We're looking for more parent help

TEAM NEEDS

Our team relies heavily on the support of parents. This includes coaching, mentoring, providing snacks, volunteering at events and competitions, serving on the board, etc. We cannot operate without parental support. We're actively looking for mentors and volunteers in many areas (you do not have to be an engineer to help). You can sign up through SignUp Genius or scroll down for our wish list and a full explanation of specific mentoring needs. We do not currently have CSD staff coaching this team.

Please email info@decaturrobotics.org if you have questions.

Wish List

Dewalt Metal Folding Saw Horses (we need two) https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-32-in-H-Metal-Folding-Sawhorse-DWST11155/206463150
Drill Press - Delta 18 in. Floor Standing Drill Press
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Delta-18-in-Floor-Standing-Drill-Press-with-Worklight-Laser-and-16-Speeds-18-900L/203293723
Lenovo ThinkPad Laptops - Intel i7, 16GB RAM, 500GB SSD (we like model P50s and P51s) or contact team for more details.
10" 15 Amp Compound Miter Saw
https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-15-Amp-Corded-10-in-Compound-Single-Bevel-Miter-Saw-DWS713/308401135
CNC Spindle, 1.5kw 110v ER20 80mm 2-pole 400Hz Air-Cooled (Air Cooled, Onefinity BlackBox) https://pwncnc.myshopify.com/products/spindle?variant=41151985975435
Onefinity J Tech 24W QUAD PRO Laser www.onefinitycnc.com/product-page/onefinity-j-tech-24w-quad-pro-laser
Access to a Machine Shop
This may be a longshot, but it would be helpful to find regular access to a machine shop that is relatively close to Decatur where we could cut aluminum and do some other general machining on the robot. If you have any ideas, please contact us at info@decaturrobotics.org.
X-Carve CNC - https://www.inventables.com/technologies/x-carve/fully-loaded
Bandsaw - WEN 2.8 Amp 9 in. Benchtop Band Saw
https://www.homedepot.com/p/WEN-2-8-Amp-9-in-Benchtop-Band-Saw-BA3959/323478266
Canon EOS Rebel T7 Camera - Canon brand DSLR with zoom lens that support ISO minimum of 5,000
https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/cameras

2023-24 Team Needs

Please let us know how you can help this year. You just need to pick a number below in the 2022-23 Team Needs list, and there should be something in there for everyone.

1. Mentorship

We have a lot of smart kids who are eager to learn from people who have some experience they can share. The time commitment can be as much as you would like to share, from an hour or so a week during the season up to traveling with the team to competitions (as many parents are already doing anyway). Our specific needs include:

Mechanical Engineering/CAD Modeling - This one requires a larger commitment and is our biggest need... attendance during our competition season is at least 2 meetings per week. You (or folks you can reach out to about this) don’t have to be actual mechanical engineers or CAD experts to help. Of course, that would be great. :-) In general, we’re looking for folks who like to wrench on stuff, cut metal, and build things.

Business - There’s actually a good deal of business focus for this team in addition to all the robot jobs. How they sell themselves to the judges and the other teams they partner with is very important. Help students create a business plan, marketing materials, brochures, prepare for award presentations, setting up community outreach events, working with other schools to grow STEM in our school district, and so much more. Lots of opportunities here for parents who think robotics is all technical. Mentoring is these areas is more flexible so attending weekday meetings is not required.

Grant Writing Leadership - The kids can do most of the heavy lifting on grants, but there’s a real skill involved with writing them. Having someone help here could greatly improve our finances.

Programming - Learning to code well is a valuable skill and I’m sure we have lots of folks out there with this skill. The teams are programming in Java. We need help with Code Reviews, Efficient Source Control, and Coding Standards.

2. Funding

It’s expensive to build a robot, and we also need to pay for competitions and travel. Funding generally comes in three buckets:

Parent Donations - If you’d like to help offset the costs for other folks on the team, we would greatly appreciate it. Last year, donations from parents ran the gamut from $50 to $2000. Anything is appreciated, and it’s tax deductible.

Business Donations - If your company can donate to schools please let us know. We’re happy to speak with them. Also, if you can make any friendly intros to folks who might be interested in sponsoring a robotics team (vs. a ball sports team perhaps), that would be great too.

Grant Opportunities - We spend a good deal of time on grants and are always interested in new ones if you have suggestions. Additionally, we are not experts on grant writing so there’s a great mentorship opportunity there (see below).

3. "Signup Genius" Genius

If your kids have ever played pee-wee sports, you’re probably familiar with signing up for snacks after the game. We have a strong need for someone to set up a Sign-Up Genius (or your favorite equivalent) that will be used for things like organizing snacks and travel to events.

4. Recruiting

The team must bring in new members each year to stay viable. We are especially looking for folks who want to help on the Business/Grant Writing/Marketing/Media front. If you and your kids know any other students who might be interested in those areas, it’s a great opportunity to make an impact and pump up their college applications.

5. Access to a Machine Shop

Okay, this may be a bit of a longshot, but it would be helpful if we had regular access to a (relatively close) machine shop where we could cut aluminum and do some other general machining on the robot. Please brainstorm on any options.

6. General Support

Chaperones, Cheer Squad, Food Coordinators, Team Party Planner, Etc.

We understand that not everyone is going to have access to a machine shop or the ability to commit more resources during an already busy school year. In general, we just want to create as positive an experience as possible for the team and appreciate your support rooting on the team. Hopefully, you will be able to attend some events, and if not, you can always watch videos of the events online.