Welcome!
BEST is a workforce development program cleverly disguised as a robotics competition!

Thank you for your interest in VOLUNTEERING for the NW Alabama BEST Robotics Competition, serving schools primarily in Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Marion, and Winston counties, in Alabama, as well as SC Tennessee.
BEST Robotics is FREE for schools to participate. We provide the robot building equipment and schools cannot use anything we do not provide.

NW AL BEST IMPORTANT 2018 DATES TO KNOW, FYI:
- August 24 - Kick-Off (NW-SCC Gym, Shoals Campus)
- Sept. 21 - Mall Day (practice driving) (Florence Mall, Florence, AL)
- Oct. 3 - Marketing Presentation Judging (NW-SCC, Shoals Campus)
- Oct. 3 - Programming Software Design & Simulation Judging (NW-SCC, Shoals Campus)
- Oct. 3 - Engineering Notebook Judging (NW-SCC, Shoals Campus)
- Oct. 5 - Game Day! (NW-SCC Gym, Shoals Campus).

You do NOT have to be at all of these events. You will register for only what interests you and fits your schedule.

There are many volunteer opportunities which are not specifically on these dates. More information is included in this registration process. And/or feel free to contact the Shoals Chamber for more details [Kim Sheppard at 256-331-5331 kim.sheppard@nwscc.edu OR Stephanie Newland at 256-764-4661 snewland@shoalschamber.com].

Also for more information, videos, photographs, etc., visit the NW Alabama BEST website - https://www.nwalbest.com

We look forward to working with you!

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* 1. First and Last Name

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* 2. Your Position/ Retired

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* 3. Your Address

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* 4. In case of an emergency while at BEST, please provide contact info:

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* 5. Have you ever participated in BEST as a student or volunteer in the past?

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* 6. Your preferred Tshirt size (men's sizes) If shirts have already been ordered, your size cannot be guaranteed, but we should have enough for all volunteers.

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* 7. For which dates/times and jobs are available to volunteer? (Check all that apply)
                        NOTE TO JUDGES:

For each category you judge, there will be guidance (training video, score sheet, rubrics for BEST Award categories, etc.); you do not have to be an expert in the area you judge.

Judging is not difficult, but it is VERY IMPORTANT to the students who've put so much blood, sweat & tears into their projects, so it needs to be conducted thoughtfully and thoroughly.

One VERY IMPORTANT part of Judging is to give the teams COMMENTS on each section of their score sheets, especially if you take off even one point. This is the only way they know how to improve for future competitions.

Judges' Training videos have been posted on-line. Some score sheets have changed slightly since the videos were posted, but the general content is the same. We ask that ALL JUDGES, Veteran or Novice, watch the video(s) that relate to the category(ies) you would like to judge. We want everyone to be on the same page, with the same information, before you arrive on the event date.

We will send you information and score sheets for your content area shortly before the event. If you need more information, or would like the score sheet earlier than we usually send it, feel free to contact us for samples of the score sheets.

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* 8. I agree to watch the on-line Judges Training Videos before the Competition.

Videos are available for Marketing Presentation, Trade Show Booth, Spirit & Sportsmanship, Website, Teamwear & Video &/or Engineering Notebook (depending on what you signed up to judge) .

Marketing Videos are located here:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9PxWwue8udwRVBIRWVZczkxcWs

Engineering Notebook Video is located here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_MtpWy0YIk&feature=youtu.be

NOTE: These are the categories (except "Website ...") that qualify teams to advance to the South's BEST Regional Championship and are therefore most critical for consistency. These score sheets are developed by BEST, Inc.

However, ALL categories are critical to the students who pour their blood sweat & tears into their "products!' So please, in everything you judge, be conscientious, fair, encouraging and use CONSTRUCTIVE criticism when necessary in your comments to teams.

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* 9. If you are VOLUNTEERING your help on GAME DAY, Oct 5th please indicate whether you plan to eat lunch with us below:

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* 10. THANK YOU SO MUCH for your willingness to volunteer for the BEST Robotics Competition!!

Please MARK YOUR CALENDAR for the dates of activities with which you have agreed to assist.

WE WILL BE COUNTING ON YOU, UNLESS you contact us to let us know if your plans have changed - which is fine, we just need to know, so we can plan appropriately.

You may return to any of the previous pages to record dates & times for events you selected, review or change your responses.

Please share this volunteer opportunity with others who might be interested. We will need a small army of volunteers during Game Week! Tell your co-workers, friends & family (college age or older)! Thanks!!

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