FLL Coaching Stipends
Most FLL teams fail not from lack of community interest, but lack of access to funding for coach compensation. Many teachers that volunteer to coach teams are often already overworked and underpaid and quickly realize that the commitment required to support an FLL team is significant. Grants received to cover team costs often do not cover coach compensation. The Coalition could address this issue by pooling funding and offering coaching stipends. The Coalition will search for corporate sponsors that would be interested in supporting scholastic endeavors beyond a single FIRST team.
Travel Equity Grants
A considerable expense for teams of any level is travel and competition registration. In order to help relieve teams of this burden, the Coalition will fundraise and pursue corporate sponsors to provide funds and grant opportunities. The Coalition is committed to reducing the impact of access to resources on FIRST event participation.
Elementary STEM Outreach
When FLL teams are not possible, many elementary schools lack the resources for hands-on STEM activities. The Coalition brings the unique opportunity to design a scalable, replicable, and educational activity that supplements an already existing curriculum. Some options can include 3D printed mechanisms, web-based tools, and team-building exercises. STEM does not have to be limited to engineering and can be used to teach kids about one the most unique features of Southwest Virginia: its environment. Scalable STEM activities could be specific to the Appalachian regions to teach lessons about mountain formation, watersheds, and forest ecosystems.
Gender Diversity Initiatives
Many initiatives have increased the number of women and non-binary people within STEM during elementary and middle school, however studies have shown that these people reduce their STEM involvement starting in high school. The Coalition will look into partnering with pre-existing advocacy groups or create strategies to increase gender diversity that work on a regional basis.
Open Source Scouting Data
Scouting can be a very time consuming task that benefits from repetition and verification. Team 401 is committed to developing open-source databases to better inform alliance selections, especially at higher levels of competition. The Coalition pledges to data transparency and to developing tools that lend themselves to collaboration and scalability.
