Thank you for your interest in BEST Robotics (engineering & marketing) Competition for Middle & High Schools!

BEST is FREE for any school to participate and open to all schools - public, private and home schools. The NW Alabama BEST Robotics `hub` serves schools in NW Alabama, SC Tennessee and NE Mississippi.

Please MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW for these MANDATORY DATES TO REMEMBER:

- Sat., Aug. 25 - 2018 - BEST Kick-Off and Team Training (NW-SCC, Shoals Campus, gym)
[NOTE: Team Training is MANDATORY for NEW teams & NEW SPONSOR-TEACHERS and OPTIONAL (but encouraged) for veteran teams with the same sponsor/teacher from the previous year. Kick-Off is MANDATORY for ALL TEAMS.]

- Sat., Sept. 22 - Mall Day (Practice Driving Day, tentatively Florence Mall)

- Tues., Oct. 2 - Engineering Notebooks, etc. DUE (NW-SCC, Shoals Campus, Hospitality House)

- Sat., Oct. 6 - GAME DAY!! (NW-SCC Shoals Campus, gym)


You ALSO must go to the Eventbrite link below for an very short "registration" (3 - 4 questions) for big BEST, for their nationwide info about the number of teams participating.

https://nw-al-best-team-registration-2018.eventbrite.com

Note that this is NOT a hotlink, you will have to copy & paste it into your web browser.

Please be sure to copy & paste the entire link into your web browser. If you have any trouble, contact Stephanie Newland (snewland@shoalschamber.com) and she will send it to you in another format.
Please answer all questions thoroughly.

Communication will be primarily via E-mail, so please be certain all E-dresses are correct.

NOTE: This survey form may time-out when left idle for an extended period and any entered information will be lost. It is best to look over it first and collect any information you need BEFORE you begin entering the information.

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* 1. School Name

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* 2. Primary Sponsor / Teacher Name

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* 3. Primary Sponsor / Teacher School E-mail (please make sure it is entered correctly)

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* 4. Primary Sponsor / Teacher Summer E-mail - which you will check REGULARLY (please make sure to enter it correctly)

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* 5. Primary Sponsor / Teacher School Phone
Please use this format:  555-555-5555, ext. 555
NOTE: PLEASE use "dashes" (-) NOT decimals (.), as Excel transposes phone numbers using decimals (.) into a strange formula when downloaded from Survey Monkey.

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* 6. Primary Sponsor / Teacher Cell Phone
Please use this format: 555-555-5555, ext. 555
NOTE: PLEASE use "dashes" (-) NOT decimals (.), as Excel transposes phone numbers using decimals (.) into a strange formula when downloaded from Survey Monkey.

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* 7. Primary Sponsor / Teacher Home Phone
Please use this format: 555-555-5555, ext. 555
NOTE: PLEASE use "dashes" (-) NOT decimals (.), as Excel transposes phone numbers using decimals (.) into a strange formula when downloaded from Survey Monkey.

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* 8. Primary Sponsor / Teacher Subject & Grade(s) Taught

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* 9. Support Teacher / Parent Name

Although not required, it is strongly recommended to have at least one support person, so all the responsibility will not fall on one teacher.

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* 10. Support Teacher / Parent School / Work E-mail (please make sure it is entered correctly)

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* 11. Support Teacher / Parent Home E-mail (please make sure it is entered correctly)

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* 12. Support Teacher / Parent Work Phone
Please use this format: 555-555-5555, ext. 555
NOTE: PLEASE use "dashes" (-) NOT decimals (.), as Excel transposes phone numbers using decimals (.) into a strange formula when downloaded from Survey Monkey.

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* 13. Support Teacher / Parent Cell Phone
Please use this format: 555-555-5555, ext. 555
NOTE: PLEASE use "dashes" (-) NOT decimals (.), as Excel transposes phone numbers using decimals (.) into a strange formula when downloaded from Survey Monkey.

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* 14. Support Teacher / Parent Home Phone
Please use this format: 555-555-5555, ext. 555
NOTE: PLEASE use "dashes" (-) NOT decimals (.), as Excel transposes phone numbers using decimals (.) into a strange formula when downloaded from Survey Monkey.

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* 15. Support Teacher Subject(s) & Grade(s) Taught

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* 16. School Mailing Address

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* 17. School Street Address (if different than Mailing)

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* 18. School City

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* 19. School State

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* 20. School Zip

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* 21. School Phone
Please use this format: 555-555-5555, ext. 555
NOTE: PLEASE use "dashes" (-) NOT decimals (.), as Excel transposes phone numbers using decimals (.) into a strange formula when downloaded from Survey Monkey.

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* 22. How many students do you expect / anticipate having on the team this year?

