Work in progress - FIRST robotics competition from the perspective of a first time mentor

Abstract

This paper documents the experience of a first time mentor in the first robotics competition (FRC). FIRST is an organization whose goal is to inspire the next generation of students to pursue careers in Computer Science, Engineering, and Technology (CSET). FRC is an annual competition where high school students all over the nation compete in a fun learning experience and are assisted by mentors in the local community. The details of the Oklahoma City (OKC) regional competition are provided and the impact of FRC is assessed through student surveys. The long-term goal of this ongoing work is to quantitatively assess the impact of the FRC program at Capitol Hill High School through statistics of survey results, graduation rates, college enrollment, and CSET majors.