FIRST Workshop
The Monta Vista Robotics Team (MVRT) held a workshop in December of 2011, hosting nine different teams, on how we have sustained ourselves for the last fifteen years. FIRST Coordinator Jim Beck also came to speak about additional FIRST news and about how MVRT is truly a role model team in the bay area. We held several different stations the different teams could go to, which included mechanical, electrical, finance, documentation, public relations, and media. Each of the division leads presented to a group of individuals about what their divisions do throughout the year, and provide any helpful advice for coming years. Each team received a comprehensive document called the FIRST Aid kit that our team made for all FIRST teams in need.
Mentoring Other Teams
MVRT provides help to teams around the community, in state, and out of country. We provide help by keeping in contact with teams with email and video chats.
Here is a list of teams MVRT has mentored and started:
Kickoff:
- 649
- 751
- 2135
- 2489
- 2643
- 3022
- 3482
- 2813
|
Workshop:
- 256
- 670
- 840
- 2367
- 2473
- 2643
- 3022
- 3501
- 4186
|
Away:
|
Mentored teams:
- 256
- 649
- 670
- 751
- 840
- 846
- 1072
- 2135
- 2367
- 2473
- 2489
- 2643
- 2813
- 3022
- 3482
- 3501
- 3943
- 4186
- 1043
|
Mexico:
After being contacted by a rookie FRC team in Mexico, our team has been providing them with support ever since. FIRST Team #115 has been helping FIRST Team #3943 through support in various different areas, including registration, competitions, and build. Because of these situations, we decided to make a complete manual of how our team functions for easy access to all of the FIRST teams, called the FIRST Aid Kit--which is easily accessible through our award-winning website.
Kickoff
MVRT hosts its own annual Kickoff every year for its members and local teams. Aside from playing the Kickoff video streamed on NASA’s website, MVRT adds its own twist to the Kickoff event by inviting experienced alumni as guest speakers to have Q&A sessions to clarify game rules, provide advice for the upcoming build season, and teach members how to manage their time wisely. In addition, local Councilman Sinks, and EmpowerKids Foundation CEO, Vivek Kumar, spoke during kickoff about their organization and FIRST. MVRT also provided refreshments and facilities for guest teams who wished to stay and begin brainstorming for the game. In 2012, MVRT’s Kickoff event hosted 8 additional teams (a record number of teams hosted) for an audience of over two hundred.
FLL
FLL strives to inspire engineering to middle school students by arranging teams to build NXT Mindstorm robots that completes a series of challenges. MVRT has been responsible for mentoring FIRST Lego League teams in Lawson Middle School and Kennedy Middle School. MVRT also volunteers at FLL tournaments by helping as judges of both project and robot categories. To reach out to other FLL teams, we also created a FLL Binder on the website to help coaches start and run a team. In the 2011-2012 season, the Kennedy FLL Team Mr. Astley made it to the State competition, where Ryan Lee won the Outstanding Volunteer Award and Jimin Park won the Outstanding Mentor Award.
FTC
FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge) is another high school level competition that FIRST offers. FTC works with tetrix parts to build and program a mini robot to compete in competitions, and is considered a bridge between FLL and FRC. MVRT has started a FTC team in Monta Vista High School to provide assistance in all aspects of FIRST and its programs. In its rookie year, MVRT’s FTC team made it to the semi-finals as the 7th seed team.
BAE Toys for Tots
Monta Vista Robotics Team, along with other FIRST teams, provided the primary volunteer force for BAE System’s Toys for Tots event. Thousands of people from underprivileged families came to benefit from this extraordinary event. Activities we volunteer for include picking out toys, running games, and preparing food. MVRT also demoed our robot to promote STEM education and FIRST’s values to the underprivileged community.
