District Competition 2016 Chairman s Award, Mid-Atlantic Region Championship FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 12

13 3.) Team Overview 3.2) Student Team Members Student Growth: Team 1923 has seen steady growth over the past 5 years going from 60 students to a staggering 125. The exponential growth during this time has given us the ability to initiate many new programs. The programs are aimed at educating our team members and keeping them engaged as well as generating excitement for STEM education in our community and beyond. In turn, student engagement and community interest in STEM insures the continued success of the team and builds on our knowledge base through the retention of our students Team Members By Grade Level th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade Team 1923 students come from both high schools in our district. We strive to ensure that we recruit equally from each school. Year 1: MidKnight U, Tool Certification, Java Programming classes, CAD Year 2-3: Technical & non-technical subteam Leaders, Chairman s Committee Year 3-4: Co-captains (4), Leadership positions for Mechanical, Programming, Business, Outreach, Chairman s Presentation Team Team Members by Gender 25 Gender Diversity: One primary facet of our team s mission is to increase the number of female students on the team. All students on the team are involved in technical sub-teams: CAD, electrical, programming, and mechanical, as well as in non-technical sub-teams: finance and outreach. Male 100 Female Recruitment Plan Individual outreach events for women in grades 8-11 JumpStart for Girl Scout Troops, all-girls FLL teams Summer robotics camp for girls FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 13

14 3.) Team Overview Ethnic Diversity: Team 1923 is not only a diverse team of different schools, grade levels, and genders, but is a melting pot of five different ethnic groups. With this diversity, our students get the opportunity to learn from other cultures Team Members By Ethnicity Hispanic Asian Indian Asian African American Caucasian Other ) Team Mentors: Team 1923 has both technical and non-technical mentors. Technical mentors work extensively with students during the build season to teach, design, and engineer a functional robot for the competition. Non-technical mentors help the business and outreach sub-teams and serve as overall advisors for the team as a whole. We estimate that mentors have contributed more than 7000 volunteer hours. Recruitment: Mentors are actively recruited year round. Local engineering firms, local businesses, and team alums returning to the area make up Team 1923 mentors. Parents are encouraged to mentor after a one-year internship with the team. 3.4) Team Sponsors: Team 1923 actively recruits sponsors all year. Potential sponsors are subdivided into several categories with each category requiring a different approach for fund solicitation. Large Corporate Sponsors: Grants, employee matching programs, robotics demos Small Corporate Sponsors: Community contacts, introduction letters, robotics demos Local Businesses: Direct solicitations, sponsor advertising at official FIRST events Individual/Private Donors: Identified through outreach events, parents, alumni Total Sponsors ( ) Large corporate: 6 (3 New) Small corporate: 6 (3 New) Local: 11 Private: 10 FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 14

15 3.) Team Overview Level Donation Benefits Flowers Employees serve as mentors / Up to $500 Each mentor will be given a MidKnight Inventors shirt Clickable company logo will appear on our team website: Your company will receive a letter of recognition for your contribution Hawking $500 or more Clickable company logo will appear on our team website: Your company will receive a letter of recognition for your contribution Your company name will appear in text on the back of our team shirt Edison $1,000 or more Your company will receive a VIP ticket to tour our Pit during competitions Your company logo will appear on the back of our team shirt o Logo size scales by donation amount All Hawking Level benefits Galileo $2,500 or more Your company logo will appear on our competition robot o Logo size scales by donation amount Your company logo will appear on displays during our fundraising, outreach and competitive events All Edison Level benefits Curie $5,000 or more Demonstration of our robot will be held on-site at your company Company name will become part of the team s official title, read aloud at all events. All Galileo Level benefits Einstein $10,000 or more Company logo will be displayed on the shirts of all MidKnight programs (Jr. FLL, FLL, FTC) Company logo will appear in the Sponsor Booklets for all competitions and events The MidKnight Inventors host All Curie Level benefits FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 15

