Workshops & Panels
2026 Trainings and Discussions
2026 FIRST Mentor Conference Descriptions
(In progress. Last update: 07-20-26)
“Money, Money, Money!” – Fundraising and Sponsors
Panel: Dimple Ravuri (1671) Key Takeaway: Learn to diversify income sources and how students can play a major role in managing team finances. This workshop goes over many different potential income sources for your FRC team! We will take a deep dive into finding...
“SOS” – Outreach Without (that much) Burnout
Presenter: Dimple Ravuri (1671) Key Takeaway: Plan area-specific outreach events with structure, and get parent buy-in to lessen your burden. Outreach may seem daunting, but with a dedicated team of students and parents to support you, it is much more sustainable....
0 to 581: Moving From A Club To A Team
Presenter: Shelby Anderson (581) Key Takeaway: At least 2-3 tangible steps that can be applied to any team to better achieve their team’s goals. Making changes within an existing team can be uniquely challenging due to established cultures, norms, & expectations...
2027 Control System: Systemcore and WPILib
Presenter: Peter Johnson (WPILib) Key Takeaway: 2027 brings major software changes; RoboRIO replaced with Systemcore. Did you know that the 2026 FRC season was the last season for the RoboRIO? A new more powerful FRC controller, Limelight Systemcore, will be used...
3D Printing for Creating Robust Robot Parts
Presenter: John Hajel (5507) Key Takeaway: 3D printing can produce fast, strong, reliable FRC parts with the right materials and design. This 45-minute session helps FRC mentors launch or scale 3D printing. Geared to beginner–intermediate teams, it covers printers...
5 robots in 10 weeks: Designing Workflows for Rapid Iteration
Presenter: Emilio Parra (3847) Key Takeaway: Combine new tools with simple rules to eliminate build season bottlenecks. Behind every efficient build season is a shop culture built on clear pipelines and consistent execution. This session breaks down how a lean...
Are you match ready?
Presenter: Evan Forbes (Nexus Robotics Foundation) Key Takeaway: Mentors will be able to better prepare their drive teams to improve their experience at events. Learn the details that will help your drive team set up for matches like pros. We'll do a deep dive into...
Building Resilience: Team Retention and Sustainability
Presenter: Amanda Little and Elise Cronin-Hurley (1902) Key Takeaway: Build stronger processes & deeper benches. Spend more time doing what you love with your students.. A discussion on methods, barriers, and resources for developing and implementing team...
Crafting Canon – Using a Branding Mentality to Foster a Resilient Team Culture
Panel: Tommy Smeltzer (1138) Key Takeaway: Being intentional with designed messaging can create a consistent culture of belonging for students. A fun, inclusive and inspirational team culture can pay off with greater engagement, improved retention, and a more...
Empowering Student Leadership: How to Run a 90+ Student Team with Fewer Mentors
Presenter: Michael Leicht (1403) Key Takeaway: Build team culture and empower student leaders using tiered structures, mindset shifts, and systems training. Managing a massive robotics team with limited adult mentorship can easily lead to burnout. The secret isn't...
How to get Millions of Views, Achieving Virality in FIRST
Presenter: Eli Uva (3255) Key Takeaway: Learn how to follow the steps to create viral content for FRC an team, and what to do with a platform. Teaching the audience how to create sustainable social media content and obtain large amounts of viewership. Teaching the...
If I started a team today, this is what I’d do: Two perspectives on team organization and management
Panelists: Mike Corsetto (1678), Shelby Anderson (581), moderated by Melissa Smith (FIRST BOD) Key Takeaway: There are many ways to organize a team, come and learn about 2 of them! Successful veteran mentors Mike Corsetto (1678) and Shelby Anderson (581) will share...
Navigating the AI Era: Debating Artificial Intelligence and Student Learning in FRC
Panel facilitated by Sohini Stone (3501) Key Takeaway: Maximize AI's potential in FRC while safeguarding authentic student learning and core FIRST values. Artificial Intelligence is transforming the world, but how does it fit into FRC? Join us for an engaging panel...
PenguinCAM: from CAD to CNC in literally 1 minute!
Presenter: Josh Sirota (6238) Key Takeaway: PenguinCAM replaces scary, error-prone, and time-consuming CAM tools from your manufacturing process. A CNC router should not be more difficult than a laser cutter or 3D printer. Now it isn’t. Introducing a new CAM tool...
Pick Lists and Match Strat: what has to happen at events
Presenter: Steve Kaneb (2910) Key Takeaway: Establish roles & responsibilities to remove stress from pre-match strategy and alliance selection. Your picklist meeting shouldn't take more than an hour, and pre-match strategy sessions should be fun, productive, and...
Robot Reliability: RJ45 connections, Signal Level Power Wiring, and a Hot Take on Battery Warming
Presenter: Shane Trent (Ironclad Owls, TerrorBytes, GearCats (6500), North Carolina) Key Takeaway: Attendees will learn how to make RJ45, sensor power, and battery performance more reliable. Did you know your robot only browns out when you ask it to? This session...
Sibling Team Panel: Scaling Your Program
Panel facilitated by Isriah Keila (321) Key Takeaway: Sibling teams come in many shapes and sizes - don't assume you've seen them all! Join sibling teams and experienced coaches as they explore managing multiple FRC programs within one organization. Learn how to...
Spreadsheets: a powerful FRC Project Management tool
Presenters: Nick Hammes (3501) Shelby Anderson (581) Key Takeaway: Spreadsheets are powerful, and by customizing you can help your students focus on the right problems. In this 45 minute session, learn tips and tricks to build powerful and accessible tools to help...
The 90 Degree Problem
Presenter: Orion DeYoe (2713) Key Takeaway: A rich toolbox of design shortcuts and options for mechanical connections. Are you struggling with designing compact structures? Designing angled connections is subtly one of the most difficult aspects of robot design. Learn...
The Case for Caring: Why Competition Matters
Presenter: Michael Corsetto (1678) Key Takeaway: Building better robots builds better people, both your students and yourself. "The Case for Caring: Why Competition Matters" studies how a mentor's genuine commitment to competition results is key for maximizing student...
The Century Club: A Blueprint for Long-Term Mentor Retention
Presenter: Sohini Stone (3501) Key Takeaway: Retaining mentors requires intentional onboarding, clear expectations, and a supportive community. Keep mentors coming back! Drawing from our team’s 100+ years of collective experience, this session explores proven...
Thumbs on the Sticks: Designing Intuitive Control Systems for Your Driver
Presenter: Eugene Fang (604) Key Takeaway: Driver UX should be treated as a day-one priority, not as an afterthought. A highly capable robot is only as effective as the driver operating it. In the heat of a match, cognitive overload and poor controller ergonomics can...
Training our student leads to be the S.A.L.T. of your team.
Presenter: Sam Robinson (4488) Key Takeaway: Student leaders can either enhance or destroy a team member's experience. Lets make it enhancing. Student leadership is a vitally important part of our teams. Student leads have the power to enhance or destroy a subteam or...
Using Team-Awareness to Strengthen Culture, Leadership, Brand & Awards
Presenters: Cathy Schulz (1538) & Elise Cronin-Hurley (1902) Key Takeaway: Team-awareness is your most powerful strategy. Build an innate practice of team culture and impact. Before you can build a compelling brand, develop strong leaders, or write a standout...