Volunteer at Falcon BEST

Game Day Judges & Referees

BEST Robotics teams are evaluated by a panel of experienced judges from both technical and non-technical fields, representing industry, education, and the community. Judges rotate throughout the competition to ensure a fair and balanced review process.

Each judged component receives a score based on the average of the judges' evaluations, and in some cases, the lowest score may be dropped when three or more judges assess a category. Because many teams perform at a high level, final scores are often separated by only fractions of a point.

In-Person Judging 

• Game Referee
• BEST Award 
• Founders Award 
• Most Robust Award
• Blood Sweat and Duct Tape 
• Top Gun and Spotter Award 
• Sportsmanship  

Virtual Judging 

• Marketing Video
• Website Challenge 
• Engineering Notebook
• TShirt Submissions 

BEST Design Reviews, Engineering Design, Prototyping & Engineering Notebook Mentor

Inspire the Next Generation of Engineers, Innovators, and Problem Solvers

We are seeking engineers, technicians, designers, skilled trades professionals, project managers, software developers, business leaders, technical writers, and other STEM professionals to serve as volunteer mentors for local BEST Robotics teams.

Through design reviews, engineering design and prototyping mentorship, and engineering notebook coaching, volunteers provide valuable industry insight while helping students experience authentic engineering practices and prepare for competition. This is a flexible, high-impact volunteer opportunity that can be completed in person or virtually.

How You Can Help – Volunteer Role Overview

Industry mentors support student teams by providing constructive feedback and coaching modeled after professional engineering and product development practices. Rather than building robots or providing solutions, mentors help students think critically, identify risks, evaluate ideas, apply sound engineering principles, and make evidence-based decisions throughout the brainstorming, design, prototyping, testing, and documentation process.

Flexible Volunteer Opportunities

In-Person (6hrs – 1 day)

Engineering Notebook & Technical Writing Workshop Mentor (Kickoff)

• One-day commitment (~6 hours)
• Help students learn engineering documentation, technical communication, and notebook best practices.

Prototyping & Design Process Workshop Mentor (Kickoff)

• One-day commitment (~6 hours)
• Introduce students to design thinking, concept development, prototyping, testing, and iterative design.

Mentors help students strengthen technical communication skills, including professional writing, organization, formatting, documentation structure, executive summaries, and research integration, while guiding them in documenting the engineering design process – from research and problem analysis; planning; hardware and software development; integration and testing; Simulink modeling; safety considerations; and design revisions to lessons learned. They also provide critical review and coaching by helping students identify documentation gaps, clearly explain engineering decisions, support conclusions with evidence, cite sources appropriately, and demonstrate iterative design and testing processes.

Virtual Design Reviews (2–2.5 Hours Over 5 Weeks)

Preliminary Design Review (PDR) Mentor;  (Asynchronous or Synchronous)

• Review recorded presentations or participate in a live design review session.
• Approximately 30–60 minutes, including feedback documentation.

Critical Design Review (CDR) Mentor; (Synchronous on Zoom)

• Meet with teams to evaluate design progress, testing results, and readiness
• Approximately 60–90 minutes, including feedback documentation.

The Preliminary Design Review provides teams with an opportunity to present their initial design plans after reviewing game requirements, brainstorming solutions, developing a project schedule, identifying key subsystems, assigning team roles, and selecting software and design tools.

When: Week 2

What's Involved

• Format: Recorded video submission (minimum requirement) or a scheduled Zoom session consisting of a 20-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute Q&A.
• Reviewer Role: Mentors may review recorded presentations and submit feedback during Week 2 or provide feedback directly during the live session.

Mentor Responsibilities

• Review student presentations.
• Complete the PDR feedback form, providing constructive comments on design decisions, schedules and milestones, potential risks, and alternative approaches.
• Reference the PDR worksheet during the review process.

Estimated Time Commitment

• 30–60 minutes for review and feedback documentation.

Critical Design Review (CDR)

The Critical Design Review is a required BEST Robotics activity designed to help teams evaluate progress, assess risks, and identify improvements while there is still time to adjust before final integration and testing.

When: Approximately Week 5

What's Involved

• Format: Scheduled Zoom meeting with the mentor and school team.
• Session Length: Approximately 35 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of questions and feedback.

Mentor Responsibilities

• Review the team's design progress and overall readiness.
• Provide feedback on testing results, identified risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Support students in addressing schedule challenges, refining design decisions, and preparing for final integration and testing.
• Reference the CDR worksheet during the review process.

Estimated Time Commitment

• 60–90 minutes for participation and feedback documentation.