Slide 1

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 2

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 3

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 4

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 5

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 6

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 7

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 8

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 9

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 10

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 11

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 12

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 13

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 14

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 15

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 16

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 17

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 18

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 19

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 20

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 21

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 22

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 23

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 24

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 25

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 26

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 27

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 28

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 29

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 30

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 31

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 32

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 33

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 34

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 35

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 36

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 37

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 38

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 39

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 40

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 41

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 42

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 43

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 44

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 45

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 46

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 47

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 48

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 49

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 50

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 51

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 52

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 53

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 54

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 55

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 56

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 57

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 58

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 59

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By


Slide 60

for LIFE
Presented By

College FIRST Program Workshop
WELCOME!
for LIFE

Presented By

Our Goals
• Cultivate new college and university affiliated
FIRST programs
• Share "Best Practices“ and experiences
• Form a network of Colleges and Universities
– Link graduating seniors to college and university
programs
– Share curriculum resources
– Initiate college and university programs
for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Deb Grubbe
President and Owner of Safety
Solutions, LLC
FIRST Board Member
for LIFE
Presented By

FIRST® for LIFE
Making University FIRST® Work!
Deborah Grubbe, PE
Atlanta, GA
16 April 2010

FIRST® Family of Programs
FIRST® Robotics Competition

“Major League”

“Intermediate Program”

“T-Ball”

“Little League”

Jr. FIRST® LEGO® League

FIRST® LEGO® League

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FIRST® Tech Challenge

9

10

11

12

5

Organization & Programs
 Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
 BUT look at what is involved:
 Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
 Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
 Language arts (writing, public speaking)
 Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
 Finance (accounting)
 Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
 Environmental Projects (Green Energy Audits,
electronics recycling)
 Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
 Mentorship: Working side-by-side with
professionals
 Teamwork
6

Organization & Programs

FIRST® Robotics Competition Team Growth

FIRST® Robotics Competition
(FRC®): 2010
season
 1,809 teams

 Over 45,000 high-school-aged
students
 Average 25 students per team
 44 regional competitions
 6 weeks to design, build, and
test robots
7

Organization & Programs
Growth

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Growth
1400

FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®):
2009
season

1200
1000
800

 Goal: lower-cost, more accessible
program

600
400

 1,300 teams (projected)

200

 13,000 high-school-age students

0
2005
Demo

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009
Projected

 60 Qualifying Events and
Championship Tournaments and 3
Pilots
 U.S., Canada, Holland, and Mexico
8

Organization & Programs
FIRST ® LEGO ® League Team Growth

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®):

16000
14000

2009

Season

12000

10000








8000
6000
4000
2000
0

 Outside US and Canada
 US and Canada

14,600 teams (projected)
146,000 middle-school-age students
50+ countries
450+ qualifying events
85+ Championship tournaments
1,500 Junior FIRST ® LEGO ®
League (Jr.FLL®) teams for 6 to 9
year-olds
9

Establishing a Continuum

Volunteering & Sponsorship
Mentorship

Corporations
Colleges &
Universities

Mentorship

Qualified New Hires

High Schools
FTC

Enrollment

FRC

Grade Schools
JFLL (1-4)
FLL (4-8)

Career Interest
10

FIRST Robotics Competition March Madness

11

Impact
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)
2005 study
 Conducted by Brandeis University
 FRC alumni from mainly low-income,
urban schools
 Comparison group: students with similar
backgrounds in high school math and
science

12

Impact
Education in Science & Technology
 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Seek Education in Science &Technology
 Students are 50% more likely to go on to college
 Twice as likely to major in science or engineering
 More than three times as likely to major specifically in engineering

Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

13

Impact
Careers in Science & Technology

 FIRST® Students vs. Comparison Group
 Earn Career Opportunities:
 Almost ten times more likely to have internship

 Expect to Pursue Science & Technology Careers:
 More than twice as likely to pursue S&T career
 Nearly four times as likely to pursue career specifically in engineering
Source: Brandeis University, Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and Management

14

Case History
East Technical High School, Cleveland, OH
 A school in trouble. Then…
 FIRST® team started (including 5
young women) all graduated, all
received scholarships
 Enrollment from 900 to 1,400

 Attendance rates from 60% to 82%
 “Just 5 years ago…an urban
school…slated for closing. We’ve
become the science / engineering
magnet school… More students try out
for FIRST® team than football and
basketball combined.”

