Code of Conduct

The REC Foundation considers the positive, respectful, and ethical conduct of teams to be an essential component of the competition. Participants are expected to behave in a respectful and professional manner, and to operate as student-centered teams with limited adult assistance. This includes all students, teachers, coaches, mentors, parents, and spectators associated with a team.

For more details, please refer to the REC Foundation Code of Conduct and Student-Centered Policy. If you have concerns about compliance with the Code of Conduct, please speak to the Event Partner during the event.

Agenda

(Tentative)

9:00 AM               Doors Open for Check-in and Pit Set-up

9:10 AM               Robot Inspections Begin

10:15 AM             Welcome and Event Meeting

10:30 AM             Robot Skills Matches Begin and Autonomous Coding Skills Fields Open

2:15 PM              Skills Fields Close

2:30 PM               Performance Awards

Each team will get the opportunity to play exactly three (3) Driving Skills Matches and three (3) Autonomous Coding Skills Matches.

Autonomous Coding Skills Matches play on a first-come, first-served basis.

Skills-Only events do not have any Qualifying Matches, Elimination Matches, or Finals Matches.

Volunteer

Thank you for your interest in volunteering and/or helping us recruit volunteers.

Volunteer Coordinator Contact

• Contact Robin Bowden [email protected] to register for this event.
• A sign-up link will be published soon.

Experience Level

• No previous experience is needed for most volunteer positions. 
• We can always use judges, computer operators, scorers, and general assistants.
• We are happy to offer on-site training.

Time Commitment

• You can register for an entire day, or just a portion of the day as your schedule permits for most positions.

Meals

• Light refreshments included for all full-day volunteers.

For Additional Info

• Want to find out more about these volunteer roles and expectations? Visit the REC Foundation Knowledge Base at REC Foundation > Volunteers to check out position descriptions and find volunteer training materials.
• Once you have an assigned volunteer role, please carefully review all guides and training materials posted for your role in the Knowledge Base at REC Foundation > Volunteers to prepare for your volunteer shift.

Emergency/Bad Weather Policy

When weather conditions or forecasted conditions threaten the safety of children, staff, and visitors, Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS), must make decisions to cancel events and activities to ensure everyone is able to get to stay home or return home without incident.

As COVID-19 metrics continue to evolve across the state and county, BCPS will follow recommendations from local, state, and federal health experts to guide its decisions regarding extracurricular events and activities.

• Masks/face coverings are optional in Baltimore County public school buildings, facilities and offices as of Tuesday, March 1, 2022. 
• During periods of moderate or higher community transmission, and particularly in schools with localized or school-wide outbreaks, students, staff and visitors are strongly encouraged to wear masks when indoors.

Please check the Robotevents.com page and local media outlets prior to and including the day of the event for status updates.  Information about school based events is announced publicly as soon as possible on local radio and television stations and other media including the Internet.

In the event of cancellation, refunds will be distributed minus the RECF fee.

Refund and Payment Policies

Event Partner Cancellation:

• In the event of a cancellation due to inclement weather conditions or changes in COVID-19 metrics as dictated by BCPS, refunds will be distributed minus the RECF fee.

Team Withdrawals or No-Shows:

• Registered teams that cancel one week prior to the event or no shows will not receive a refund.

Health and Safety Policies

Our number one priority is the health and safety of our students, staff, and visitors.

Safety

• Safety of participants is a major concern at a robotics event, both within the venue and beyond its doors. As always, common sense should prevail. Below are just a few of the safety practices participants and guests should follow.

Outside the Venue

• It is always a good practice for students to travel in groups, never alone.
• Have a basic understanding of entrances and exits to the building. If a map is available, keep it on hand.
• Be aware of the traffic flow and walking hazards to and from your transportation.
• Keep your vehicles locked.

Inside the Venue

• If you have physical limitations, contact the Event Partner for possible accommodations.
• Always know where First Aid and safety devices are located.
• Assign a person to monitor safety for your team at the event.
• Keep your pit area clean and neat.
• Avoid trip hazards by keeping the floor in your pit area clear.
• Store all tools and sharp objects when they're not in use.
• Check with the Event Partner on where to connect your battery chargers.
• Work on your robot in your pit area. Do not work on your robot in aisles.
• Do not create any structures in your work area that may fall over.
• When testing your robot, be aware of your surroundings and people who are standing nearby.
• Always wear appropriate shoes. Open-toed shoes and sandals are highly discouraged.
• Running, pushing, shoving, and other aggressive behavior must be avoided.
• Keep trash and other debris picked up.
• Report any safety concern to the Event Partner.

Robot Safety

• When working on your robot, be careful of pinch points and sharp edges.
• Power tools such as die grinders, reciprocating saws, and lathes are generally not allowed. Check with the Event Partner before bringing them to an event.
• Any tool that creates sparks should not be used. For example, a Dremel should be operated at speeds that do not create sparks.
• Appropriate eye protection is recommended anytime a tool that has rotational motion is powered on and when working on or driving a robot.
• Safety glasses are required for all drive team members on the field and are highly recommended in the pit areas.

COVID-19 

• As a precaution, please follow safety protocols and keep participants home if they have ANY symptoms. 
• We will continually assess, based on current government guidelines, whether to postpone, cancel, or significantly reduce the number of attendees when necessary.

Date: 4-Nov-2023

Travel Info

Parking is available along the street or in the parking lot located at the opposite end of the building.

The event entrance is near the flagpole.

Webcast

The event partner will make every attempt to live stream the event.

Stay tuned for the link to be posted here and shared with the school teachers/coaches.

Judging Format

Skills-only events are a fantastic way for students to evaluate the success of their team's robot, post results to the World Skills Standings, and check out other teams’ designs.

Judging Format: No Judging