16 4.) Team Management 4.1) Team Membership Being a MidKnight Inventor is an exciting and rewarding full year commitment! Students on Team 1923 are recruited from club fairs, open houses, FLL & FTC programs, and outreach events. In the fall, Team 1923 has mandatory parent/student meetings to introduce students to the FIRST program. Team leaders have developed a comprehensive handbook describing the team and what it means to be a MidKnight Inventor and a part of FIRST. The handbook features the advantages of being a MidKnight Inventor and the responsibilities that come along with that status. Students and parents must sign forms confirming that they have read and understand all requirements and expectations of the team. Benefits: The skills of teamwork with peers and adults: Students have the opportunity to work with professionals in engineering and business fields. Learning to establish and work with a schedule, and finish a project on time for a deadline. Exposure to the fields of engineering, finance, computer technology, and marketing. Most students are not exposed to such opportunities in school! Develop leadership, and presentation skills. Being a team player, as well as an independent problem solver. Be a role model to elementary and middle school students by getting involved in FIRST LEGO League. Opportunities to help elementary and middle school students with personal expertise. The opportunity to share and gain more knowledge in the skills of science and technology. The opportunity to access all facets of a program that designs, delivers, and uses a real world product (the robot) to perform set goals and specifications - FIRST is the closest a student can get to experience hands-on engineering. Over $20 million in FIRST college scholarships. A team bonding experience and friendships that last a lifetime. A FUN experience all around! Expectations: Must attend 50% to 70% of meetings and build sessions. Must participate in a minimum of 10 hours of community outreach and fundraising events each. Must have good academic standing and conduct themselves with Gracious Professionalism. Those who wish to become leaders have additional eligibility requirements. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 16

17 4.) Team Management 4.2) Team Organization Team 1923 builds two identical robots to engage its large student membership. This ensures that all students have a hands-on experience with a robot. New students must pass a tool certification which teaches them how to safely use hand and power tools as well as the purpose of each tool. During build season, our team is divided into 2 groups, one for each robot, covering all subteams. The teams work on different weekdays and collectively meet once a week to recap. Progress is meticulously and regularly documented after each meeting in the Engineering Notebook, which is critical for success and communication. Communication and collaboration between teams happens through the engineering notebook, daily s, and during weekly review meetings. Each student is required to contribute to the entries in the engineering notebook which in turn ensures continuous involvement. The two teams are evenly split in skill, and both actively collaborate to create two robots. The team also has non-technical subteams (Media, Outreach) and all students are strongly encouraged to join one non-technical subteam. Subteam Mechanical Electrical Programming Business Comm. Outreach CAD Strategy Media/PR Description Responsible for all the mechanical components of the robot. Example tasks include: prototyping potential robot designs, building the drive train and manipulators of the robot, working with power tools to complete tasks. Responsible for all the electrical components of the robot. Example tasks include: designing electrical board in CAD, wiring all necessary electrical components to power and signal, working with sensors and cameras. Responsible for the software of the robot. Example tasks include: programming the different components (controls, motors, actuators, etc.) of the robot, programming visual detection methods, updating computers with most recent software updates. Responsible for overall finances of the team. Example tasks include: keeping track of income/expenditures, presenting to potential sponsors, brainstorming new fundraising ideas. Responsible for promoting STEM in the community. Example tasks include: presenting the FIRST program at community events, preparing for the prestigious Chairman s Award (The highest award given in FIRST), creating graphics and videos for team presentations. Responsible for working with Mechanical and Strategy team on creating computer renderings of the robot, design prototypes, or other ideas. Works on both the strategic portions of the robot design process, as well as at competition match strategy and scouting of other teams robots. This subteam is fastpaced and helps determine a great deal of our competitive success. Responsible for the branding and messaging put out by the team on our website, Facebook, Twitter, Chief Delphi, etc. Also works on the team s uniform, pit, and giveaways, maintaining a consistent look for the team across all places. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 17

18 4.) Team Management 4.3) Team Leadership Team Support and Communications Awards Robot Build and Design Build Sponsor Relations and Finance Fundraising/Sponsor Relations Communications Electrical Business/Finance Team Development Website Outreach Programming CAD Strategy Safety FIRST Tech Challenge Team 1923 has a specialized leadership organization with 4 Co-captains and 24 directors for the various subteams. This hierarchy ensures that all 125 students have someone to look to for help and questions. The tasks of each director are defined as below: Award Directors: Submit award applications the team is eligible for. Communications Directors: Oversee internal team s and calendars. Team Development Directors: Oversee team bonding and spirit activities. Website Director: Oversee the team s website. Outreach Directors: Oversee district, local, and global team outreach events. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 18

