My school is discontinuing Vex V5 after the Push Back season because its becoming too expensive to run for a state funded school. They have given us the option to take all the kit and fields and go independent, and I just wondered if anyone has any advice on this, or anyone has made a change from school to independent and could share their experience.
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Our organization has been a community-based team from the beginning (since 2011). Giving you the parts and field is a great boost to getting started, but now you should find sponsors to cover your costs. Are you “in it for the long run,” that is, will you start an organization that continues robotics for your community for the future, or just looking as your own students till they graduate? If the former, you’ll need to look into a bank account and finding a fiduciary or getting 501c3 status, if the latter…it’s just pay-as-you go, you’ll need money for registration and some spare parts. Some sponsors (like small businesses) might not care if you’re a nonprofit. You’ll, of course, need an adult mentor/coach to register your team and be responsible.
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I have made the change from a school team t independent team last season, and I can confidently say it is totally worth it as long as your willing to put the time and effort (Our first comp of the season we worked from 12 PM to 2 AM). But keep in mind that it can get expensive, and that sometimes it can get pretty tiring especially after sigs where you just want to lay in bed and do nothing.
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The program that i am in is a non-profit. Our program is heavily student based and funded. So fundraising and Sponsors are our ONLY source of income. So if you setup enough fundraisers (a lot!) and talk to a lot of companies you can stay afloat on your own. Hope this helps.
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At first, our middle school didn’t sponsor vex iq, so we made a community team. Here’s all you need to know: First, if you already have a field and pieces, then all you will need to do is register a new team. Contact your regional support manager for support, and once you have successfully registered, you will need to find events. You can register for an event at robotevents.com. You will need someone to bring the robot with them to your competition, and someone to bring it back. I would also recommend getting sponsors.
P.S., you will need a large area to store the field and have practices. Make sure to schedule practices constantly, and to keep everything organized. Otherwise, you’re all set!
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What was the approximate cost of this?
Around 3-4K for the first year (Keep in mind that the team already had all the field and game elements)