Mentors

What is Mentoring

So Mentoring is like being a high school students "responsible older friend/sibling", They trust you they hate you they love you and its the most rewarding thing Ive ever done

You get to teach them things you wish you would have known at that age, warn them about obstacles that they may face, and share with them amazing successes that await them.

~Stuart

Team Philosophy

We want our team to be a safe place where any Pearce student can come to gain a better appreciation for what it is to be an engineer.

We want our team to meet the students where they are in the academic and personal lives.

We want our team to challenge our students to grow and improve with each day and each iteration.

We want our team to be an example for our school and our community of what high school students are really capable of.

We want our team to grow and show marked improvement in every measured category each year.

Internal Team Culture

Imagine Inspire Innovate

What FIRST Thinks a Mentor/Coach is

Mentor Onboarding Checklist

Safety

As a mentor you need to always be holding the line on safety. We only get to do this as long as we keep safe.

Please take some time to go through our safety section. You will also need to take the safety test and get a safety certificate each semester you are in the shop (even if you aren't in the shop often)

Child Protection

RISD Background Check

FIRST Youth Protection Training

A reminder our Teachers Sponsors are "mandated reporters" so if you see/hear something please inform our Lead Teacher Sponsor.

Required forms

Pearce High School is a Drug/Gun/Smoking/Alcohol/Vape FREE Campus

You may not bring any of the following on to campus

    • Drugs

      • Except those you have a prescription for to be stored in your vehicle or personal bag.

    • Guns or firearms - See this document for details

    • Cigarettes or Smokeless Tobacco - you may not smoke or dip on campus.

    • Alcohol - you may not bring beer, wine, or liqueur on campus.

    • Vaping - you may not vape on campus, and Stuart will judge you if you do it off campus as well.

Team Handbook

While the handbook's target audience is the students and their parents its a good overview of the team and its dynamics for mentors as well

Team Handbook

Mentor Dues

We request that mentors pay for the items that the team purchases for the mentors use, this includes t shirts, hotel rooms, travel food etc. Please see https://pearcerobotics.com/product-category/extras/ and https://pearcerobotics.com/product-category/trips/

*We make accommodations for our college and "just getting started in life" mentors.

Team Communication

Access to Team Tools

We have several online accounts and tools you will need access to to assist the students

Please follow the getting started guides for each of the following (depending on your skillset)

What can I do?

Take a Task

The Task Assignment Board

So there are always tasks to be done, our best advice to have fun and stay engaged is to pick 1 thing to "own". Find a student or to and work with them on that item.

So we have started a list of all the tasks that can be done in a season. Its a "Task assignment" Trello Board and can be found here. They are tagged with how much commitment they take, when they need to be done, and the type of skill that is needed (NEMO vs Technical)

Get us some Money!

Ask your company HR Department if they have any donation program for non profits ($XX for X hours of donated time is common), or direct support for FIRST Teams. See the non profit forms for any form you may need.

Speak to the RISD Board

The RISD Board of Trustees has open meetings once a month(RISD BOT Schedule) and allows for parents and residents to voice their concerns at the start of each meeting.

It is unmeasurably helpful when our parents and resident mentors speak to the board about the wonderful things we are doing on the Pearce Robotics Team.

How to Get Involved and Stay Involved

"Adopt a Student"

Everyone is passionate about something. take what you are passionate about and share it with one of the students. Show this student why this thing is important and help them learn and explore the idea.

Check in with that student each time you are there to see how they are coming along.

Take Ownership

If you see something you want changed or added. Take ownership, add it to the task board, and try and do that thing. Talk to Stuart if you need a budget or help. This is your team as much as it is anyone else.

Adopt a Tool

We have several tools in the shop, way more than anyone can be experts in. Pick a tool and become the mentor students can come to when they want to learn more about that tool. Tools can also be software or processes the students use

Better Yourself

We have several training opportunities for the students. These can also work for you too. Robotics gives you the opportunity to learn about something out of your wheel house, or to try out that idea you want to do at your work but just cant get the approval.

Stay Connected

Use our communication tools to say chatting with the other mentors and your subteam. as mentors we also have social gatherings and we would love to see you there.

Help Out

With FRC's move to districts in 2019( its expansion in 2020) our expansion in to the junior highs for FTC and the eventual expatiation to FLL.

We work with a lot of other organizations that are dying for adult volunteers. Think about creating a volunteer account on firstinspires.com (or contact Dallas BEST and volunteer there) and volunteering for a day.

This is a great way to meet other mentors in the community and see something other than the Pearce shop

Mentor Guides and Resources

2015 Official FIRST FRC Mentoring Guide

2018 Official FIRST FRC/FTC Mentoring One Page

2019-2020 FTC Mentor Manual

FTC Resource Page

FRC Resource Page

Non Profit Forms

at times you may need a non profit form. please use the following as they are what we keep up to date. if you need an additional official form from our Booster Club please email Stuart.