Volume 2020-06 | June 2020
Rocky Mountain BEST Volunteer Newsletter
How to help BEST make a difference
in the lives of Colorado students
Boosting BEST Fundraiser THANKS!
Boosting BEST
THANK YOU!
WOW! We EXCEEDED our goal thanks to ALL THOSE bidding on auction items & those making non-auction Donations!

We raised over $21,000 with the generous $10,000 match!
Rocky Mountain BEST $17,300 AND
Front Range BEST $3,600

YOU each helped to make a difference
in the lives of Colorado students in 2020!
Boosting BEST
Auction
  • 151 items sold
  • 42 auction accounts
  • 40 students sponsored
  • 2 teams sponsored
  • $10,000 matched by a generous anonymous donor.

If you did not get a chance to participate in the Auction, there is still time to help inspire students!
Please use the blue button below to donate and use the Special Instructions section   to indicate Boosting BEST + either RM (Rocky Mountain) or FR (Front Range) BEST as the recipient.
WHAT WILL OUR BEST COMPETITION LOOK LIKE THIS FALL?
Known: NEW 2020 Fall BEST Game - OUTBREAK
Unknown: LOTS but we are working on it.
BEST Robotics, Inc. (BRI) has developed 3 options for the NEW OUTBREAK game under the following goals to respond to COVID-19 driven restrictions. 
  1. Provide near equivalent skills learning/experience as with a normal BEST competition.
  2. Provide flexible and scalable options for competition delivery given varying COVID-19 restrictions.

This blue table below describes the competition characteristics evaluated by BRI and the changes being incorporated in the proposed 2020 options. Some change highlights:

  • INCISION DECISION Game saved for another year and instead developed a simpler 2020 game medically themed game called OUTBREAK.
  • A physical Regional Championship Event will NOT be held in 2020 regardless of any decisions made about the local hub competition.
Each of the 3 options described below contain a set of COVID-19 driven restrictions that might be in place this fall. The descriptions include the type of BEST Robotics student team activities proposed under each of these restrictions.

OUR FOCUS
  • Our local hub leadership is focusing our evaluation on the Classroom Competition or the Online Skills Competition option.
  • We are NOT considering the Restricted Event option. We are assuming we will have neither available venues nor interest nor permission for this type of competition in late October.
VOLUNTEERS
  • The 2 options we are considering as currently proposed DO NOT have physical volunteer interactions, instead volunteers will perform their tasks online.

Rocky Mountain BEST hub leadership hopes to have sufficient information to make a decision in July on the  Classroom Competition  OR the  Online Skills Competition  option.

As we learn more, we will be reaching out to let you know all the ways you can volunteer in 2020 in this new environment to continue to inspire students.
COVID
COVID
SCHOOLS REGISTERED TO COMPETE
We are thrilled to have 21 schools signed up for our fall competition.
1302 Abraham Lincoln HS
1304 Aurora Frontier P-8
1305 Aurora Quest
1306 Bishop Machebeuf HS  
1307 Broomfield HS
1309 DMLK Early College
1310 DSST: Byers
1311 Gateway HS
1312 Good Shepherd School
1315 Most Precious Blood School
1316 Mrachek MS
1318 Our Lady of Fatima School
1319 Pinnacle Charter HS
1322 Skyline HS
1324 St Therese School
1326 STRIVE Prep - RISE
1328 Valley HS
1330 Flagstaff Academy Charter School
1331 Blessed Miguel Pro Catholic Academy
Please share this link if you know a teacher who wants to register for our fall robotics - Register at https://registry.bestrobotics.org/
bESTology 2.0 - the study of Engineering, Science and Technology

Teachers are encouraged to incorporate bESTology into their curriculum, summer camps, enrichment activities and more.
Students find that Knowledge is Power! bESTology teaches the skill sets to be successful in the workplace and in life. bESTology Link
Available Weekly Postings
  • Week 1 - Journey Through the Human Body
  • Week 2 - So just how powerful is our Central Nervous System?
  • Week 3 - Our cardiovascular system is amazing!
  • Week 4 - Breath in…Breath out…
  • Week 5 - Digestive System
  • Week 6 – Skeletal System
  • Week 7 – Muscular System
  • Week 8 – Homeostasis
  • Week 9 - Medical Terminology
  • Week 10 – Microrobotics
WHY BEST? From those who KNOW the best!
Teacher's View
2011 (46 sec)
Volunteer/Parent's View
2015 (40 sec)
Teacher's View
2018 (30 sec)
Students' View
2011-2019 (3 min 20 sec)
Additional Ways to Contribute
Other Ways to Participate by Donating
Donations 
You can donate ANYTIME at  Rocky Mountain BEST at ColoradoGives.org.
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!
King Soopers/City Market
Thanks to the 15 households who are using their King Soopers / City Market savings cards to donate to Rocky Mountain BEST.
If you used to refill a King Soopers gift cards for us and now need help setting up your savings card, please email  lois.walton@bestinc.org. Lois would be glad to talk you through the quick process!
Amazon Smile
Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Rocky Mountain BEST whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
Amazon Smile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.
Wondering what to do with your used car or truck or boat? 
Donating your old vehicle to ROCKY MOUNTAIN BEST is convenient, easy, and may qualify you for a tax deduction. And best of all, your donation of a used car or truck will make a big difference in supporting ROCKY MOUNTAIN BEST.
Why not donate your vehicle today? All you need to do is to complete our SIMPLE ONLINE FORM or call 1-866-628-2277 and we'll take care of the rest. We will pick up your vehicle, arrange to have your donation towed, and provide you with a tax-deductible receipt, all at no charge to you.
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Build a robot in six weeks;
inspire a youth for a lifetime
Don't miss out making it possible!