15

Strategic Plan: Growth Goals
After, 19 years, FIRST ® is in 8% of U.S. High Schools; now that the
model is proven, we want to accelerate the future growth.

16

Scholarships
Over 130 universities provide more than $12 million in
scholarship opportunities and host events, including:

17

Ways to be Involved
 Provide financial support





To FIRST ®
To events
To teams
For a specific purpose, such as the
FIRST Underserved Initiative

 Provide equipment for kit of parts,
field components
 Provide facilities for teams & event
 Involve employees
 As mentors to teams
 As volunteers at events
 As consultants to FIRST

 Offer scholarships
 Provide internships
 Customized approach
18

Building a Local FIRST ® Community
Model for Success
 Mentors
 Volunteers
 Fundraising

 Teachers
 Facilities
 Scholarships

Business

Government

 Policy Support
 Recognition
 Funding

Community

Education

Social
Investors

 Funding
 Research

 Volunteers
 Organizations

19

Inspiring the Next Generation

“Education is not
filling a pail; it is
lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats
20

for LIFE
Presented By

Conference Program

for LIFE

Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST Program
• Presentation
– Why should we have a college FIRST program?
– "Best Practices" and experiences of some
successful college programs
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Purdue FIRST Programs

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 1

Getting Your College or University
Involved

• Presentation

– Explanation of the four key stake holders
•
•
•
•

College Students
Faculty/ Administration
Local Community/ Schools
Sponsors

• Panel Discussion

for LIFE

Presented By

Breakout Session Option 2

Sustaining and Growing a College
FIRST Program

• Small Group Discussion

– Growing a program
– Organizational structure
– Transfer of Information from year to year
– Demonstrating benefits to stakeholders
– Importance of data

for LIFE

Presented By

Fundraising, Institutional Support
and Connecting with Community

• Presentation

– Being strategic and flexible
– Working with the university

• Administration viewpoint
• Team viewpoint

for LIFE

Presented By

Closing Remarks
• Woodie Flowers
• Establish working group

for LIFE

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Benefits of a College FIRST
Program
Share of “Best Practices” and
experiences of some successful
college
programs
for LIFE
Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

Clarkson University
Experience sustaining and growing a
college FIRST Program
Presented by the students associated with
the Clarkson FIRST RoboticsPresented
SPEED
Team
By
for LIFE

Background Information
• Clarkson University is a private, doctoral-level
research institution located in Potsdam, NY:
– 2,700 undergraduates and 400 graduate students

• The Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering's
endowed SPEED (Student Projects for
Engineering Experience and Design) program
provides multidisciplinary, hands-on learning
opportunities for more than 250
undergraduates annually
for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• SPEED project experiences:
– are open to all undergraduate students across all
majors
– serve to increase the engagement of women and
students of color
– involve engineering design and analysis,
fabrication and the enhancement of professional
competencies such as budget management,
effective teamwork and communication skills

for LIFE

Presented By

Background Information
• Many of the SPEED project opportunities stem from
national engineering design competitions at the
collegiate level; some, like the FIRST Robotics team,
center around service learning-based outreach:
– Clarkson students mentoring regional K-12 students
– the FIRST Robotics SPEED team (FRC Team 229) involves
~30 Clarkson and ~40 local area high school students each
year with an annual budget of ~$30K

for LIFE

Presented By

Origins of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Founded in 1998 to support a local FRC team
• Two local high schools emerged as partners:
– the Massena and Salmon River Central School
Districts

• Successful partnerships require at least one
“champion” in each participating institution,
e.g.:
– technology teachers Bernie Bissonnette (at
Massena) and Chuck Raiti (at Salmon River)
for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 took at few years to understand the FRC
program and its unique team dynamic, e.g.:
– undergraduate mentors who often came from successful
FRC teams and, as a result, had strong (often conflicting)
thoughts about how to best run a team or design robots

