The key to any successful team is a well defined organizational structure that promotes good communication. ILITE has built its model on that very idea by developing a team structure that combines like-minded
individuals who share a common interest to bring mentorship from both industry professionals and peers alike.
FIRST Team 1885 is split into two primary sub teams: Business/Marketing and Robotics/Engineering. Though both teams are involved in all aspects of the team and competition, they each receive direct mentorship from our industry mentors in the fields they have identified as being the most interested in. Our mentors have a phrase they like to tell student members of the team: "If you want to do something, we will do everything we can to make it happen."
The Business/Marketing team focuses on those skills needed for successful project management, advertising, and web development. This team is split further into the following sub teams:
- Awards
- Web
- Marketing
- Development
- Scouting/Statistics
Awards Team
The Awards Team takes responsibility for organizing the awards strategy for the season. The team develops key project management skills in holding the team accountable for deliverables and paperwork. The Awards Team decides which awards the team will compete for in a season, and submits the final essays for the Chairman’s and Woodie Flowers Awards.
Web Team
The Web Team is responsible for iliterobotics.org. This team builds a new website each year to highlight key web design skills and to communicate the goals and activities of the team. Through this work the Web Team documents the history of the team over each year through blogs, photos, and videos. Led completely by alumni mentors who have formed a marketing and web development company, students in this team learn skills in graphic design, web programming, and coding development.
Marketing Team
The Marketing Team develops the team correspondence for competitions, including brochures, posters, the pit layout, and our award winning team imagery. A purple fedora goes a long way, and these students take their cutting edge personal styles to the limit in developing unique ways to share the message of ILITE and FIRST to the Northern Virginia community.
Development Team
The Development Team pushes the bounds of what it means to be a “robotics team.” This group of students coordinates the team outreach events including elementary school mentoring, FLL summer camps, SEAPerch, and community events such as Pumpkin Pandamonium. Students in this group are led by mentors to help give back to the community and to build good character. The Development Team sets the strategic business plan for ILITE in the years to come.
Scouting/Statistics Team
The Scouting and Statistics Team organizes the scouting efforts at and before competition by collecting and identifying the strengths and weaknesses in different teams. This is not done simply to find the best alliance partner possible, but also to find best practices that ILITE can use as an inspiration as the team develops over time. This team is responsible for maintaining team metrics including alumni relations, which tracks the impact and success that ILITE achieves both in the immediate and long term scales.