19 4.) Team Management Robot Build Directors: Oversee the mechanical aspects of the robot. Electrical Directors: Oversee the electrical aspects of the robot. Safety Director: Ensures that the working environment is safe. Programming Directors: Oversee the software component of the robot. CAD/Design Director: Leads in creating prototypes for the robot. Strategy/Scouting Directors: Determine best game strategy for robot. Fundraising/Sponsor Relations Director: Oversees fundraising and finding sponsors, and maintains positive relationships with sponsors and the team. Business/Finance Director: Oversees the finances and budgeting of the team. FIRST Tech Challenge Mentors (2) FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 19

20 5.) Building Relationships 5.1) Team Members Team 1923 uses many different methods to educate, motivate, and involve its students with the goal of continually increasing team member retention rates. We have evolved from primarily a 6-week robot building and competition team into a year-round team with quarterly activities and goals for the students. Early fall quarter finds the team educating students through the MidKnightU series. MidKnightU is a series of interactive, hands-on workshops in CAD, electrical, programming, mechanical, business and outreach skills presented by our leaders and mentors. The goal of MidKnightU is to create well-rounded students, to educate new members on the different subteams and to help them decide which sub-team(s) they would ultimately like to specialize in for the season. We have made these MidKnightU workshops available online and on our team website for other teams to use as a resource base. Most recently we have become the face of FIRST robotics through online streaming of the MidKnightU sessions for other teams to view with ease. During the winter quarter, Team 1923 focuses on its 6-week robot build process. In order to engage all team members in the build process simultaneously, we build twin robots and divide students into two teams. Every student on Team 1923 gets to work on a sub-team that is complete with mentors and leaders. Each student contributes to the final product and has a vital role in the building process. Working on a large team teaches students important collaboration and communication skills that they would not otherwise find in a classroom. During the spring quarter, Team 1923 students remain engaged through outreach efforts, our off-season event MidKnight Mayhem and fundraising. New student leaders are elected and co-captains are appointed. They come with new ideas and new goals to help the team gets ready for the next season. During the summer quarter, the team s environment is still educational for its students with several summer projects (Go-Kart, drivetrains) that are determined by the mentors and student leaders. We also run CAD and Java programming workshops for FTC & the FRC teams and also begin to organize the FLL teams to help prepare them for their upcoming season. The summer is also an instrumental time for many of our student mentors who work with their respective Jr. FLL, FLL, or FTC teams to prepare for their upcoming season. The impact of team involvement is seen in our team members further aspirations to study at STEM summer camps such as UPenn and Princeton or pursue internships at Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, Bloomberg and BlackRock. The pursuit of science and technology is directly related to our FIRST workshops and robot build. In fact, 100% of 2016 graduating seniors from our team went into STEM majors. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 20

21 5.) Building Relationships 5.2) School District The impact of Team 1923 on the school district and community has grown exponentially with the likewise growth of the team. We have added robotics, engineering and programming classes to our school curriculum, implemented FIRST programs in FLL Jr., FLL, FTC, and FRC, and have made FIRST available to all 10 schools in our district. We have reached all 9804 students in our school district through science fairs, after school programs, summer camps and robotics demonstrations. In recognition of our efforts to promote STEM and our continually developing relationship, the WW-P school district has taken multiple steps to fully support the team this year. The MidKnight Inventors previously conducted their build season in donated retail space in the center of our community. While this meant that the team enjoyed a lot of visibility within the community, often giving more than tours during the 6-week build season, it also made it difficult for the team to remain fully active beyond the competition season. In 2015 we were fortunate to move into a trailer located at one of our elementary schools. This season has been highlighted by the delivery of our new engineering lab as provided by our school district. The engineering lab is 1600 square feet and our team has fundraised for several years to buy the tools and equipment to furnish it. Our school district has truly become an indispensable asset in our endeavor to spread the mission of FIRST and Team FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 21

