Foley Freeze Boot Camps Seek to Turn Newbies into Veterans in Six Weeks

By Colin Graettinger

Almost a third of the Foley Freeze teammates this year were freshmen, meaning for many, it’s their first exposure to any aspect of robotics, programming and even the machines use to cut and shape metal.

So, during the same, short, six weeks that the upperclassmen have to build this year’s robot from scratch, they also have to help many of their newest colleagues learn completely new skills. The combination makes for a hectic time for everyone.

Learning the new abilities on the job is good practice for the students for when they are upperclassmen, as well as in their future jobs. The ability to quickly whip a team of strangers into a cohesive team is a key skill for FIRST Robotics. The best students can even make Dean’s List, which recognizes distinguished team leadership.

In one example, the programming subteam has its own “programming camp” where they specifically teach new members coding. This allows the team members to have their work sessions without having to train members at the same time. According to Garrett, a programming mentor, they also split up tasks and let freshmen do the easier coding and more experienced programmers do the harder work.

The new students used a whiteboard to learn the basics of programming, and also learn how to work with other teams to turn robot movement into code. They go over basic things like how to program how to drive forward and how to understand architecture.

An important step for other subteams comes in fall training when students get a “crash course” in things such as machine operation, safety, and capabilities. This and similar things on other subteams allow the team to function more efficiently as a whole.