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Replace unicode chars that RST auto-substitutes (#406)
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To check for unicode characters, one can run:
`find source/docs -name "*.rst" | xargs grep -P '[^\x00-\x7F]'`.

It may be prudent to remove all unicode characters, but this commit 
only removes curly quotes, en/em-dashes, non-breaking spaces, and
ellipses, for which RST has simple substitutions from ASCII.
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abidingabi authored Oct 25, 2023
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30 changes: 15 additions & 15 deletions source/docs/awards/award-types.rst

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16 changes: 8 additions & 8 deletions source/docs/being-a-team/collaboration-and-efficiency.rst
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Collaboration and Efficiency
============================

FTC is built on collaboration, and there are several ways to make collaborating as efficient as possible. Heres how!
FTC is built on collaboration, and there are several ways to make collaborating as efficient as possible. Here's how!

Why Collaborate?
----------------

The benefit of collaboration is expanded creativity. Your team members arent identical - each one has a different method of approaching problems. Combining these unique mindsets often leads to creative, efficient, and effective solutions to software and mechanical issues.
The benefit of collaboration is expanded creativity. Your team members aren't identical - each one has a different method of approaching problems. Combining these unique mindsets often leads to creative, efficient, and effective solutions to software and mechanical issues.

General Collaboration
---------------------

Your teams leadership should communicate daily about the status of their squads - its imperative to ensure smooth team operations. You can use platforms like Discord and Slack to facilitate organized conversations. In addition, collaborative platforms like Canva and Google Drive are ideal for hosting engineering documentation, judging presentations, and marketing materials. The more material your members can access, the more they can contribute to.
Your team's leadership should communicate daily about the status of their squads - it's imperative to ensure smooth team operations. You can use platforms like Discord and Slack to facilitate organized conversations. In addition, collaborative platforms like Canva and Google Drive are ideal for hosting engineering documentation, judging presentations, and marketing materials. The more material your members can access, the more they can contribute to.

Ideally, every member will also be openly documenting the projects they work on. This way, if another member needs to take over or work to improve a project, they can utilize publicly available documentation to work effectively.

.. tip::
Host mandatory team meetings at least once a week, and share each squads progress. This will give your team up-to-date knowledge about your robot and allow everyone to offer ideas at every stage of the design, programming, and outreach process.
Host mandatory team meetings at least once a week, and share each squad's progress. This will give your team up-to-date knowledge about your robot and allow everyone to offer ideas at every stage of the design, programming, and outreach process.

Design Collaboration
--------------------
Expand All @@ -26,9 +26,9 @@ Your designers probably have different styles of design and mechanical preferenc
Competitive Design
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

One way to maximize your designers creativity is to competitively prototype. 2-3 designers pick a mechanism and develop their own take on the design, then physically prototype them to test against certain criteria. The most successful design integrates the most successful components of each and is iteratively improved by a singular designer.
One way to maximize your designers' creativity is to competitively prototype. 2-3 designers pick a mechanism and develop their own take on the design, then physically prototype them to test against certain criteria. The most successful design integrates the most successful components of each and is iteratively improved by a singular designer.

The biggest benefit to this approach is that you can integrate aspects of each designers personal techniques.
The biggest benefit to this approach is that you can integrate aspects of each designers' personal techniques.

.. figure:: images/collaboration-and-efficiency/intake_competitive_prototyping.png
:alt: 7149 Enforcers, PowerPlay, Example of Competitive Prototyping. Two of their designers built an intake, with the final optimized design utilizing the best aspects from each prototype.
Expand All @@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ Collaboration only works if exercised efficiently. Here are some tips!

