Resources
PLEASE NOTE: The following resources are a collaboration of the members of NEMO unless otherwise noted. In the spirit of Gracious Professionalism® and Coopertition® you may provide links to them or re-publish them as long as credit is given to NEMO and/or to the authors. We encourage sharing this information with other FIRST teams. You may NOT sell this information or charge for use of this information, nor make any profit from the use of this information, including use in conferences, presentations, workshops and the like, without prior written permission from NEMO and/or the authors of the information provided below.
If you have suggestions for additional white papers, please contact us.
Please visit the FRC Mentor Resources Library to find links and papers to benefit your team.
Awards
- Judging 101 and
Awards, (MS PPT: 2.7M) Updated 11/05/12
Jenny Beatty - Judging Hints at the Regionals (PDF: 2pp., 33K)
Competitions
- 2013 Off-Season Events listing (courtesy of Emmett Neyman, FRC 3929)
- Bag And Tag Tips (PDF: 8pp., 90K) Updated November 2011
- 101 Things I Wish I'd Known Before My First FIRST Competition (PDF: 4pp., 111K)
- Questions to Consider When Choosing Your FIRST Event(s) (PDF: 2pp., 41K)
- 18 Tips for in the Pits (PDF: 2pp., 40K)
- 30 Tips for 2007 - Checklist for FRC Post-ship/Pre-competition (PDF: 2pp., 43K)
- Competition Tips/What to Expect (PDF: 28pp., 2.68M) Updated November 2012
- Electrical Tips Handout (PDF: 1p., 16K)
- Inspection Tips (PDF: 1p., 12K)
- Jobs at Competitions (PDF: 3pp., 32K)
- Mechanical Tips Handout (PDF: 1p., 16K)
Dean's Homework
Mentors
- A Mentor Is... (PDF: 12pp., 42K)
- Memorandum of Understanding (PDF: 2pp., 25K)
- Mentoring Robotics (PDF: 4pp., 226K)
- Mentors - How to Hire 'Em, How to Fire 'Em (MS PowerPoint)
Kathie Kentfield, 2014 FIRST Robotics Conference presentation - Organizing a "Back to Build" Mentors-Only Dinner (PDF: 2pp., 42K)
BAA (Baltimore Area Alliance) - Recruiting and Retaining Mentors (PDF: 11pp., 32K)
- Thank Your Mentor Day Handout (PDF: 1p., 145K)
Outreach
Parents
- From Helicopters to Lawnmowers: Imparting the FIRST Philosophy to Parents - 2015 FIRST Robotics Conference Presentation (MS PPT)
Kathie Kentfield, Co-Founder, NEMO - Roles where Parents can help your FIRST team (PDF: 3pp., 35K)
- Roboparents: Parent Involvement on FRC Teams - 2012 FIRST Robotics Conference Presentation (MS PPT: 476K)
Jenny Beatty, Co-Founder, NEMO
Publicity and Media
- Publicity FIRST Manual (PDF: 29pp., 296K) Updated 2011
- Publicity Tips (PDF: 2pp., 29K) Updated 2011
- Communicating with the Community (MS PPT: 684K) (Includes press release template from Marian Murphy, FIRST Communications Manager)
Kathie Kentfield, Director, NEMO. View in Notes format
Rookies
- Resources for FRC Rookie Teams (MS PowerPoint: 384K) (see Notes also)
Scholarships
School and Community Relations
Sponsors and Fundraisers
- 25 Ways Sponsors Can Help Your Team (PDF: 1p., 11K)
- BFF - Keeping Your Teams' Sponsors Your Best Friends Forever (MS PPT: 20pp., 1.5M) - 2012 FIRST Championship Conference presentation
-
Branding, Public Relations, Sponsorships (PDF: 39pp., 2.9M)
Sharlene Brown, Bill Duncan - Creating a Killer Team Packet (PDF: 3pp., 119K)
- Developing and Maintaining a Strong Sponsor Base, 2010 FIRST Championships Conference Presentation (MS PowerPoint: 198K)
Cyber Blue, FRC Team 234 - How to Host a Profitable Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser (PDF: 2pp., 27K)
- How to Host a Profitable Pasta Dinner Fundraiser (PDF: 2pp., 26K)
- Invoice to Give to Sponsors (PDF: 1p., 31K)
FRC team 60 - Request to Sponsor Letter (PDF: 1p., 258K)
FRC team 1293 - Fundraising Guide from National Association of Student Councils
- Great Grant Writing Tips (PDF: 7pp., 180K)
Students
- Recruiting New Students to Your FIRST Robotics Competition or FIRST Tech Challenge Team (PDF: 2pp., 32K)
- PACE Yourself for that Interview (PDF: 1p., 30K)
Katherine Dougan, FRC Team 2377
Team Building
- "Build a tower, build a team" Tom Wujec, 7 minute video from ted.com
- Team Building Exercise & Problem Solving Activity Websites
- Yes, There IS an I in TEAM: Tips for Integrating Introverts into Your FRC Team 2013 FIRST Robotics Conference, Kathie Kentfield
Team Organization and Management
- FRC Team Handbook - How to guide your team through the season. Includes sample team budgets and schedules in the appendices.
