Championship Chairman's Award

Words cannot describe how we all felt on the night of Saturday April 27, 2013 when our team was announced as the 2013 Championship Chairman's Award winner. We are all so humbled and honored to be in the company of so many great teams to have won this award before us. 

 

Once we were on stage we were so excited to be able to dance and celebrate the energy of the entire Edward Jones Dome, what an experience! Many seniors kept saying "This is the last time I will ever get to dance to this song and I am doing it on the championship stage, how cool is that?!?!"

Kaithlyn, Jeremy and Carmel were the face of our team in the judges room and as you can tell by the looks on their faces coming out of the judges room they were happy with what they presented.

The night we got to St. Louis Carmel began to say her throat was a scratchy, by Thursday (the day before they were all to do their presentation) she was not able to speak. She powered through 2 presentations that day with a very hoarse voice. She continued to rest it for the day and Friday for the presentation it was a bit better. The Chairman's group went in and presented at 11:30am on Friday April 26, 2013 and since you all know the outcome of their work you all know this girl is awesome.

Best Practices For Community Outreach

Outreach is how a team engages in the community, the effort it takes to reach out to both contacts and strangers, and its endeavours to spread awareness for FIRST and STEM. Here are techniques that The Holy Cows have found useful for outreach in our community.

General Volunteering Events (unrelated to FIRST)

• First find where you’re going to do your outreach. (See Creating Relationships in the Community) It’s very useful to build long-standing relationships and return to events annually, so the organization will become familiar with your team and so it’s easier for you to plan your yearly schedule.
• If you have the opportunity to promote FIRST at a non-FIRST event, go for it! Ask the organization to see if you can set up a table with flyers and interactive material. We like to bring square-bots to events at schools or community fairs; kids can drive the robots while parents learn about FIRST by talking to team members. During many events you won’t have the opportunity to set up your own table, so take that chance to simply have fun with the event, help out as best you can, and leave by making a positive impact on the community and the people hosting the event.
• Make it a priority to bring the amount of people that you say you will, and be punctual.

FIRST Events (FLL/FTC/FRC competitions, off-season competitions)

• Invite as many people as you can to come to the event. This may not be realistic for a FLL Qualifying Tournament (QT), but it’s a good idea for a FRC Regional. Every year, we invite as many people as we can to the San Diego Regional; sponsors, politicians, media, parents, our school, and the general public. You can do that through emails, social media (Facebook), and handing out flyers.
• If you have VIPs coming to a FIRST event (such as a politician, sponsor, or the media), make sure you have experienced members from your team to show them around, explain the event, and answer any questions.
• Find out if there are other VIPs coming that your team did not invite and see if there’s a chance your team members can talk to them. If another team invited the VIP, be respectful and don’t try to steal them away, but it’s always good to say hello and introduce yourselves.

Politicians

• If your team has no political contacts, start small and work your way up. It may take several years, but if you begin by talking to district education officials, you can progress to talking to general city officials, the mayor, and then eventually to the state department.
• City officials will be your best friends; though they are frequently busy, many of them have a strong interest in supporting STEM education, and they are more readily available than state officials.

• Invite politicians to major FIRST events. If you have an established relationship with a politician, make the invitation personal.
• Research or ask about how you could get a city FIRST Day declared. It differs between cities, but generally if you’ve found a contact who loves FIRST, they are happy to support it by declaring a city day.
• Never let a contact trail off. Email the politician at least a few times a year, and make sure to introduce new members as veterans graduate.

Media

• Like with politicians, start small. It’s much easier to get local or neighborhood newspapers to write an article about you (or accept an article that your team submits), and then work up to citywide papers as your team gains prominence in the community.
• Though we’ve found newspapers as the best place to start, also look at online news, television, and radios.
• If you attend professional conferences, many times media will also be present. Talk to them and build contacts.
• Again, invite the media to major FIRST events and make sure that you retain media contacts.