• The team adopted a leadership structure and set of
operational policies in 2002 that included
mechanisms for continuous improvement:
– based on a service learning course, MT214/MP414, open
to all students and offered each semester

for LIFE

Presented By

Evolution of the FIRST SPEED Team
• Team 229 won their first regional competition in 2004
and began steady success thereafter; expanding
operations in 2007 to include outreach at the FIRST
FLL and FTC levels
• Today, the Clarkson FIRST SPEED team supports FIRST
programs, JFLL through FRC, including hosting a
Championship FLL and FTC Tournament on Clarkson’s
campus each Dec., as well as in-class use of FLL/FTC
technology, impacting 15 local school districts:
– this expanded outreach is done with the strong support of
Clarkson’s Office of Educational Partnerships

for LIFE

Presented By

Facilitating Expanded Outreach
• The Northern New York Robotics Institute (NNYRI)
was formed in 2007, consisting of faculty/staff from:
– Clarkson, Saint Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY
Canton, SUNY Jefferson Community College and the Saint
Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(SLL-BOCES)
– The NNYRI has successfully received STEM grants from a
variety of sources, e.g., New York State Education Dept.
– As a result of these activities, over 60 local area teachers
have received week-long summer professional
development courses on how to coach FLL/FTC teams as
well as transition the technology into the classroom

for LIFE

Presented By

Sustaining the Outreach Effort
• In 2007, the SLL-BOCES, in conjunction with the
NNYRI, leveraged the state aid reimbursement
formula to allow school districts to participate in
FIRST’s robotics programs as well as the Clarkson
hosted FLL/FTC tournaments
– these districts are eligible for partial reimbursement of the
program costs, e.g., through a Robotics Exploratory
Enrichment Cooperative Services Agreement (CoSer)
– 15 of 18 school districts in the SLL-BOCES district
participate in the Robotics CoSer, averaging about 70%
state reimbursement of program costs

for LIFE

Presented By

Remote Mentoring & Drop-In Clinics
• In order make outreach feasible over a large
geographic area, an IP-based remote mentoring
system was created where Clarkson mentors are able
to support teachers and their students at their
respective schools without leaving Clarkson campus

• To solve problems requiring face-to-face contact with
Clarkson’s FLL- and FTC-trained faculty and students,
schools are given the opportunity to come to
Clarkson once every other week during the fall
competition season to help debug problems they
may be having
for LIFE

Presented By

Robotics Living-Learning Community
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Clarkson’s Residence
Life staff and the FIRST SPEED team advisor
developed a themed housing option to support the
robotics related outreach:
– Freshman and Sophomore students willing to dedicate 3
hours per week to robotics-related outreach activities
– upper-class students serve as mentors to the LLC
– students enjoy access to special programming and other
resources designed to enhance their interest in robotics
and build the community dynamic

for LIFE

Presented By

The Integrated Design (ID) Team
• A selected group of senior Mechanical, Electrical or
Computer Engineering students enrolled in
Clarkson’s capstone design courses, e.g., ME445
• The ID team provides the FIRST SPEED team with
access to a group of capable and highly-motivated
students who have acquired the skills necessary to
help facilitate a quality design and build process
• This relationship provides ID team members with
experience not only in engineering design and
manufacturing but also in real-world client/supplier
relationships
for LIFE

Presented By

FRC Design/Build Process Overview
KICKOFF
“Whats”

“Hows”

Key

Complete FIRST Team (CU and high school)
ID Team (capstone CU design students)

Design
Requirements

Design

Design
Review

for LIFE

Manufacturing

Prints Made
& Materials
Ordered

Completed
Robot
Assembly

Presented By

for LIFE
Presented By

WPI and FIRST
When, How, Why?
By Ken Stafford
Director, Robotics Resource Center
for LIFE
Presented By

In the beginning…
• 1992: Dean asked WPI to get involved
– Committed to team sponsorship

• 1996: Awarded the inaugural FIRST
scholarship
• 1998: Hired staff member to manage
effort (me!)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Mass Acad Team 190
•
•
•
•

Nineteen-year veteran—since 1992
Highly respected and awarded
2010 team, 150 strong!
Year-round program
– Competitions
– Demonstrations
– Mentorship
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI/Burncoat HS Team 1735
• Five-year veteran—since 2006
• High-spirited team—building respect
• From an at-risk
urban school
• 1-2 WPI Mentors/6-9
students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

On Campus Tournaments
• Since 1998: 53 tournaments/1383
teams/15000 students
– Savage Soccer: mini-FIRST experience
– BattleCry@WPI: Premier FRC offseason
– RoboNautica: State FLL Championship
– WPI Regional: Official FRC Flex Event

