Student & Family Team Agreement

This agreement replaces the separate Student Code of Conduct, Student Contract, and Parent Contract used in prior seasons. It applies to every STEM+C robotics program — both Tie Dye Samurai (FIRST Robotics Competition) and Tie Dye Jedi (FIRST Tech Challenge).

Students and a parent or guardian accept this agreement together during team registration. Please read it together rather than separately — most of it is about how we treat each other, and that only works if everyone knows what was promised.

1. How we work together

We are a team. We do not cast blame, point fingers, or disrespect one another. When something goes wrong — and on a robotics team something always goes wrong — we help each other find a solution, help each other carry it out, and try to enjoy the process while we do.

No engineering problem has only one right answer. A successful team considers everyone's ideas and then commits to whatever the team chooses, including when it wasn't your idea.

• Treat teammates, mentors, volunteers, and other teams with respect.
• Give your best effort in every role, including the ones that aren't glamorous.
• Contribute to all parts of the work, not only the parts you enjoy most. Every member has a role that matters, and the person who isn't driving the robot at competition is no less essential than the person who is.
• Show other teams good sportsmanship. Every team that brings a solution to a competition has accomplished something.

2. Attendance and communication

Robotics is a team activity, so consistent attendance matters more here than in most after-school programs — when a member is missing, their part of the robot doesn't happen.

We know students have school, family, jobs, and other commitments, and we would much rather hear about a conflict early than discover it on a build night. Communicating a conflict is always the right move and is never held against anyone.

• Attend scheduled meetings, and notify a coach in advance when you cannot.
• Competitions are long, tiring, and occasionally frustrating. Members commit to being at competition because the team depends on it.
• Repeatedly missing meetings without communication may affect a student's ability to compete or to remain on the team.
• Students and parents are both responsible for monitoring team communications and responding when asked. Team messaging channels are for team business.

3. Responsibility for your work

Members take responsibility for finishing assigned work on time. Coaches allow reasonable time for every assignment, but a task left undone can block the whole team from moving forward.

If you are stuck or falling behind, reach out to a teammate or coach. Asking for help early is part of the job; going quiet is the only real failure. If work is repeatedly left unfinished, a coach will talk with the student and, as needed, the parent.

4. The work is the students'

Our program is student-led and mentor-guided. Students make the decisions, solve the problems, and do the work. Mentors provide instruction, experience, and supervision.

Everything the team produces — the robot, code, portfolio, presentations, video, signs, and outreach materials — must be created by students, not by adults. Parents and mentors agree not to interfere with the team's solutions, however tempting it is to just fix it yourself.

5. The shop, tools, and safety

Our shop is located at a private residence. That access is a privilege the team depends on, and it asks something of everyone who uses it: respect the property, the neighbors, the equipment, and all designated work and parking areas.

• Wear closed-toe shoes and clothing appropriate for a workshop. Safety glasses and other protective equipment are required wherever posted or directed.
• Complete the required safety training before using any tool or piece of equipment independently.
• Take care of tools, equipment, and the workspace, and clean up after yourself.
• Food and drink are off limits unless they have been explicitly offered. Meetings are not social visits — students should arrive ready to participate and be dropped off and picked up promptly.
• Parents are always welcome at any meeting.

6. Dues and financial commitment

Operating a competitive robotics team costs far more than family dues cover; the remainder comes from sponsorships, grants, fundraising, and contributions from mentors and community supporters. Current dues, payment schedules, and the payment portal for each team are published on that team's site.

No student is turned away over money. Payment plans and financial assistance are available. If dues are a hardship, or if circumstances change mid-season, contact us privately at info@stemplusc.org. We never want finances — or silence about finances — to be the reason a student misses out.

7. Family participation

STEM+C is volunteer-run. Parents and guardians agree to support the program's operation, which may include volunteering during build season and at competitions.

You do not need an engineering background to help meaningfully. Event staffing, travel and meal logistics, photography, fundraising, sponsor introductions, and shop organization all keep the team running. Parents also agree to discuss this agreement with their student and to participate in conversations with coaches about any behavior concerns.

8. If expectations aren't met

Students who do not meet these expectations after reasonable warning may be required to be supervised by an adult at all times, may lose the ability to compete, or may be asked to leave the team. We treat this as a last resort and will always talk with the student and family first.

Acceptance

Both a student and a parent or guardian accept this agreement during team registration. Keep a copy for your records — this page is the current version, and the effective date above tells you which season it governs.

This agreement covers conduct and expectations. It is separate from the STEM+C Consent, Assumption of Risk, Release & Emergency Authorization, which every participating family also signs, and from any consent forms FIRST requires directly through its own registration system.