What? You say you don't have any experience in robotics?
Well I'd say that describes the majority, including me, but that wouldn't necessarily stop me from being a mentor and it shouldn't stop you! A little over a week ago I went to a mentor/parent meeting for the Wenatchee RAMbots robotics club. They are a rookie team planning to compete in the F.I.R.S.T. (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) Robotics Competition in March. This group of 14 boys and girls (they range in age from 12-18) will design and build a robot in a mere 6 weeks.
They don't get to build just any random robot either. No, their robot will need to perform some very specific actions at the competition. At the mentor/parent meeting we watched a video of last year's competition where the robots were required to shoot balls into a high basket, push them into a low basket, and navigate up a ramp. Did I mention they only have six weeks to figure all this out?! I'm betting they will be working some late nights. At the time of the meeting, the requirements of this year's robots was still a closely guarded secret and the team was headed to Cheney on Saturday to find out what they were up against.
Speaking of late nights, if you still think that you aren't qualified to be a mentor, consider a donation. Building a robot is not a cheap endeavor and the club has received a large grant from JCPenney to get started, but they are definitely in need of funds and any amount is appreciated! They're hungry too! For the next 6 weeks 25-30 kids and mentors will be spending some very long evenings designing and building their robot. Consider bringing them a meal!
Have I piqued your interest yet? I'd like to bring a meal just to see what's going on! Now, if you're starting to wonder if you could actually be a mentor, here's what they're looking for (from their website):
Whatever your talent, we need you! We need people with engineering skills, mechanical skills, computer programming skills, machining skills, fundraising skills, media skills, and people to help with logistics and administrative needs. If you can inspire, encourage, motivate or educate our youth with the skills you have, you will be a welcome asset to our team!
If you'd like more information about this fantastic project, contact Michelle Morrison at the WSU Extension Office at mmmorrison@wsu.edu or 509.667.6540. You can also check out these websites:
RAMbots webpage http://www.rambots4hclub.com/index.html
FIRST Washington http://www.firstwa.org/FRC/tabid/55/Default.aspx
Amy Lewis
Amy is the Program Manager for GWATA. She has been teaching technology classes at Wenatchee Valley College since 2001, and recently added a Facebook 101 class to her curriculum. Amy also builds websites and is a big fan of Joomla!, an open source content management system.
Website: www.aml-consulting.com
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