School

• Be involved! Make sure your school knows about you and is excited for you. Encourage your team members to talk to other students about robotics. Attend school-wide meetings and show off your robots. Have a display case with some information about your team and awards you’ve received.
• Have a school spirit day, and encourage people to come to the local regional (if close by). Around the time of the San Diego Regional, The Holy Cows host a school-wide meeting where we talk about the game, present our robot, and invite people to come to watch us compete. And of course - we’ve been advocating that on the day of our meeting, people come to school dressed in black and white, sporting cowbells and Holstein spots.
• Sell team merchandise! The Holy Cows have a supporter shirt that we sell to non-team members, which is nearly identical to team shirts but with inverted colors and without sponsors. Many students and parents have bought shirts, which is wonderful for both spirit and fund raising. Bracelets are also popular.

Sponsors

• Send out a monthly update to keep sponsors in the know of what your team is doing.
• Invite your sponsors to all major events, both to thank them and to show what you’re doing.
• Ask to see if any employees could mentor you during the build season.

Social Media

• Have an active presence in whatever social media is most convenient to you. Our most successful media is our Facebook page, where a team member or mentor can easily post pictures or status updates with a smartphone. Whatever social media becomes your favorite, make sure that you can and do update it regularly.
• On your social media, apart from posting about your events, make sure to include photos, videos, and material to interact with your followers.

Find a way to reach out to people who do not have social media. We send out a monthly newsletter from www.mailchimp.com that goes to our sponsors, alumni, and parents.

Using Social Media

Social Media is a great way to promote your team and communicate with supporters, family members, sponsors and the general public. Be sure you always have plenty of clear and consistent marketing ideas.

The following are a few ways we use our Social Media marketing:

Monthly Newsletter~

This is a great way to keep sponsors, families, alumni, team members and outreach connections informed on what your team is doing and what events you are attending.

It is usually good to have three or four team members responsible for collecting outreach info and pictures and writing up a newsletter. We have found that MailChimp is a great and easy way to create a newsletter.

Google Calendar ~

Our team uses this to keep track of all of our meetings, deadlines for submissions,  conferences, outreach events and community service events. We have two team members responsible for updating the calendar for our website.

Facebook~

Facebook is a great way to keep your community and alumni updated with your team. You can also share upcoming events with team members and parents, this helps make communication easier.

• Create daily posts to include info, pictures, links and questions that relate to the team, FIRST and/or STEM
• Have one or two people who can be responsible for replying to post and or messages that come in within 24 hours, be sure that they communicate with each other.
• Search out relevant Facebook pages to “like”
• Actively share and comment on other “liked” Facebook page posts
• Post on other “liked” Facebook pages when relevant

Twitter ~                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Twitter allows you to quickly update your followers on how your team is doing, and keep in touch with other teams.

• Have one person post Tweets that may be different from Facebook - info, pics, links and questions that relate to the team, FIRST and/or STEM
• Respond to comments within 24 hours
• Search out relevant twitter users to follow
• Actively engage with other users and create a dialogue via reply and retweets
• Monitor FIRST key terms on twitter and google - #omgrobots, “The Holy Cows”, “Team 1538”, “Dean Kamen”, “FIRST Robotics”

Digital Media ~

By using digital media, you can:

• Arrange for team members to be at EVERY event to take pictures and/or video. Make sure they get it uploaded to a  team’s photo sharing account
• Ensure photos are organized / categorized
• Develop Animoto videos for key categories of photos - Past robots, Outreach Events, Awards, etc
• Post video onto a team Youtube account and share with other teams
• Coordinate a team member to take video and pictures at competitions, including off season events, outreach, team meeting and build season

Website ~

Here are some things to keep in mind while working on your website:

• Be sure that website is up to date
• Be sure that you have current contact information on your website so anyone can get in touch with you easily
• Provide info of managers and mentors, including a short summary of the position and a biography of the student or mentor
• Provide pictures and summaries of past robots
• Don’t forget functionality and convenience, keep links working and together

Team Blog~

Daily updates of what your team has done helps keep all your members up to date if they ever miss a day.

