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

Our Agenda is being developed so please check back for update:​

Volunteer

It takes a dedicated team of volunteers to make this event a success—thank you for stepping up! No experience is necessary to volunteer—just come help out and join in the fun.

Feel free to sign up for multiple shifts or duties. Parents, family members, and friends of team participants make fantastic volunteers, and many find it far more rewarding to be involved than to simply watch from the sidelines.

Bonus: All volunteers receive free food as a thank-you for your time and effort!

We are using signup.com to track our volunteers. Sign up at: Coming Soon.

If you have further questions about volunteering, please contact:

• Julie Moss - 865-898-5321 - Email [email protected]

Emergency/Bad Weather Policy

The safety of all participants, volunteers, staff, and attendees is our highest priority. This policy outlines the procedures we will follow in the event of emergencies or inclement weather before or during the event.

General Policy

The event will proceed as scheduled unless conditions pose a clear risk to health, safety, or travel. We will monitor weather alerts and emergency notifications from local authorities, and decisions will be made accordingly.

Weather-Related Cancellations or Delays

• Before the Event Day:
  A decision to cancel or delay the event due to weather will be made by the Event Committee] no later than 6:00 AM on the day of the event. Announcements will be made via:

  • Email to registered teams

  • Our official website and/or event page

  • Social media platforms

• During the Event:
  If severe weather develops during the event (e.g., tornado warning, lightning storm, flooding), an announcement will be made over the PA system. Attendees will be directed to designated shelter areas or instructed on next steps.

Emergency Situations

In the event of a medical emergency, fire, security threat, or other serious incident:

• Notify the nearest event volunteer or staff member immediately.

• Event staff will contact emergency services if needed.

• Evacuation or shelter-in-place procedures will be initiated if required.

Refunds and Rescheduling

• In the event of a full cancellation, we will make every effort to reschedule.

• Refunds may be issued at the discretion of the event organizers and only after event expences have been covered based on the timing and circumstances.

• Teams unable to attend a rescheduled event should reference our refund policy.

Team Responsibility

Each team is responsible for:

• Ensuring they receive communications about weather and emergencies.

• Having a team emergency plan, including a meeting location and contact list.

• Bringing weather-appropriate gear (umbrellas, jackets, etc.) as needed.

Refund and Payment Policies

If the Event Partner cancels the event: 

• Partial Refunds will be issued after event expences have been paid.

If a Coach/Mentor completes registration for the event then chooses to withdraw or not attend:

• No refunds will be issued unless another team is able to take your place in the tournament
• If a replacement team is found, a refund will be processed minus a 50% cancelation fee.

Payment Terms

• Payment Due Date:
  Full payment is required within 15 days of registration to secure your team's spot in the tournament.

• Alternate Arrangements:
  If you are unable to meet the 15-day deadline, please contact the tournament organizers at [email protected]  prior to the deadline to discuss alternative arrangements.

Non-Payment Consequences

• If payment is not received and no prior arrangements have been made, your team will be moved to the waitlist without further notice.

• Your spot may be offered to a team on the waitlist.

Waitlist Teams

• Teams on the waitlist will be notified if a spot becomes available.

• Waitlisted teams will have 48 hours to submit payment once offered a spot, unless otherwise agreed upon.

Date: 14-Nov-2025 - 15-Nov-2025

Travel Info

We’re excited to offer discounted lodging rates for all event attendees, along with complimentary access to the on-site water park as part of your stay. These exclusive benefits will be available through a special reservation link, which will be shared with you soon. Be sure to check back regularly so you don’t miss out on these added perks!

Judging Format

Team Interviews

• All team interviews will be conducted in-person at the event venue on the day of competition.

• Teams should be prepared to discuss their design process, teamwork, and engineering practices with judges during their scheduled interview time.

• Interview schedules and locations will be provided at team check-in or posted at the event.

• Engineering Notebook Submission

• Engineering notebooks must be submitted digitally for evaluation prior to the event.

• Teams must upload their digital notebook via the link found in the "My Account" panel of the team contact on RobotEvents.com.

• A submission deadline may be set prior to the event date. This deadline will be communicated to registered teams in advance and must be met for the notebook to be considered during judging.

• Late submissions or failure to submit may result in ineligibility for judged awards that require a notebook (e.g., Excellence Award, Design Award).