Welcome to the GEARED UP: Mentor Conference, where innovation meets inspiration!
Join us on May 17, 2025, from 9 am to 4 pm at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Kossiakoff Center, for a day filled with knowledge-sharing, networking, and empowerment.
This conference is proudly presented by Aramco America and aims to equip mentors with the tools and insights needed to effectively guide an increasingly diverse generation of students.
What happens after your team leaves the judging room? In this behind-the-scenes session, Senior Judge Advisor Jessi Brown will demystify the FRC judging process, sharing how judges evaluate teams, deliberate on awards, and what truly makes a team stand out. You'll get insight into how awards are determined, tips for helping students feel confident and prepared, and a better understanding of how gracious professionalism and storytelling impact success. Whether you're new to FRC or looking to fine-tune your team’s award approach, this session offers valuable advice straight from the judging table.
From local education foundations to federal STEM initiatives, grant funding can power your team beyond bake sales. In this session, Alex Bryant shares firsthand experience writing, winning, and sustaining grants across multiple levels—from grassroots efforts to major institutional partners.
You’ll walk away with templates, tips, and a better understanding of how to tell your team’s story in a way that funders care about. Bonus: insights into how to collaborate across schools, regions, and programs to unlock larger impact.
Alex Bryant is committed to serving his communities. Bryant graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Music and a minor in Biology. He currently works for FIRST Chesapeake, an arm of the International FIRST Inspires, a global robotics community preparing young people... Read More →
Saturday May 17, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am EDT Fundraising & Planning Room11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD, USA
Inclusion isn't an add-on—it's the foundation of powerful mentoring. In this essential session, Shari Robinson explores strategies for supporting neurodiverse students within FTC and FRC programs.
You’ll learn how to foster environments where students with autism, ADHD, and other neurological differences feel seen, supported, and able to thrive. Expect insights into communication, team structure, and the subtle ways mentors can make (or break) belonging.
From Discord to GroupMe to Google Chat, today’s teams live online—and so do the risks. In this timely session, Mike Yu tackles how mentors can foster healthy digital communication, prevent cyberbullying, and use online platforms without compromising team trust or safety.
Learn about real-world scenarios, clear boundaries, and tools for keeping your team connected, kind, and coachable—on and off the field.
What does it mean to be the kind of mentor who shapes lives far beyond the robot? Join Ken Lesley, FIRST Chesapeake’s 2025 Woodie Flowers Award Winner, as he shares reflections on mentorship, leadership, and the values that defined both Woodie Flowers' legacy and the heart of FIRST.
Drawing on decades of experience guiding students at McKinley Technology High School, Ken will discuss what it means to truly inspire—not just instruct—and how small moments of encouragement can change a student’s trajectory.
Whether you're a new mentor or a seasoned veteran, this session offers a powerful reminder of the impact you have — and the responsibility we all share to lift up the next generation with gracious professionalism, empathy, and wisdom.
Director, Academy of Engineering, McKinley Technology High School-NASA Rover and Cell Phone Locker manufacturing summer internships. Coach of Firebird Rob
With a degree in mechanical engineering from MIT, Ken’s first career was in the petroleum industry. He became an expert at controlled directional drilling. Ken transitioned into the software industry after traveling around the world for 15 years, making holes in the ground, and... Read More →
Saturday May 17, 2025 11:00am - 11:45am EDT Outreach Room11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD, USA
Join West Coast Products for a behind-the-scenes look at the tools, design philosophies, and innovations that have helped shape competitive robotics across the FIRST landscape. Whether you’re a mechanical mentor, a strategy geek, or just curious about what makes certain systems and components stand out, this session will give you practical insight and inspiration straight from one of the most respected names in the game.
A winning season starts with a smart strategy. In this technical session, Steve Shade will guide you through the process of analyzing a new FRC game, developing an effective game model, and building a strategy that maximizes your team’s competitive potential.
Using real-world data from previous seasons, you’ll explore how initial kickoff estimates hold up over time—and how to refine your team’s early-game thinking into a season-long advantage. This session will expand on techniques introduced during Back-to-Build sessions, offering mentors and technical leads a deeper understanding of how to approach a new challenge with confidence and precision.
Ready to expand your program’s reach and resilience? Learn how to tap into FIRST Chesapeake’s GEARED UP educator initiative and regional STEM hubs to bring curriculum support, training, and technical tools to your school or community.
Shelly Stoddard walks you through models that have worked in rural, urban, and under-resourced contexts—so you can adapt them to your own backyard. If you’re ready to grow STEM access beyond your team, this is where to start.