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* 23. Do you expect that your team will be considered a Middle School team?

This means your team consists of 80% or more middle school age students (6th - 8th), as well as 80% M. S. age in each part of the competition in which the team chooses to participate (i.e. notebook development, marketing presentation, booth design, etc.).

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* 24. Does your team have access to a VEX-EDR "claw-bot"?
https://www.vexrobotics.com/vexedr

If you need help finding an industry mentor (technical or marketing) to assist your team, please contact Stephanie Newland (snewland@shoalschamber.com, 256-764-4661) or Greg Springer (gspringer@nwscc.edu, 256-331-5236).  We can TRY to help find mentors, but there is no guarantee. The best options are your students' parents &/or their co-workers.
COMMITMENT TO COMPETE

Please understand, while BEST Robotics is FREE for your school to participate, there is a significant cost (~$1,200) for the equipment and supplies PROVIDED TO YOUR TEAM by the NW Alabama BEST Robotics Hub (Shoals Chamber and NW-SCC), plus other valuable resources. Because these supplies are limited, your school's participation precludes another school from participating.

By completing this form and the COMMITMENT below, you / your school is COMMITTING to ATTEND all required events and to COMPETING in the upcoming (fall) BEST Robotics Competition.

The DATES  BELOW  ARE  MANDATORY for your team to be represented.   MARK  THESE  DATES  ON  YOUR  TEAM'S  AND  YOUR  SCHOOL'S  CALENDARS.

NOTE: "Representation" at Team Training, Kick-Off & Mall Day can be just one adult or just a few people, but NW Alabama BEST strongly encourages as much student participation as possible, as it is the students who MUST do the work.

- Sat., Aug. 25 - Team Training (9 a.m. - 3 p.m.) and BEST Kick-Off (3 - 5 p.m.) (NW-SCC, Shoals Campus, gym)

NOTE: Team Training (9 a.m. - 3 p.m.) is MANDATORY for NEW teams to be represented & NEW SPONSOR-TEACHERS of veteran teams and strongly encouraged for new team MEMBERS on veteran teams.  It is OPTIONAL for veteran teams & veteran sponsor-teachers.

Kick-Off (3 - 5 p.m.) is MANDATORY for ALL TEAMS to be represented.

- Sat., Sept. 22 (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.) - Mall Day (Practice Driving Day, Florence Mall)  is MANDATORY for all teams to be represented.

- Tues., Oct. 2 (by 5 p.m.) - DUE - MANDATORY  Engineering Notebook and other optional items to be judged (NW-SCC, Shoals Campus)

NOTE:  These items can be mailed, as long as they are in our hands by the due date & time.

- Thurs., Oct. 4 (scheduled between 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) - (optional) Oral Marketing Presentation - if the team chooses to compete for the "BEST Award" which includes this category.

- Sat., Oct. 6 (8 a.m. - 6 p.m.) - GAME DAY!! (NW-SCC, Shoals Campus, gym)

We understand unforeseen things can happen to cause your team not to be able to fulfill its commitment to compete. If this happens, please let us kno

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* 25. I understand that the DATES  ABOVE  ARE  MANDATORY for my team to be represented.    I have marked these dates on MY  TEAM'S  CALENDAR  AND  OUR  SCHOOL  CALENDAR.

We are COMMITTED  TO  ATTEND  &  COMPETE.

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* 26. We understand that the robotics equipment (`Returnables`) PROVIDED TO OUR TEAM AT NO COST, MUST be RETURNED at the end of Game Day, unless we advance to South's BEST Regional Championship.

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* 27. We understand that if we damage or lose any of the robotics equipment (`Returnables`) PROVIDED AT NO COST TO OUR TEAM, we must PAY for it to be replaced.

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* 28. We understand that we may purchase our own robotics (`Returnables`) equipment kit from Visual Edge (VEX vendor in AL, http://visualedgeinc.biz), if we CHOOSE to do so, so we can practice in the off-season. [Price is ~$1,000].

NOTE:  NW Alabama BEST will NO  LONGER  SELL Returnables Kits to teams.  They MUST be returned to the Hub each year.

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* 29. School Principal's Name

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* 30. School Principal's E-mail

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* 31. School Principal's `Signature` (completing this section will serve as his / her legal signature)

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* 32. Date `Signed` (MM/DD/YYYY)

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* 33. Is there anything else you would like us to know about your school or your participation in the BEST Robotics Competition?

REMEMBER ...
You ALSO must go to the Eventbrite link below for an very short "registration" (3 - 4 questions) for big BEST, for their nationwide info about the number of teams participating.

https://nw-al-best-team-registration-2018.eventbrite.com

Thanks!
Please click DONE to submit your registration.

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