Team Related Questions
1. How do I get my school involved?
Go to the
hub map and find the hub location nearest you. Look at the
Hub Information/Events section and contact the hub director about available space. Keep in mind that space is limited and that most hubs sign up their teams for the fall before the end of the school year. Your school may be placed on a waiting list.
There is no cost to participate in the robotics part of the competition, but schools must bear the costs for participating in the BEST Award, the optional competition that takes place at the same time as the robotics competition. Such costs usually include team t-shirts, display materials, and spirit items. Teams must also bear the cost of travel to the events.
BEST is committed to the philosophy that no school should be prevented from participating in the robotics competition due to lack of funding support from their school or school district.
3. I know nothing of robotics, but I think my students might be interested in forming a team. What does it take on my part as a teacher?
Teachers sponsoring a team become the coach for that team. As the team coach you could best serve your team as an extra-curricular sponsor would manage a club after regular school hours. The students should be the ones brainstorming, designing, and working on the robot. Alternatively, some schools have developed a fall robotics course as a means of incorporating the program into the curriculum. Either way, your role would primarily be to help seek out resources. What's so interesting about the BEST robotics competition (especially if competing for the BEST Award) is that you will soon discover that often times those who know little to nothing of robotics may have as much to offer the team as those who do. In other words, do not let yourself be intimidated by not knowing much of robotics. At its core, robotics is really just applied physical science.
4. How many mentors do I need to help our team?
It is strongly recommended that teams work with at least one mentor (preferably two or three). Ideally, mentors are practicing engineers who can donate their time and expertise to guide the team in the engineering process and help students build their robot by teaching them how to operate any necessary tools or machinery. Often, parents of team members, volunteers from the community, or team coaches are experienced enough to fill this role. If your team need's assistance finding a mentor, contact your hub director; they might be able to get you some help.
5. Do mentors/volunteers need to be engineers?
No. BEST teams are comprised of students, teachers, and both technical and non-technical volunteers.
6. How much timewill it require?
At least six weeks, maybe nine weeks (from mid-September through the mid-November) should your team advance to a regional championship. Expect about two to three hours per night, one, two, or three nights per week (depending on your team). Three to six mentors per team would greatly reduce each individual mentor's time requirements.
7. Where does the mentoring take place?
Usually at the participating school facility or other facilities compatible with team requirements.
8. Does it cost any money to be a mentor?
No.
9. Is there a limit on the number of students that can participate?
No. However, the more students on your robotics team, the more challenging it is to keep them all busy and committed to building a machine. Many teams break their robotics team into sub-groups, each tasked with designing and building sections of the robot (example: chassis, power system, arm, gripper, etc.).
If your team competes in the optional BEST Award part of the competition, even more students can get involved. The BEST Award attracts students who enjoy photography, web site designing, CAD drawing, arts and crafts, writing, acting, etc.
10. Can home schools participate?
Yes, as long as the school comes under a recognized, educational "umbrella" organization.
11. Can a middle school and high school in a community join together to form a team?
Yes, as long as the team is headed by a teacher from one of the schools.
12. Can two teams from the same school compete?
No, only one team per school may compete.
13. Can a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, 4-H, or other youth organization participate?
No, BEST is limited to involvement by school-based teams which must be open to any student in the school.
14. Does BEST award scholarships?
Some individual hubs may award scholarships to students or schools, but BEST Inc. does not.
15. Can my team buy the Returnables Kit given to us for the competition?
Ask your hub director; some hubs do sell their kits to schools, but the kit cannot be used in the actual competition once purchased. Your team would still have to use a "loaner" kit.
16. How can I ask questions regarding technical or rule issues about this year's game?
Questions can be posted on the
Q&A section of the website. The Q&A section is password protected until the last Kick Off Day weekend, which is usually the last weekend in September. You will receive the username/password when your hub has its Kick Off Day.
Yes, that is our goal-to grow BEST across the country! That, of course, depends upon local interest in starting a hub.
2. Where is BEST located?
BEST is based in Dallas, TX, where it was started in 1993. The BEST website is maintained in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering at Auburn University (AL).
3. How are BEST hubs run?
Groups of local individuals, organizations or professional engineering societies, college or universities run their local hubs on a voluntary basis. Local hubs pay BEST Inc. an annual licensing fee to participate. These groups raise the funds to cover the costs of the competition, which average about $28,000/year to run a hub for 24 teams. The costs are lower, obviously, for smaller hubs and first-year costs are higher than subsequent years' costs due to the initial purchase of equipment in the Returnables Kit and other start-up costs.
4. How many teams do most hubs host?
The average hub size is 20 teams. A hub cannot sponsor fewer than eight teams. First-year, "rookie" hubs are encouraged to host 12 to 16 teams in order to "get their feet wet."
5. How do I start a hub?
Click on "Start a BEST Hub" in the menu for more information about the workshop. The first step is to attend our annual New Hub Workshop, which is mandatory for anyone wanting to start a hub. The workshop is a one-day event and is held in conjunction with BEST's regional championships.
6. Can my organization contribute to BEST and, if so, how would my contributions be used?
BEST indeed accepts contributions (which are tax deductible) from organizations, corporations, foundations, and individuals. Such sponsorship can be in the form of cash, donated equipment contained in the Returnables Kit (the equipment used to run the robots), or donated materials contained in the Consumables Kit (the materials from which the teams build their robots). To discuss sponsorship, contact George Blanks, BEST's Executive Director, at 334.844.5759 or
blankgw@auburn.edu .
