Mom's Guide To Robotics
How it started
Tania Thollebeke, founder.
"I am a mom and a volunteer for several organizations.
I discovered Vex IQ with my oldest son and his friends, and became the coach for 2 teams.
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I had the amazing support from the parents of our team members. 3 of the moms joined me as Directors in starting this nonprofit:
Dr. Michele McGowan: proud mom of Lily, Abigail and Emma. Both Lily and Abigail were members of Mr. Roboto. Abigail lead the team to VEX World as team captain. Abigail designed the logo for Mom's Guide to Robotics.
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Dr. Tracey Scully: proud mom of Tyler and Alexa. Tyler was part of team Rogue.
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Dr. Mary Beth Lewis - Boardman: proud mom of Annabella and Sam. Sam was part of team Rogue.
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Tyler and Sam made it to the VEX State Championship in their rookie year and they attended VEX World in their second year.
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Someone mentioned FIRST LEGO League, so I attended the Kickoff event and asked if anyone in my area needed an extra volunteer. Jennifer Lykins from Groveland Elementary School invited me to join her. Together with Nancy Cummins and Stan Wells, we coached and mentored the Lightning Bolts to the Championship.
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What ties us together? Our love for our kids, other kids and STEM. We try to be a positive role model for our kids.
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We can make a difference by sharing what we know and learning with our kids. You can make a difference too! We need more facilitators. We need more mentors, not just experts.
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Just give it a try, contact me at info@momsguidetorobotics.org, together we can help shape the future with our most precious treasure: our kids."
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We are growing!
Mark Vitek, incoming Chair for the Board of Directors.
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Mark is as passionate about competitive robotics as Tania, our founder. Mark has been an advocate in Lake County, Florida, for competitive robotics. Mark will lead the startup of a new FIRST Robotics Competition team in Groveland, together with Jeff Rodawald as lead mentor.
Mark is very active in the community and has recruited several new board members to help us grow. FIRST Lego League, VIQC are great feeding programs into FIRST Robotics Competition. SeaPerch and Drones in School are great practice for older students to learn about safety, project management and CAD.
By joining our efforts, we can provide a sustainable growth for competitive robotics.
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All it takes is a taste of robotics to get you started too!
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