Mentor Application Process
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Mentors, who are officially recognized by FIRST, help with technical and mechanical instruction as well as overall assistance with operational aspects of the team. Our mentors are engineers, technicians, business leaders, and medical professionals who volunteer their time to help students successfully run the team.
Team mentors and volunteers who are responsible for "the care supervision, guidance or control" of or have "routine interaction" with anyone under the age of 18 must obtain the following clearances prior to working with children, and renew them every three years:
- Criminal History Record Information obtained from the PA State Police
- Child Abuse Clearance obtained through the PA Department of Public Welfare (now known as the Department of Human Services) certifying if the applicant is named in the statewide database “as the alleged perpetrator in a pending child abuse investigation or as the perpetrator of a founded report or indicated report” of child abuse.
- Federal Criminal History Record Information obtained by submitting a full set of fingerprints to the PA State Police or its authorized agent for submission to the Federal Bureau of Investigation “for the purpose of verifying the identity of the applicant and obtaining a current record of any criminal arrests and convictions.” ($28.75 fee)
See http://www.dhs.state.pa.us/findaform/childabusehistoryclearanceforms/index.htm for further details.
Exception on #3: Section 6344.2 (B.1) permits an exception related to the federal background check. The FBI check may be waived for a prospective unpaid volunteer if they have been a resident of this Commonwealth during the entirety of the previous ten-year period” and the volunteer “swears or affirms in writing” that they have not been convicted of any crime, in another state, similar to the convictions disqualifying a person in PA.
Prospective volunteers will be required to obtain the above background checks beginning July 1, 2015 with updated checks required every 36 months.
Please see detailed information on PA requirements for volunteers here.
Mentor Descriptions and Selection Process
Prospective mentors should submit an application form to be considered for official placement on the team. The form should include a brief résumé of skills, availability, and time commitment to the team. The Mentor Committee, which includes the TechFire Robotics of York (TROY) board, designated parents, and student leaders, will consider all letters of intent and conduct an interview if necessary. Written notification of status and category will be given to all applicants.
The ideal mentor will have:
- Proven leadership skills
- Strong moral character
- Reliability and strong organizational skills
- Enthusiasm for the program
- Demonstrated ability to inspire students
- Time availability and commitment
E-Mail [email protected] to request a mentor application form.