22 5.) Building Relationships 5.3) Local Community Team 1923 has promoted STEM and FIRST in the local community through many different avenues. This year, the MidKnight Inventors have contributed more than 6500 hours of outreach. Annual MidKnight Events: Start/mentor every level of FIRST Family of Programs o o o Started 23 FIRST teams this year Mentored another 41 teams Assisted an additional 150+ teams Have brought FIRST programs to all 10 schools in our district Hosted FIRST events at the following levels: o o o o FLL Jr. FLL (held official NJ FLL Regional Qualifier) FTC (held official NJ FTC State Qualifier) FRC MidKnight RoboExpo: Highlight robotics teams and find interested students. Jump Start Program: Aimed at starting and mentoring new district teams. CONNECT: A program committed to finding any interested student/teacher/parent, anywhere, a FIRST team. Database of students/ages/schools seeking robotics teams. Present at elementary, middle, and high school science fairs. Present at local parades, conferences and other events. Boy/Girl scouts Robotics Merit Badges and Gold & Silver Awards. Science and technology classes in local libraries. Partner with the Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen, Attitudes in Reverse (suicide prevention groups), and WW-P Municipal Alliance for Prevention of Drug & Alcohol Abuse. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 22

23 5.) Building Relationships 5.4) Global Community Team 1923 has also built relationships across the sea! Through the MKI Global Initiative, 1923 students and mentors travel to schools in other countries to help them start FIRST teams. Over the past five years, we have visited schools in Switzerland, South Africa, and India to give workshops that explain the mission and benefits of FIRST programs and what it takes to start a team. If a school is further interested, we continue to remain in contact with them through Skype calls, s, and provide funding to get the team started. The MidKnight Inventors have worked through the India STEM Foundation and the GeoMap Society to identify schools for us to visit and work with. This year through our efforts with MKI Global Initiative, we continued to coach The Sherlock Ohms, an FLL Team based in Hyderabad, India, and started as well as coached Team Dashavatar, an FTC Team in Hyderabad, India. Most recently we helped establish 2 newly-formed teams in China and then went on to collaborate with them. We are also actively working with a potential mentor in Canada to start another FLL team MKI Global Initiative Channel 6 (International TV Channel): Team 1923 & FTC Team 9927 will highlight FIRST, including FRC and FTC Outreach with Ranjith (Ran) Narayanasamy: SaskPower FLL Team: Canada ( ) Season Mentoring 2 teams in China FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 23

24 6.) Goals ( ) and Implementation Plan 6.1) Financial Goals and Implementation FRC Team 1923 is thankful for the support we receive from our sponsors. One of our goals is to build long-lasting relationships with our sponsors and supporters to sustain the team in future years. Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Obtain New Sponsors Develop List of Potential Sponsors X X X X X Develop Sponsor Acquisition Plan X X Acquire Sponsors X X X X Maintain Existing Partnerships Update Sponsor Database X Prepare Sponsor Development Plan Invite Sponsors to Retention Activities X X X X X X New Grants Find Grant Opportunities X X X X X Draft Grant Documents X X Submit Grants X X Furnish New Build Space Compile list of new tools/items Add new tools/items to budget Purchase new tools and items X X X X X X X X FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 24

25 6.) Goals ( ) and Implementation Plan 6.2) Team Member Goals and Implementation Expansion of FIRST Family: Start recruitment in spring with rising 8 th graders. Add one additional FTC Team for middle school students and incoming freshmen. Recruit additional student mentors for FLL teams. Elect new team leadership and set summer meeting times. Building of Knowledge: Continue refining MidKnightU workshops to become as close as possible to all-encompassing guides. Set up summer build projects so students can practice new skills. Expand Tool Certification Program to other teams. Alumni Connections: Hold annual team banquet and invite alumni to share experiences. Maintain communication with alums and ask them to come and work with the team to help team gain additional technical mentors. Have mentors work with alums to transition them into mentors. 6.3) Outreach Goals and Implementation These outreach plans will be implemented at the beginning of May 2017 with the election of new subteam leaders. Timing for implementation is important and is planned so that there is overlap between the outgoing student leadership and the incoming new leadership to improve our communications skills and be more organized. All incoming leaders present their goals in the selection process and map out what they hope to accomplish under their leadership. This setup allows team continuity and ensures that the new leaders to learn their roles and expectations from former ones before fully taking over as leaders. Team member goals are aimed at making Team 1923 the strongest team possible. The team is active at every level of FIRST, recognizes interest in the program within our community, and strives to advertise it. Our goals are to expand FIRST offerings to as many students as possible, including those not yet in high school. This way, students entering 9th grade and Team 1923 will already be familiar with FIRST and the expectations. This plan insures that students have early exposure to programming, robot build systems, strategies, etc. We also recognize that vital knowledge can be lost to the team if efforts are not made to keep our alumni firmly committed to 1923 which is why available alumni are always welcome to attend any of our team meetings or events. Our financial goals are also extremely important: all money spent must be earned by the team through our corporate sponsors, local businesses, grants, and fees which we keep track of through our budget. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 25

