9th-12th Grade Team
A Mentor:
- Requires no special skills, but should have patience, dedication, and a willingness to learn alongside the team.
- Helps provide valuable one-on-one interaction and serves as a resource in his or her specialty.
- Directs the process the team follows to solve the yearly game challenge, without providing the solution him or herself.
- Is a confidant, supporter, Coach, teacher, motivator, and facilitator.
A Mentor’s role includes:
- Inspiring students in science and technology.
- Actively sharing knowledge and experience with the teams to help foster intellectual growth.
- Motivating and engaging students in meaningful activities.
- Balancing effective work habits with FUN!
- Allowing students to do as much of the work as possible.
- Providing students with opportunities to make choices, both good and bad.
- Encouraging students to take risks and be inventive.
- Allowing and encouraging independent thought.
- Creating, encouraging and facilitating open, honest communication within the team.
Note:
Teams require at least one adult Mentor, who is 18 years or older.
Mentors and students are equal. The relationship is a partnership. Each person works collaboratively towards a mutual and beneficial goal. To succeed, both the Mentor and all team members must commit to this.
Mentors should also be willing to acquire some basic knowledge of the programming environment and robot building. Many teams enlist the support of a technology teacher or technical Mentor for additional assistance. FIRST strongly encourages teams to invite people with backgrounds in engineering and programming to share their knowledge and experience with teams.