CLOSING THE LOOP

As engineers we learn that a closed-loop system is almost always better than an open-loop system, but in practice we often fall short of getting the crucial feedback needed to correctly fine tune our final product or presentation.

Is is easy to feel that the FLL requirement to share your project with your community is a burden.  Many teams fail to make it a priority and fall short of doing this in time for their qualifying tournament.  Unfortunately, this is one of the non-negotiable requirements for receiving a project award, so skipping it dramatically reduces your odds of getting ranked in Project.  But this is not my primary argument.

My argument for sharing with the community is that this engagement could be MORE impactful to your team members than the actual competition.  This is when they get the undivided attention of professionals, they won't be hurried to fit into a 5 minute window, and they actual are held accountable to the research that they have worked hard all season to complete.

Kids tend to go through the motions of doing a project when they think it will get thrown away, but the knowledge that they have to actually explain their solution to someone who is interested in hearing it and could potentially poke holes into it can be a game changer.  So don't skip this part because it's too hard.  It might be the most memorable part of your season where the kids have fun sharing their work without the stress of competition day.

Below is my son's team the week before their qualifier event.