Program Management
Learning from our 2006-2007 school year team activities and seeking continuous learning and improvement, some of the Gearhead team functions, processes and activities were examined in post season meetings using the After Action Review process. Several opportunities for improvement were recognized including more structure in our activities, better financial management, pre-season readiness workshops, and a stronger emphasis on safety and student participation. Additionally, best practices from high performing FIRST teams were sought out.
For the 2007-2008 school year team, there has been a renewed focus on pre-season workshops, standard meeting and report out format, student participation, fundraising and financial tracking, and better adherence to school system operating policies.
Program Management is really the Gearheads team operations function and relies on team members to provide support and contributions for running the team in an organized manner. Accomplishments for the 2007-2008 school year include:
- Development, review and internal posting of a Gearheads team handbook
- Establishment of student participation requirements; like a sports team or other school clubs
- Publication of a Gearheads team brochure for use with sponsors, parents, and community outreach
- Maintaining the team roster and updating FIRST TIMS anytime a change occurs
- Registering all adult volunteers with the school system
- Use of standard meeting presentation and agenda that includes:
- Attendance and meeting minutes
- Oral reports from each subgroup
- Upcoming calendar of events
- Safety topic or training
- Bot workshop and / or post meeting hands on shop activity
- Posting the meeting agenda and presentation prior to each meeting, and minutes immediately at the end of each meeting
- Formalizing the team treasurer position with regular financial reporting
- Our first effort at student fundraising
- Providing a standing meeting schedule and regular updates to the team calendar http://forums.gpgearheads.org/cal
- Hosting of team social activities such as a December holiday party and a 2008 pre-kickoff event party
- Working with the school system to ensure proper room scheduling and trip arrangements
- Arranging for team donation methods through the Grosse Pointe Public School System, http://www.gpschools.org/ or the Grosse Pointe Foundation for Public Education, http://www.gpschools.org/foundation/ (a 501c3 entity)
- Pre-season readiness workshops on engineering overview and structures, basic problem solving, bot basics, robot control components, closed loop controls, conceptual design and key questions, pneumatics, website development, CAD, and computer aided machining
- Posting of the build season work schedule and daily work activities
- Scheduling build season weekend dinners and snacks for the team
- Organizing regional event arrangements such as bot shipping and travel plans
We invite you to check out our team brochure and handbook, and we look forward to seeing you at the 2008 Pittsburgh Regional, March 13-15, 2008 and the 2008 Great Lakes Regional, March 27-29, 2008.
We’re all Gearheads!
Team 1189 – Grosse Pointe Gearheads at the 2008 FRC Kickoff Event, Novi High School, Michigan
