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.
Ever wonder how award decisions really happen at FTC events? Jeff Meyers takes you behind the curtain of the judging process—what’s consistent across regions, what’s subjective, and what teams can do to authentically stand out.
This session is ideal for mentors looking to better prepare students for interviews, documentation, and award criteria—without gaming the system or losing the heart of their story.
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.
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.
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.
Bring your questions, your quirks, and your sticky problems—this session is about you. In this FTC Unconference, we’ll co-create the session agenda on the fly, based on the needs and curiosity of the room.
Never been to an unconference? It’s a flexible, participant-led format where there’s no wrong question and no passive listening. Whether you're tackling judging prep, tech constraints, student engagement, or program logistics, join fellow mentors for open dialogue, fresh insights, and unexpected connections. Facilitated by the ever-resourceful Shelly Stoddard.
