Welcome to the 2016 June Rocky Mountain BEST Newsletter.  In this newsletter is our 2016 schedule and our 2016 game logo;  updated list of signed up 2016 schools; list of near term volunteer needs including the July-August Game Field volunteering; BEST at NSTA STEM Forum & Expo in Denver 27-29 July: and preview of RM BEST Outreach at 13 August Erie Air Fair .
Helping inspire youth for a lifetime!
Help us b ring a 7th year of BEST robotics to over 400 Colorado Middle & High School Students with the 2016 BET THE FARM game! 
  2015 Game Day Students   
" We are giving vision to young men and women, they may not be able to find otherwise, that will take them places they would not be able to go without this experience.  I am proud to serve with you, investing in the hope of our future."  
Jon Barber , Volunteer, Pit Boss
2016 Game BET THE FARM
To Challenge and Inspire Student Teams!
Rocky Mountain BEST has established the dates for our fall competition events and summer workshop event. Please save the event dates so you can volunteer or attend these events.  We are working to finalize the Kickoff and Practice Day Venues.

With this newsletter, we are introducing our 2016 Rocky Mountain BEST Logo here beside the BEST Robotics game logo. Wait until you see our 2016 Volunteer T-shirts!

2016 BET THE FARM Logo

2016 RM BEST Event
Event Time and Place
Teacher / Mentor Institute - two-day teacher/ mentor training  provided jointly with Front Range BEST Hub
Attendance by invitation: Teachers/ Mentors. NO STUDENTS.
Thursday & Friday, 21-22 July
Metropolitan State University of Denver Student Success Building
Kickoff - Game revealed, student and teacher/ mentor training and protobot demo.
Attendance by invitation: Student teams and Teachers/ Mentors.
Saturday, 3 September
(Labor Day Weekend)
Noon - 4 PM
South High School Denver 
Practice Day - Time for student teams to practice with their robots on 4 quadrant game field.
Attendance open to the public.
Saturday, 8 October
9 AM - 3 PM
South High School Denver
Game Day - Student teams compete for awards on 4 quadrant game field.
Attendance open to the public.
Saturday, 15 October
7 AM - 5:00 PM
Metropolitan State University of Denver Auraria Event Center

 
2016 Game Teaser - BET THE FARM
 
2016 BEST Game Teaser BET THE FARM
The full details of the BET THE FARM game will be revealed to the student teams at the September Kickoff Event.

In case you missed it, our national BEST Robotics Inc. organization has released a 90 second Game Teaser Video for this year's Game - BET THE FARM. This year's game teaser is available on YouTube at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx7TeeGObHw
PARTICIPATING ROCKY MTN BEST 2016 SCHOOLS
We will be hosting 28 Schools + 1 Alternate at our 2016 Competition
  2015 Kickoff  
We are thrilled to have 26 schools signed up for the 2016 Rocky Mountain BEST  competition. Teachers may continue to sign up their teams for the 2016  BET THE  FARM  competition. 
RM BEST logo
We are coordinating with the Front Range BEST Hub team who are recruiting schools from the southwestern  portion of the Denver metro area including Douglas County. In addition, SoCo BEST @Trinidad State is recruiting teachers in southern Colorado and  new Golden Plains BEST in Julesburg, Colorado is recruiting teachers in
northeastern Colorado. Rocky Mountain BEST is also talking with teachers from other areas in  Colorado.
Of the 26 signed up schools listed in the table below, the schools 
marked with a * are new to BEST.
We will continue to sign up schools through August with a waiting list once we fill our available slots.  Please ask any interested schools to contact Linda King at linda.king@bestinc.org (during July)  for Rocky Mountain BEST, Tami Kirkland at 
GP BEST Logo SoonTami.Kirkland@frontrangebest.org  for Front Range BEST, Debbie Ulibarri at Debbie.Ulibarri@trinidadstate.edu  for SoCo@TrinidadState BEST, and Larry Turner at larryturner08@yahoo.com
 for the new Golden Plains BEST.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN BEST SIGNED UP SCHOOLS as of 30 June 2016
School District/City
Abraham Lincoln High School * Denver
Aurora Frontier P-8 * Aurora
Bishop Machebeuf High School Denver
Broomfield High School Boulder Valley
Columbine Middle School * Montrose
Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design * Denver
DSST Byers Denver
DSST Cole High School Denver
DSST Green Valley Ranch High School
Denver
DSST Stapleton High School Denver
Gateway High School Aurora
High Tech Early College Denver
Hill Middle School * Denver
Innovation Center of the St. Vrain Valley School District St. Vrain Valley
Manning Middle School Jeffco
Mrachek Middle School Aurora
New Vista High School Boulder Valley
Ralston Valley High School Jeffco
Skinner Middle School Denver
Skyline High School St. Vrain Valley
St. Mary's Academy (Middle School) * Englewood
Thomas Jefferson High School Denver
University Schools * Greeley
Vista Peak Exploratory * Aurora
Walt Clark Middle School * Larimer
Wheat Ridge High School Jeffco
Near Term 2016 BET THE FARM Volunteers
Check out the Opportunities to Join in the Fun this Summer!
 
In the table below are several opportunities to help bring BEST Robotics to the Denver metro area. 

This month, we started building preparations for the 2016 BET THE FARM game field. We are contacting the 2015 builders to check on their interest. See more information below to see if this is good fit for you in July and August.

In July, we'll be identifying the many volunteer positions for the September and October events. No experience required fro many positions.

P lease save 3 September, 8 October and 15 October for volunteering at the fall events.
Volunteer Position
Position Details
Rocky Mtn BEST Monday Kit Team Currently finishing
refurbishment of tested 2015 kits to prepare for 2016 kit distribution. Preparing final inventory in July. Finishing preparation of materials for July Teacher / Mentor Institute. 