26 6.) Goals ( ) and Implementation Plan Events Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May FLL Scrimmage X Minion Mayhem X Cookie Carnage X MidKnight Mayhem X X YWCA Summer Camps and Library Classes X X School Demonstrations and Science Fairs Boy and Girl Scouts X X X X X X X RoboExpo X Tool Certifications X X X Future Goals Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Start and support 4-5 new FIRST teams X X X X X X X X X X X X Transition 1 FLL/year into FTC X X X Create robotics/stem summer camp X X X X FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 26

27 7.) Strategic Planning 7.1) SWOT Analysis Strengths team members provide human resources to conduct many fundraising & outreach events - > 20 outreach events annually is an effective recruitment tool - Recruitment tools including JumpStart, CONNECT, & MKI Global Initiative ensure our student number sustainability - Dedicated long term mentors who work tirelessly for the team to accomplish goals & give back to FIRST ecosystem - The MidKnight U series & handbook allow us to build on our 12-year legacy & extend our knowledge base - Strong partnership with our school district has led to new classes & the creation of our engineering lab Opportunities Weaknesses - Large team requires more resources to keep students engaged & occupied - Travel coordination between 2 schools is another challenge which is mediated by late bus & parents. Threats - Increased success and visibility leading to more student & sponsor recruitment opportunities - FTC teams will take advantage of the lab ensuring a pipeline of solid robotics students for our FRC team - Our professional parent base is a resource used to recruit more sponsors - Our network of FIRST teams makes Team 1923 be highly visible in the community thus helping spread the FIRST message - Inconsistent funding: Need to reapply for existing sponsorships each year & secure new ones - Loss of experienced team members is an annual threat as seniors graduate. We manage this through our MidKnightU classes & with a higher percentage of FIRST experienced students joining the team. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 27

28 7.) Strategic Planning 7.2) Risk Mitigation Team 1923 has some potential risks and we are well prepared with contingency plans to manage these risks. Due to the large size of our team and the integrated involvement of all our teammates more activities are always needed Without enough projects and opportunities to engage and occupy students we risk emerging feelings of disinterest between teammates. Our team is the result of a merger between two high schools which comes with many benefits and widespread recognition, however, a big risk that comes along with this is the great lengths we have to go to maintain that coordination between the high schools. Moreover, a big and consistent risk for such a large team has been inconsistent funding and loss of sponsors. To acquire some much needed resources, the team needs to maintain good sponsor relationships and invest in new sponsors simultaneously. Our school district has been very generous in providing us with space and mentor resources, but we still need funding for registration fees and build materials. In order to offset this risk, we have fundraising events year round. We always look for new large and small corporate sponsors. Grant writing is a key part of business function. Finally, we keep a data base of parents places of business which helps us identify new sponsors as well as company match programs. Another big risk the team faces every year is the loss of experienced team members a part of the graduating class of that year. Every year as the seniors graduate and take with them some much valued experience we work towards recruiting new students and educate them on the functions of the team through our MidKnightU presentations, thus ensuring a smooth flow of knowledge. One of the key risks for the team was the lack of a permanent build site, making the team look for a new build site each season and also limiting our ability to practice during off-season. However, thanks to a strengthening relationship with the school district, construction has begun on a permanent workshop space in our founding school. Another risk is the potential loss of sponsors and shortage of funds. The team has implemented a business committee that is mentored by parents and our advisor. The parents hold advanced degrees in business and understand the many facets of fundraising and management that can help us gain funds. One potential weakness on a large team such as Team 1923 is student disengagement. A lot of work has been devoted to increasing our student and mentor retention. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 28

