-
Do I need experience to be a volunteer?
No! You just need to come with a positive attitude and a willingness to work hard to make the kids experience awesome! If there are any volunteer roles that require additional knowledge, training will be provided.
-
How do I register to become a volunteer?
Please use our Volunteer Registration Guide.
-
What is the time commitment for FIRST® LEGO® League Explore coaches, volunteers, and team members?
In general, as a coach, volunteer, or team member you should meet with your team one to two times per week during the build and Festival season from August through May. Like any sport or club, the time you invest in helping your team will add to your team’s success.
-
What is the FIRST® Youth Protection Program (YPP)?
The purpose of the FIRST® Youth Protection Program (FIRST® YPP) is to provide Coaches, Mentors, Volunteers, employees, others working in FIRST® programs, team members, parents, and guardians of team members with information, guidelines, and procedures to create safe environments for everyone participating in FIRST® programs.
The FIRST® YPP sets minimum standards recommended for all FIRST® activities. Adults working in FIRST® programs must be knowledgeable of the standards set by the FIRST® YPP, as well as those set by the school or organization hosting their team.
FIRST® expects all teams in the United States and Canada to adhere to all provisions of the FIRST® YPP.
You bring great value to the students, teams, and our community.
There are multiple ways for you to be involved, all avenues of participation are highly valued by our community. Students are excited to get the opportunity to work with people from the industry and feel honored that an adult from their community would contribute their time to help. Some local employers even participate with employer matching funds, which can make a huge difference in helping to fund the FIRST® programs. But more than that, they recognize that you are providing your time and talent to help them.
The main two avenues for participation are working directly with a local team or volunteering at a local FIRST® event.
Mentoring a team
Teams rely on mentors to assist and educate the team with a range of different tasks.
Skills needed by teams include:
- Marketing and fundraising
- Graphic design and communications
- Team organization and project management
- Software and hardware engineering
Each of our programs have varying time commitments, but each is extremely rewarding. No previous experience is required to mentor a team.
Most of our team activities run from September through April. Mentors can arrange with their team when and how they are able to contribute. Working directly with a group of students is likely the most rewarding experience you will have.
Event Volunteers
Events are staged from November through March. Event volunteers put on a great show for the students. We have several roles for you:
- Judges – Help evaluate and give feedback to teams
- Referees – Help the students play their game safely and fairly
- Field crews – Help with setup, run, and tear down of fields and A/V equipment
- Event Organizers – Help plan and organize events and volunteers
Event volunteering typically requires an entire day, some run two days, plus a small amount of pre-event training. No experience required, we will train you when you get involved with an event.
Are you ready? Start the registration process here.
Need more information? Contact volunteer@firstwa.org
- For more information, contact:
info@firstwa.org