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Savage Soccer
• 14th year of this WPI-unique, studentrun tournament
• Low cost platform, zero cost tournament
• 60-70 Middle/high school teams
• Exported through “EBOT” site
• One day event in early Dec
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

BattleCry@WPI (BC11)
• Started as 26-team event in 2000
• Now 48-team event (will grow to 60 with
the new Rec Center!)
• Most popular off-season competition
• Over 1200 competitors and spectators

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

RoboNautica
• LEGO® Mindstorms-based robots for 914 year olds
• Began as local tournament in 2001
• Became State Championship
FLL Tournament in 2002
• One-day event in mid December
• Now attracts 64 teams/500 competitors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI Regional
• An official FIRST qualifier (1 of 43)
• 3-day event scheduled 11-13 Mar 2010
• Designed to be model for other
universities
• 30-36 high school teams (will grow to
60 with the new Rec Center!)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Summer Robot Camps
• Frontiers: Started in 2002 for rising
11th/12th grades—2 week residence
– From onset, most popular Frontiers program
– Expanded to 50-student Frontiers II in 2009

• Launch: Started in 2006 for rising 9th/10th
grades—1-week day camp
• JRC: Started in 2008 for 4th-8th grades –
now four separate 1-week day camps
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Other Involvements
• Academic projects
• Technical Source for FIRST
– Author WPIlib
– Host FIRST Think Tank
(http://first.wpi.edu/index.html)

• Overall FIRST Contributions

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University Outcomes
• Low investment—high reward
– ~$40K /yr team support
– 11% of 2010 freshmen were FIRST team
– 6-8 students/yr say it was deciding factor
– 1000’s of students visit campus
– National exposure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

FIRST Robotics
• For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology
“…science and technology are
celebrated, …kids think science
is cool and dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” –D. Kamen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

for LIFE
Presented By

Purdue FIRST Programs
History and Impact
By Kristofer Lindqvist, Vice President
of Purdue FIRST
for LIFE
Presented By

How it Began
• Spring 1999
– Associate Dean Warren Stevenson + couple faculty
members and graduate students visited FIRST
National Championship at the Walt Disney Epcot
Center in Orlando
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2000
– Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF)
Engineering Outreach Team working with West
Lafayette High School technology teacher Mr. Steve
Florence at started the Purdue FIRST Program’s first
FRC team, Team 461 Westside Boiler Invasion.

for LIFE

Presented By

A Brief Timeline of PFP
F’99-S’00

F’01-S’02

FRC 461
Formed

for LIFE

F’02-S’03

F’04-S’05

F’05-S’06

F’08-S’09

Started FLL
Program

1st PFP FLL
Tournament

Separated
from PSEF to
form PFP

Added FRC
1747

Engineering
Staff Support

Spring 297
Advisor Class
Started

Obtained
Provost
Support

1st BMR

Started VEX
Programs

Planning
Global Impact

Formed FRC
Director
Position

Added FRC
1646

Presented By

Organizational Structure
Faculty
Advisor

President

Past Presidential
Advisor

Vice
President
Director of
Robotics
461

Director of
Robotics
1646

Director of
Robotics
1747

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

Technical
Coordinator

for LIFE

Director of
Regional
Development

Treasurer

Director of
Public
Relations

Director of
Information
Technology

Technical
Coordinator

Presented By

Director of
Industrial
Relations

ME 297: FIRST Leadership Class
• 2 credit-hour course required for all members
• Fall classes split into 2 categories
– Core Classes: Required for all members
• Examples: Representing PFP, Communication, Fundraising
– Elective Classes: Members choose from 1 of 3 sessions being
offered
• Examples: Surviving College, FIRST Drivetrains, Scouting,
Intro to Six Sigma, Feedback Control
• Spring Classes are primarily lectures for the entire program and
aimed at internal improvement projects
– A less-structured spring allows for greater flexibility with build
and competition season

for LIFE

Presented By

The Boilermaker Regional
• 40-Team Regional held at Purdue annually
– Bring hundreds of prospective engineering students to campus
each year
– PFP works with the Office of Engagement at Purdue to organize
campus tours for prospective students and parents
• Examples Include tours of the Nuclear Reactor, Earthquake
lab, and wind tunnels.
• PFP Director of Regional Development sits on the Regional Planning
Committee
• PFP requisitions over half the cost of the regional
• All members, excluding seniors, are required to volunteer if not on
an FRC team

for LIFE

Presented By