• Ensures that events are posted on the blog within 2 days of the event
• Post a minimum of 1x per week
• Each post should contain at least one large engaging photo or video.
• Be sure to tag post so someone looking for a specific topic on your blog can find it easily

Public Blog ~

This is a great way to communicate with your followers about what your team has done at an event, conference, workshop or tournament.

• Ensures that events are posted on the blog within 2 days of the event
• Post a minimum of 1x per week
• Each post must contain at least one large engaging photo or video.
• Bookmark each post (Digg, StumbleUpon, Delicious, etc)
• Set up a Google Reader to follow other FIRST and/or STEM blogs
• Comment on other blogs

Setting Up and Using Piggybackr

During 2012, The Holy Cows discovered a website named PiggyBackr, a tool that has helped our students raise money for the team and our travel fund by contacting friends, family, and community members. In late 2011, an experienced team in technology, fundraising, and youth empowerment created Piggybackr. It was created by using research on the best practices in motivation, youth engagement, giving, and fundraising.

There are two ways to set up an account with PiggyBackr:

1. Use the code that was given to your FIRST team
2. Fill out your contact information and once you finish signing up you’ll need to complete your page. You’ll need a picture of you, a video of your cause, and information about yourself. Now you’re able to send emails to people, companies, and businesses to help fund your cause.

How to set up an email template:

1. Go To: Tools > Spread The Word

2. Add Supporters - enter email addresses of all the friends and family members that you will be sending this email to.  We recommend at least 20.  Pro Tip: The most successful fundraisers enter over 100.

3. Select the supporters by checking boxes next to their names

4. Select the email template titled "Use This - Email To Friends and Family"

5. Customize the email template by -

• adding your unique Page URL in the 3 bracketed locations (remove the  brackets)
• filling in the 3 reasons why you "LOVE FIRST Robotics"   
• changing [Your Name Here] at the end of the email, to your real name and remove the brackets

Note:  Your unique URL can be found when going to your personal fundraising Page and copying it from the URL bar. Your reasons for why you love FIRST are best kept to one short sentence each.  Your email will not send if there are any brackets present.

6. Check Box: "Save Letter As Template"

7. VERY IMPORTANT - Under "Name" - enter whatever you want and hit "Save".  This will save this modified template as the one you will be using to send to your friends and family.

8. If you are ready to send it, hit SEND!

Use the other templates if you are sending it to businesses and such.

You’ll receive a level with the work that you do. The levels are from 1 to 8, 1 being you just started and 8 being you completed your goal. The levels in between show if you have sent a lot of emails, updated your page, and received donations.

You can edit your page by going to your home page and clicking Tools in the upper right hand part of the page then edit page. Good luck and happy fundraising!

How To Write A Good Press Release

When you need to contact the local media with your press release or news alert, email is almost always the best way to do it. You want your email message to be opened, to be read and to spark interest. In the worst case scenario, your email might not even get seen by a living, breathing person, because a computer program filtered it out. Many news desks have automated systems called spam filters that are designed to prevent junk mail from reaching inboxes. To avoid getting filtered, don't use any kind of attachments with your email, either documents or images.

Never Send a Press Release as an Attachment

Sending your press release as an attachment to your email message (for example, as a Microsoft Word document) is a fairly common and very big mistake. Many news media outlets will not accept email that contains attachments, because they can contain computer viruses.

Instead, simply copy your text and paste it into the body of your email message. It's also best to stick with "plain text" and stay away from special text formatting in your message. Send images only to people who have requested them, or who already know who you are and what to expect.

Make a Great First Impression

The subject line of your email is the most important part of the message, and it can make or break your email campaign. A good subject line will give the editor an instant feel for what your press release is about, so she can decide if your story offers a good fit. If you have a strong press release headline, use it in the email subject line.

Use Both Upper and Lower Case Letters

DON'T TYPE IN ALL CAPS! It's annoying, hard to read, and suggests that you don't know what you are doing.

Address Your Emails to Recipients Individually

It's best to send each email individually and to address each one to a specific person. This is much more effective than doing "mass emailings," because people like personal attention and to be addressed by name.