Why build one great team when you can build a family of them? In this forward-looking session, FIRST HQ’s newest Business Development Manager, Isriah Keila, explores the concept of “sibling teams” as a strategy for sustainability and program growth.
Learn how creating FTC and FRC sibling teams—or forming alliances across schools and age groups—can boost retention, leadership development, and community buy-in. Whether you’re from a single-team school or a district with room to grow, this session will help you think expansively about your team’s future.
Great seasons don’t start in January—they start in July. Learn how to build and run a summer bridge program that welcomes rookies, trains up next year’s leaders, and keeps your program humming.
Seelig Sinton will share templates, timelines, and tools for running effective and fun summer programming that helps students build skills, bond as a team, and enter the fall with confidence and clarity.
Your team already has a brand—whether you’ve worked on it or not. In this honest and energizing session, Jen Scharl explores how mentors can help students define, refine, and elevate how their team is seen by schools, sponsors, and the broader community.
Learn how to connect visual identity, mission, and messaging into something authentic and memorable. Whether you're a rookie or a regional powerhouse, your brand deserves more than clipart and a catchy pun.
When someone asks, “What’s FIRST?”—what do you say? Whether you’re pitching to a parent, a principal, or a potential sponsor, your message matters.
In this fast-paced session, Lisa Mooney walks you through how to craft a clear, confident, and compelling elevator pitch that captures the heart of the program and your unique impact. You’ll leave with a pitch you can use on Monday—and the confidence to speak your team’s truth in any room.
Hosting a FIRST LEGO League event is more than a service—it's a strategic move to strengthen your program, grow local engagement, and cultivate future FTC and FRC talent. This session explores what it takes to host an FLL event, from logistics and volunteer planning to venue considerations and partner collaboration. We’ll focus especially on how FTC and FRC teams and organizations can play a leadership role, creating a welcoming experience for younger students while reinforcing the full FIRST progression. Whether you're an FLL coach, a robotics program leader, or part of a high school team looking to give back, this session offers actionable insights and a broader vision for sustainable program growth.
You don’t need to be a pro to bring CAD into your team workflow. In this beginner-friendly session, Sebastien Sviatyi walks you through how to introduce CAD to students (and mentors), pick the right tools, and avoid common pitfalls.
Learn how CAD can support iterative design, reduce build mistakes, and help your team plan with precision—without overwhelming your students or your schedule.
A strong sponsor relationship is about more than logos—it’s about shared mission, mutual value, and smart communication. In this practical session, Alex Bryant shares what actually works when it comes to finding new sponsors, making the ask, and building long-term partnerships.
We’ll talk tiers, storytelling, stewardship, and how to translate your team's success into ROI for businesses and organizations of all sizes. Whether you’re rebooting your fundraising plan or starting from scratch, you’ll leave with a refreshed sponsor strategy.
Alex Bryant is committed to serving his communities. Bryant graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Music and a minor in Biology. He currently works for FIRST Chesapeake, an arm of the International FIRST Inspires, a global robotics community preparing young people... Read More →
Saturday May 17, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm EDT Fundraising & Planning Room11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD, USA
What separates a good robot from a great one? Often, it’s not just the build—it’s the thinking behind it. In this deep dive, Joey Kerns shares accessible strategies for applying engineering design principles to your team’s approach from kickoff to competition.
Explore how to frame decisions around constraints, goals, and iteration; how to encourage critical reflection; and how to guide students through real-world tradeoffs. Whether your team is rookie or elite, this session equips mentors with the language and tools to embed strategy into every bolt and bracket.
Volunteering isn’t just good citizenship—it’s a strategic move that builds leadership, community visibility, and award-readiness (hello, Impact Award). Join Jen as she connects the dots between volunteering and building a high-character, high-performance team.
You’ll learn how to help students find the right volunteer opportunities, track and share impact, and use volunteerism as a team-building and recognition tool all season long.
Mentors do more than guide teams to success—they help shape students' futures. In this session, Aaron Greene, founder of Pathfinders College and Career Advisors, shares how mentors play a critical role in preparing students for college, careers, and life beyond competitions.
Discover actionable strategies for nurturing leadership, fostering a growth mindset, and helping students connect their team experiences to their long-term goals for college and beyond. Learn how you can amplify your impact by connecting students with the right resources, including expert support from Pathfinders. Whether you're mentoring FLL, FTC, or FRC students, this session will equip you to guide your team members toward lasting success—and inspire the next generation of leaders.
