Atholton Technology Boosters (aka Tech Boosters) is a not-for-profit (501c) organization founded to provide funding for and manage the logistics for AHS Robotics and other AHS STEM activities.

Tech Boosters has 4 officers:

• President
• One or two vice-presidents
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Optional per-grade advisors (per grade, e.g. a Freshman advisor)

Tech Boosters manages the team funds that are raised primarily by the Operations sub-team.

• Bank Accounts

• School schedule/coordination
  • Faculty advisor
    • A faculty advisor is critical - we can't meet at the school without one. Greg Friedman is our current advisor. Recruiting more HCPSS faculty to help is very important because attending every meeting is a huge burden for a single teacher. We've received help from many HCPSS faculty including Kevin_Cannon@…, [ mailto:Jean_Fregeau@… Jean Fregeau], Brian Roache, LKMS tech ed teacher Edward_Garner@…, and Elizabeth DeFrances (who was formerly a computer science teacher)
  • Schedule planning
    • As early as possible (late May), a schedule for the following year should be planned. The Fall schedule leading up to build season should have 1-2 meetings weekly to allow for training and preparation. The build season schedule should have at least 5 days weekly planned (includes Sat/Sun) up to the day the robot is bagged and the schedule should include 3-5 days for at least the next 2-3 weeks to allow control systems (software) to finish their work and testing, for driver practice, and to allow any small mechanical components needed to be fabricated. The off-season competitions: ​Battle of Baltimore (BoB) and ​Ilite Robotics Off-season Challenge (IROC) should be scheduled along with transportation (see below). The competitions after build season should be scheduled as soon as the team is successfully registered for them.
  • Facilities reserved: tech-ed/shop rooms, gym, cafeteria
    • Early June: Meet with Elizabeth DeFrances ((410)313-7080) to reserve the gym, aux-gym, or cafeteria for driving/testing practice each team meeting.

• Build-season food

• Competitions and Events
  • Registration
  • Bus reservations
  • Permission slips
  • Student payments

1. Team Admin
   • TIMS and Roster (brief description,approx. time required) Putting together student and parent roster (name, emails, phone numbers, grades, etc) (10 hours/mo - more in Sept/Oct?, less after) 1, Collecting and checking participation, consent, waiver forms
     2. Collecting verifying member payment
   • Providing this info to Randy for alias, check and review to finalize.
   • Keeping TIMs updated (3 hours/mo)
     • Registering team
     • Listing sponsors(this in conjunction with NEMO lead)
     • Keeping mentor list up to date
     • Approving students- identifying award submitters (this in conjunction with NEMO mentor)
     • Providing other info (robot info, descriptions, etc) (this in conjunction with lead mentor)
     • Registering for competitions and kickoff in coordination with Lead Mentor
     • Ensuring payments are made, regranting if needed is done
     • Alerting mentors to anything critical from TIMS
     • Entering award write-ups
   • Inviting Parents to register students for TIMS (5 hours/wk Sept)
   • School Coordination (PTSA, enews) (5 hours)
     • Staff breakfast in August
     • New Student Orientation and Back to School night presentations
     • Tech Boosters fliers in PTA packets
     • Organizing our appearance for 8th grade visit
     • Organizing our appearance for New Student Orientation
     • Organizing our appearance at Back to School Night
     • Keeping school informed of meeting dates/times
   • Tech Boosters (5-10 hours)
     • Coordinating date/time/place for meetings
     • Sending out meeting notices
     • Putting together agenda and slides
     • Running the meeting
     • Reviewing and sending out meeting notes after
     • Any bylaw updates ?
     • Determining/finding volunteers needed
     • Team Handbook (in coordination with school and mentors)
     • Populating info on Tech Boosters Web Site (if there is one!)
   • Form/Payment collection for team activities (varies alot)
     • Drafting /handing out/collecting forms (permission slips, medical, participation, ety)
     • Tracking who has turned them in, not turned them in and reminding

• Team Funding: TIme Requirement- approx. 10 hours a month.
  • Work with the Business Mentor, the Tech Boosters leadership, other parents and possibly some students to brainstorm and follow upon fundraising ideas. This may involve requesting demo space from local businesses or working with Outreach to demo the robot, researching grant options, writing grants if you'd like, etc.
  • Tracking financials in conjunction with faculty advisor and lead mentor
  • Coordinating with mentors on expenditures
• Parent Relations (5-10 hours/mo)
  • Reminders to parents and students of meetings, deadlines etc for admin info
  • Keeping parents informed of all admin activities, dates etc
  • Answering questions
• Recruiting Volunteers
• Transportation Coordination
  • Transportation Organizer: Work with the school liaision and faculty advisor to ensure students have transportation to competitions. This requires contacting and tracking students to finalize who is going to what competitions on what days, keeping accurate lists and headcounts, working on bus rental and/or sharing options. TIme required roughly 10 -12 hours during Sept/Oct? and Feb/March?.
• Build Season Meal Planning:
  • Organize or support the lead organizer is planning and serving meals during build season as well as supporting at competitions. Time required- varies: for the lead 3-4 hours a week Jan-March, for volunteers anywhere from 3-12 hour a month. Also plans and organizing banquet- time required 8 hours in April/May?
• Shirt and other items ordering