I applied for and was selected to be part of the Global Robotics Student Advisory Board for this year. I am aware that, previously, RECF has always managed the SAB but that, this year, due to the VEX/RECF split, both Global Robotics and RECF are hosting advisory boards.
Does anyone have insight into what the SABs will look like this year for Global Robotics? Has anyone here participated in the RECF SAB in previous years, and if so, would be willing to share their experience (number of members, impact, communication, time commitment, overall satisfaction, etc.)?
Also wondering who else applied to the Global Robotics or RECF SABs and if anyone else was offered a position.
Hello, @LeighBee! Congratulations on your invitation the Global Robotics Student Advisory Board—that is a real honor and a great way to contribute to the broader robotics community. I am a member of the RECF SAB (25-26 and 26-27). While I cannot speak directly to how the GRSF SAB will operate, I can provide insight as to how RECF’s SAB has worked.
Last year, we had 14 student members, alongside multiple RECF officials, and sometimes guests for specific topics. We held one or two virtual meetings a month that each lasted for more or less of two hours.
Your impact on the SAB will be as much as you make it to be. Typically, each meeting had a primary topic set by RECF for which they sought seeking out insights, opinions, and suggestions. Our meetings usually comprised a few core questions to which each member responded, with room for comments and discussion. However, there is still plenty of space for students to bring forth the topics and areas they believe are important to discuss.
I highly encourage you to research and prep a lot before each meeting. Remember: your comments may lead to changes that affect the tens of thousands of students participating in VEX Robotics program! It is thus an immense privilege to have this role, but also an immense responsibility. I do also recommend you reach out with the community, whether online or in-person, to help filter out your personal biases and gain a better understanding of the topics you’ll discuss. That said, you will be trusted with confidential information that you CANNOT share with the general public—please take care to ensure you don’t leak information.
Lastly, SAB students who have attended Worlds have had the opportunity to take on special roles (through the program that has historically been called Student Ambassadors). This may be helping to conduct ceremonies at Worlds, showcasing the event to sponsors and officials, or other incredible activities!
I hope this has provided some idea of what the GRSF SAB might look like. Have a fantastic season on the GRSF SAB!
Congrats on getting selected for the Global Robotics board! Since Global Robotics and RECF split up, things are definitely shifting, and it’ll be interesting to see how the new Global Robotics SAB structures its meetings and projects compared to the traditional RECF setup. If anyone has served on the RECF board previously, sharing what the actual time commitment and impact were like would be super helpful. Anyone else here make it onto either board?
It is thus an immense privilege to have this role, but also an immense responsibility. I do also recommend you reach out with the community, whether online or in-person, to help filter out your personal biases and gain a better understanding of the topics you’ll discuss. That said, you will be trusted with confidential information that you CANNOT share with the general public—please take care to ensure you don’t leak information.