Sending your emails one by one is time consuming but highly recommended. It also gives you the chance to personalize your press release email with special comments to the recipient. If you must send email in groups, this is one way to do it. Take a group of email addresses, paste the group into the blind carbon copy ("Bcc") field of your email message. Placing the emails as a group in the Bcc field will prevent the multiple recipients from seeing who else received the message.

Sample of a good press release

CONTACT:                                                                 

                                                                                         

Your Name

Contact phone number

contact e-mail

BATTLE AT THE BORDER: FIRST Robotics Competition Hosted by Local Robotics Teams Celebrates Science and Technology Leaders; City of San Diego Proclaims FIRST Day

_____________________________________________________________________

San Diego, CA. October 11th, 2011 - On October 15th, “Battle at the Border”, a robotics competition, will take place at Francis Parker High School in Linda Vista. In addition, the competition will play host to the San Diego County’s FIRST Day. FIRST Robotics Teams 1538: The Holy Cows from High Tech High, and 2485: W.A.R.Lords (We Are Robot Lords) from Francis Parker, will be co-hosting this event.

“Battle at the Border” is an off-season robotics competition where FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) teams from around Southern California will come to compete. This event will give the San Diego community an opportunity to see the impact that FIRST robotics has on students. The public is highly encouraged to come and watch the teams compete.

Teams competing will also be raising money for charities. Fundraisers will be held throughout the day, supporting the Breast Cancer Society and San Diego Food Bank. This event will also play host to San Diego County’s annual FIRST Day, a day dedicated to showcasing FIRST programs around San Diego, spreading appreciation for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) professionals, spreading awareness of FIRST, and encouraging young people to pursue STEM careers.

FIRST is an organization founded by Dean Kamen (known for inventing the Segway and the portable dialysis machine), to promote a culture change where science and technology are truly celebrated. FIRST consists of four major programs, Junior FIRST Lego League (for ages 6-9), FIRST Lego League (for ages 9-14), FIRST Tech Challenge (for ages 14-18), and FIRST Robotics Competition (for ages 14-18), all of whom will be attending to present to the public. These programs engage students with exciting mentor-guided activities which help build skills in science, engineering, and technology, as well as inspire innovation, and foster well-rounded life capabilities. Through FIRST, students also gain self-confidence, communication and leadership skills.

The “Battle at the Border” committee consists of FRC Team 1538: The Holy Cows and Team 2485: The W.A.R.Lords, who have made it their goal to spread the message of FIRST throughout their communities.

The Holy Cows are a nationally ranked team whom have won the Chairman’s Award, FIRST’s most prestigious award, three years in a row at the San Diego Regional, and were Champions at the Silicon Valley Regional in 2011. Through outreach, community service, and mentoring, The Holy Cows are determined to create a culture which truly celebrates STEM professionals.

The W.A.R.Lords spread the message of FIRST by mentoring  FIRST Jr. Lego League and FIRST Lego League teams to help kids discover a passion for STEM topics. In addition, they help generate interest in FIRST via on and off-site demonstrations, new curriculum at their school,and encouraging other members of the community to get involved with FIRST and STEM related activities.  

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Pictures available upon request

About The Holy Cows: Team 1538 - The Holy Cows are a local FIRST Robotics team competing in this season’s game along with 30 other San Diego FRC teams. Based in High Tech High, The Holy Cows are an internationally ranked team whom have won the Chairman’s Award, FIRST’s most prestigious award, four years in a row, at the San Diego Regional and were Champions at the Silicon Valley Regional in 2011. Through outreach, community service, and mentoring, The Holy Cows are determined to create a culture which truly celebrates STEM professionals. For more information visit: www.team1538.com

About FIRST: Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST ® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from three out of every five Fortune 500 companies and nearly $14 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST ® Robotics Competition (FRC® ) and FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®) for high-school students, FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®) for 9 to 14-year-olds, (9 to 16-year-olds outside the U.S., Canada, and Mexico) and Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL®) for 6 to 9-year-olds. Gracious Professionalism™ is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org