- Communicating with Your Team (MS PPT: 965K)
Kathie Kentfield, Director, NEMO. View in Notes format - Team Organization Tips (PDF: 2pp., 22K)
- 18 Hints for Rookie Teams (PDF: 2pp., 47K)
- Don't Panic (PDF: 1p., 24K)
- How to Host a FIRST Workshop Day (MS PPT: 4.5M)
- 501(c)3 Nonprofit Status: What is it, do we need it, and how do we get it? (MS PPT: 200K), Addendum (MS Word: 25K)
Carol Perrotto, William Enslen, FRC Team 365 (Addendum) - Forming a 501(c)3 from ThinkTank
Travel
- Choosing a Hotel (PDF: 2pp., 33K)
- Tips for Travel (PDF: 2pp., 31K)
Videos
FIRST Channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/FIRSTWorldTube
- Boeing Company presents "FIRST Robotics - Sport for the Mind"
- jcpenney presents "FIRST Robotics Competition"
- MIT Mentorship Initiative video "Satisfaction"
- Morgan Freeman - "FIRST Promo Video 2011" - Produced by Paul Lazarus
- United Technologies Corporation presents"2011 FIRST Robotics Competition"
- United Technologies Corporation presents "Become a UTC FIRST Mentor"
- FIRST Step You Tube Channel, www.youtube.com/firststeplivetoair - Interviews with experienced FIRSTers designed to help rookie FRC teams
Volunteers
- Corporate Volunteers & Why You Want to Engage Them (PDF: 34pp., 6.1M) - Jenny Beatty, presented at 2014 FIRST Robotics Conference (To see Notes, double click on icon in upper left-hand corner)
- Volunteers and Voluntolds - Links and Organizations (PDF: 4pp., 87K) - Jenny Beatty, presented at 2013 FIRST Robotics Conference
Miscellaneous documents
- "All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in FIRST" poster (PDF: 1p., 67K)
-
Dumpster Diving: How to Get Stuff for Your Team for Free or at Little Cost (MS PowerPoint)
Kathie Kentfield, 2016 FIRST Robotics Conference - Encyclopedia Robotica by GO FIRST
- Planning for College (PDF: 42p., 3MB)
Online Discussion Forum
NEMO has a private online discussion forum hosted on the ChiefDelphi website.
ChiefDelphi is a website comprised of forums on topics of interest to
FIRST teams. All adults are welcome and encouraged to join
the NEMO discussions. To participate in the NEMO forum, register
to become a member on ChiefDelphi.
Once you are a member of Chief Delphi, go to our Join page
and complete the NEMO registration form including your Chief Delphi screen name. We will then grant access to the private forum.
Workshops and Conference Presentations
NEMO (Non-Engineering Mentor Organization) hosts workshops as we are able at off-season competitions, FIRST team
conferences and other events. Please check our calendar for an
up-to-date listing of events. Because every FIRST team is unique and every team does things a little differently,
we have found that when NEMs get together, a natural exchange of information occurs!
If you are organizing an event and would like to host a NEMO workshop, contact us.
Since we are a "virtual" organization whose membership spans many countries, we rely on NEMs to facilitate workshops. If you are interested in learning how to facilitate a NEMO workshop in your area, please contact us and we will send you a format that has worked well at previous events.
A Snapshot of FRC Workshops Held in 2010 & 2011 (Revised 11/2011) (PDF: 13pp., 138K) compiled by Jenny Beatty.
NEMO - Facilitating Meetings and Administrative
- So You Want to Have a NEMO Meeting (PDF: 3pp., 383K)
- NEMO Flyer (PDF: 1p., 35K)
- NEMO Business Cards Template (MS Word: 1p., 197K)
- NEMO Information Business Cards (MS Word: 1p., 85K)
- Template for NEMO buttons
Websites and Handbooks of Interest
- FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science) - official FIRST website
- ChiefDelphi - forum for FIRST participants
- MOEmentum - FRC Team 365's website devoted to assisting rookie teams through their first year
- Team-in-a-Box - FRC Team 341's project to assist rookie teams
- RINOS (Rookies in Need of Support) Website produced by FRC Team 25
- Rookie resources from Penfield Robotics, FRC Team 1511
- FRC Team 358 - Separate handbooks for advisors, parents, mentors, officers, students
- Think Tank portal of FIRST information by FIRSTers
A Supporting Organization of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)
© 2004-2016 NEMO