29 7.) Strategic Planning Designed MidKnight U workshops, Tool Certification programs, skill based sub-teams, and leadership opportunities Build twin robots to ensure each student can give a hand during robot build Built a demonstration robot for outreach events that doubled as our robot for the FIRST Football Showcase presented by NRG Formed a travel team which requires team members to fulfill certain requirements in order to qualify to travel to competitions. Established a student mentoring program Finally, if Team 1923 continues to grow from its current size, it will be too large to manage. There are no plans to split the team up into its two high schools but the threat is there if the team continues to grow. The mentors and team members recognize this risk and have implemented a plan to help mitigate it. First, Team 1923 started another FTC team, mentored and administrated by MidKnight Inventor students and advisor. The team was made up of middle school students and high school freshmen, with some 10 th, 11 th and 12 th graders serving as student mentors. Team 1923 sees the FTC program as a logical transition from FLL and plans to encourage most incoming freshmen to spend one season on the FTC team before transitioning to FRC. This plan is in line with Team 1923 s plan to add at least one additional FTC team next season. Due to the implementation of this plan, the number of team members stabilized this year, as it was about the same as last year s. FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 29

30 8.) Team Budget and Financial Statement 8.1) Team Incomes and Expenses Funding decisions are made by mentors and leaders: a major purchase requires a proposal on the merits and drawbacks of an item so that a consensus is reached. Expenses Projection Entry Fees (Competition): Mid-Atlantic Events (2 District) + KOP $5, Entry Fees (Competition): MAR Regional $4, Entry Fees (Off Season): Brunswick Eruption $ FTC State Champs (Feb 26, 2017) $3, Entry Fees (Competition): Championship Registration $5, Entry Fees (Second Regional) $5, FLL World Champ Registration $1, FLL Teams $3, Equipment & Tools $35, Supplies: Old Robot $ Football Robot $1, Supplies: Building Competition Robot $7, Supplies: Building Practice Robot $7, Supplies: Office $ Clothing: T-shirts $3, Printing (signs, brochures, etc.) $ Google Storage (9.99 x 12) $ Travel: 1st Regional $6, Travel: 2nd Regional $6, Travel: 1st District $5, Travel: 2nd District $ Travel: Technical Mentors $ Travel: Championship Events $18, Website & Photos $75.00 Miscellaneous (Moving Truck) $ Technology (laptop, projector, cables, hotspot, video camera) $5, Additional Outreach Expenses (banners, giveaways, brochures) $1, Total Expenses (Projected) $126, FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 30

31 8.) Team Budget and Financial Statement Income Projection Donations: Individuals $2, Donations: Organizations and Other Private Donations $15, Donations: Small Business and Professionals $1, NRG $10, Bristol-Myers Squibb $6, Bloomberg $5, Verizon Challenge $5, Team Member Fees (125 $300) $35, FTC Team Member Fees $9, FTC State Championship $2, Founders Day $1, Pizza Sales $ Minion Mayhem $5, MidKnight Mayhem $6, Transportation Fees $24, Total Income (Projected) $130, FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 31

32 8.) Team Budget and Financial Statement To better understand where our income and expenses are, Team 1923 breaks the budget into categories: Team Expenses Team Income Competition Fees Grants 27% 10% 16% 12% 7% 28% Robot Build Outreach Travel Misc. Tools (E.Lab) 10% 50% 8% 20% 12% Corporate Sponsors Fundraisers Team Fees Other Donations 8.2) Additional Opportunities for Support (In-Kind Donations) There are many costs associated with running a FIRST team and thus many opportunities for our in-kind sponsors. Each year we develop a wish list of these opportunities for our potential sponsors. For next season our list includes items like: Mechanical Engineering Mentors CNC Milling Machine Donation of materials for 3D printing Wireless Printer Printing and publication supplies FRC 1923: The MidKnight Inventors 32