Most Mondays ~10 AM - 1 PM followed by lunch at a local restaurant. 
999 Vallejo St #2 (Unit 34) in Denver near I-25 and 8th Avenue.
Contact Carolyn at  cbauer@rmbest.org for more information.  We can  always use an extra hand and no experience or specific skill is needed.
Front Range BEST Hub Volunteers -  The Front Range BEST hub needs volunteers to help with the competition in the southwestern portion of the  Metro Denver area.
Primary Activities are July- October.
Please contact Tami Kirkland at  Tami.Kirkland@frontrangebest.org if you, friends, or family are interested in joining in the fun with this great group. No prior BEST robotics experience required.
Rocky Mtn BEST Hub Awards and Judging Lead - this position  
coordinates all the Award and Judging activities including: training for student teams and judging volunteers; arranging for judging leads and judging volunteers to fill the judging slots for Game Day; and procuring Student Team Awards. If
you know someone to share this responsibility, co-leads are encouraged.

Primary Activities are July- October.
Volunteer is able to determine schedule with attendance at Game Day on 15 October required. 
Effort is estimated as approximately 4 hours per week.
Contact  Linda.King@bestinc.org  if you are interested in learning more about this position.
All the subcommittee positions have excellent leads in place to support Awards and Judging Lead. Prior experience as a BEST volunteer helpful - especially in judging - but it is not required.
Rocky Mtn BEST Game Field Builders  Use BEST-provided drawings to construct and assemble game field components. Multiple separate components permit multiple independent helpers to separately construct their components. Tools needed include the following depending on component: saws to cut plywood, lumber, foam, and PVC; wood sander; paint brushes; drill for screw holes; and screw drills / drivers. 
Primary Activities are July- August.  We expect to have final drawings and the material for the Game Field components available by mid-July. Full assembly of most components and associated testing to be completed by 20 August.
A rough estimate of time required is as little as 4 and up to 40 hours depending on component.
If interested, please contact Carolyn at  cbauer@rmbest.org  for more information.
Skills needed include: read drawings, construct using tools, assemble components with glue (PVC), screws, and hinges, and paint components.

BEST Robotics Inc. Driving Growth and Advancement Rosemary Mendel New Executive Director

2016 Rosemary Mendel
BEST Robotics Inc (BRI)  welcomed Rosemary Mendel as the organization's new Executive Director at the April 2016 BEST Prototype Weekend in Wichita. Rosemary is a seasoned nonprofit executive with more than 30 years' experience in management, development and fundraising; with a diverse background representing organizations in social service, medicine, college athletics, and the arts. She has served top Pittsburgh area nonprofits such as: the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh; and the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh.  In 2014, Rosemary was named one of the Pittsburgh 50 Smart Business Leaders by Smart Business magazine, one of only three nonprofit leaders recognized in the group.

BEST Robotics Inc Booth at NSTA STEM Forum & Expo,  Denver: July 27-29

National Science Teachers Assoc
R ocky Mountain BEST and Front Range BEST volunteers are working with Rosemary Mendel from BRI to provide a BEST Robotics booth at the National Science Teachers Association hosted  5th annual STEM Forum & Expo at the Colorado Convention Center 27-29 July.  From the registration website the event is "a unique, focused event that brings together (informal and formal) educators, administrators, and representatives from exhibiting companies who are interested in-as well as have tools and resources to share-that will ensure successful implementation of STEM education into our schools and communities."

We are excited to have DSST Byers and STEM Academy students demonstrating their 2015 robots and the game field at the event. 

Rocky Mountain BEST and Front Range BEST will be supporting the BEST Robotics Inc booth explaining the BEST program to teachers on 27-29 July. Please contact me at Linda.King@bestinc.org if you are interested in helping us staff the booth during these 3 days.
BEST Outreach @ Erie Air Fair , Saturday, 13 August
 10 AM - 4 PM at Erie Municipal Airport - 395 Airport Rd Erie, CO

Rocky Mountain BEST is participating in the children's Adventure Zone on 13 August at the Erie Air Fair. Attendance is FREE and parking is FREE!
 
RM BEST will be helping participants assemble binary bead bracelets. And, of course, we'll have information about RM BEST and the 2016 game.  
 
Erie Air Fair event at Erie Municipal Airport. From their website: "The format is a positive family oriented community event including displays of unique aircraft, cars, local and regional vendors, a Beer & Wine Garden, Helicopter rides, historical displays, children's "Adventure Zone" and multiple renowned musical entertainment groups, including Global Sound Studio & FACE Vocal Band." 

 We hope to see you there!!
ADDITIONAL WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE
Benevity -
 If your company has gift matching through Benevity, Rocky Mountain BEST is one of the eligible non-profit organizations. Please check with your company about gift matching!
Kroger Gift Card - If you have a Rocky Mountain BEST King Soopers Gift Card, Kroger donates 5% of EVERY gift card purchase -- including card refills -- to Rocky Mountain BEST... all at no cost to you -- FOREVER! Everyone needs groceries and gas. Remember to use your Rocky Mountain BEST Gift card to benefit Rocky Mountain BEST. It's really easy.  Since 1 Oct 2015, Kroger has donated over $1450 to Rocky Mountain BEST because of purchases from one of our cards! Interested?   Contact Lois Walton at lwalton@rmbest.org  to make arrangements to purchase a card. 
Amazon Smile -
Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Rocky Mountain BEST whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.
 
 
Donations - Finally, you can also donate to Rocky Mountain BEST at Rocky Mountain BEST at ColoradoGives.org


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