STEM Sites
From STEMRobotics
A STEM Site is a collection of competition robotics teams. STEM Sites have advantages over other set ups:
- Space
- Sometimes it's easier to find a single space big enough for 12 teams rather than finding 12 smaller spaces. We've found that spaces like cafeterias are perfect for building Vex robots.
- Mentor Schedules
- In a 20 week season things come up in the lives of Mentors that may mean they need to miss a session. With other teams meeting in the same space there are other Mentors that can cover for a night or two. This allows the roboteers to keep meeting all season long.
- Advanced Mentoring
- Finding mentors that have advanced skills is hard. It's easier to find mentors that can work with bigger groups. By sharing a skilled (in say RobotC programming) mentor, more teams can benifit by the same application of time.
- Sponsorship
- Competition Scrimmage
- Individual teams may not be able to afford a practice field and playing pieces. The cost spread across 12 teams becomes much more manageable. The time and effort for a single team to set a field up is hard, but with a number of teams the time is just a few minutes. Having other teams means there is always someone to scrimmage and practice with.
