What is The Inspiration Initiative?
KING TeC has been working hard to help spread robotics to areas that can benefit from it most, and most recently KING TeC started The Inspiration Initiative. The goal is to bring FIRST programs, specifically FTC, to all Boys and Girls Club (B&G Club) locations across the United States. The Boys and Girls Club is an organization that is devoted to helping underprivileged students achieve; the Twin Cities chapter had been looking to improve the STEM education offered to these students. The Inspiration Initiative is KING TeC’s mission to start new and sustainable FTC Programs in B&G Clubs nationwide, with the Twin Cities at the epicenter.
Why Involve Other Teams?
KING TeC is a large team with a broad reach, but we can’t be everywhere at once. We want to have the largest impact we can with The Inspiration Initiative while maintaining a high level of quality for those involved, and that’s where you come in! We are looking for FRC teams interested in starting an FTC program and mentoring a team at their local Boys and Girls Club location. It is the spirit of FIRST to involve other teams, and we believe in that! We are one team, and we need the help of everyone to help grow FIRST faster.
What About Teams That Have Never Mentored FTC?
To help mentor teams in starting these programs, we created a set of survival guides while piloting this program at a B&G Club location in St. Paul, MN. These documents lead mentors, students, and host locations through the process of a ten week structured build season. This framework and plan can be viewed on our document resources page. In addition to the guides, KING TeC will work closely with mentor teams joining The Inspiration Initiative to ensure that they have all the resources needed, every step of the way.
That being said, taking on a project like The Inspiration Initiative is no small decision. Our team truly believes that through this program, we can change the culture of an underserved population by bringing them a robotics experience. If your team wants to be a part of this initiative all you have to do is fill out the google form below and we will get in touch. If at any time you have questions regarding The Inspiration Initiative, please reach out to us and we’d be more than happy to answer!
