The Menlo-Atherton Robotics Team operates as a school club, which requires club supervision by a faculty liaison. This role is supported by a direct stipend paid to the faculty member by the M-A Foundation for the Future. According to the executive director of the foundation, the stipend is paid because “the robotics activities are academic and require a lot of time to run the after school program.” Stipend arrangements are handled directly between the faculty liaison and the school district’s accounting program. Patrick Roisen (proisen@seq.org) is the Team 766 faculty liaison.
More information about M-A clubs can be found here: http://www.mabears.org/Students/Student-Activities/Clubs--M-A/index.html, including a “Club Toolbox” with club rules and guidelines. Team 766 complies with club policies by participating in Trick-or-Treat Street. See the Club Toolbox and related files for information on how to put club events on the school calendar and newsletter, how to obtain small grants from the PTA, and how to hold fundraising events. Because Team 766 is an official M-A club, it has a student activities account that can be used for the direct benefit of students for club activities. This account is distinct from the non-profit foundation that is the primary funding vehicle for the team. More information about how to manage the student activities account, which is being phased out, can be found here.