- **Work from home.** Team meetings should be used as time to catch up between squads, make decisions, and physically test parts of the robot. CAD design iterations can be created and reviewed at home, and software can be written outside of practice hours. This will allow you more time to test and reflect.
- **Delegate tasks effectively.** Squad leads should serve as facilitators, assigning tasks to squad members depending on their ability. If work is hoarded by one or two people, the overall workflow is slowed down immensely. Trust your teammates.
- **Follow deadlines and dont procrastinate.** Setting deadlines allows you to plan your season, and the earlier you start before a deadline, the more time you have to ask for help, tackle unexpected problems, and iterate more.
- **Follow deadlines and don't procrastinate.** Setting deadlines allows you to plan your season, and the earlier you start before a deadline, the more time you have to ask for help, tackle unexpected problems, and iterate more.
- **Share.** If a team member has to search for documentation you were supposed to complete or an email you were supposed to send out, it creates a massive amount of administrative headache. Make sure you CC the correct people on emails and share your work with your entire team.
- **Dont hide problems.** If you broke something or calculated something incorrectly, dont shove it under the rug. Your teammates should (and will) be incredibly understanding and will help to fix the problem. Being correct all the time is impossible, and everyone makes mistakes!
- **Don't hide problems.** If you broke something or calculated something incorrectly, don't shove it under the rug. Your teammates should (and will) be incredibly understanding and will help to fix the problem. Being correct all the time is impossible, and everyone makes mistakes!
- **Communicate often** with your squad and your team. Communicating is incredibly important on a team, as you can get fast feedback on problems, spark new ideas, and leverage the creativity of everyone on your team.
20 changes: 10 additions & 10 deletions source/docs/being-a-team/outreach-basics.rst
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Expand Up @@ -17,17 +17,17 @@ Many teams often hope to create large-scale programs that impact tens of thousan
Spreading The Word
------------------

Once youve zeroed in on the programs youd like to create or contribute to, figure out who you need to contact and what you need to pitch. See :doc:`./pitching-your-team` for more tips on how to write your pitch out.
Once you've zeroed in on the programs you'd like to create or contribute to, figure out who you need to contact and what you need to pitch. See :doc:`./pitching-your-team` for more tips on how to write your pitch out.

.. tab-set::

.. tab-item:: Motivate

Lets say youve decided to go with hosting weekly STEM nights at your local library.
Let's say you've decided to go with hosting weekly STEM nights at your local library.

*The Pitch: STEM night hosted by x members of local robotics team on x weeknight, for x weeks.*

- Write an email to your librarys administration and CC (carbon copy) a librarian you know, introducing your team and describing your idea. Stress that you will dedicate team resources and members to this idea and see it through for the timeframe you specify.
- Write an email to your library's administration and CC (carbon copy) a librarian you know, introducing your team and describing your idea. Stress that you will dedicate team resources and members to this idea and see it through for the timeframe you specify.
- Assign specific members to this program and loop them into the conversation as well.
- Work with the library to determine a time each week to host your STEM night.
- Finally, assigned members work together to write lesson plans in advance and create promotional materials to share on social media and with friends/family.
Expand All @@ -49,23 +49,23 @@ Once you’ve zeroed in on the programs you’d like to create or contribute to,

A great way to find businesses to reach out to is through your local Chamber of Commerce (use Google to find their website), who generally will provide a large list of member businesses in the area. Try to send one email to every business on that list. In addition, target companies in the nearest metro area.

.. tip:: Promotional materials should be striking and feature your teams branding, with an emphasis on succinct design. Your goal is to maximize information delivery using as few words as possible.
.. tip:: Promotional materials should be striking and feature your team's branding, with an emphasis on succinct design. Your goal is to maximize information delivery using as few words as possible.

General Outreach Tips
---------------------

- **Reach out for donations early.** Companies are most willing to donate money from September-November, when they are closing out the fiscal year. Reach out for sponsorships and donations around this time, as you will encounter more success.
- **Raise more money than you need.** You never know when youll need to buy parts in an emergency, or qualify for the World Championship unexpectedly. Having extra money is never a bad thing.
- **Raise more money than you need.** You never know when you'll need to buy parts in an emergency, or qualify for the World Championship unexpectedly. Having extra money is never a bad thing.
- **Be consistent.** It is easy to let outreach fall by the wayside when building a robot. However, programs that survive long periods of time are defined by their consistent outreach, as it creates inroads into their community for recruitment and funding.
- **Be persistent.** If your idea doesnt work the first time or doesnt find the success you hoped, dont give up! Evaluate what went wrong and try again.
- **Diversify.** Try to do as many unique outreach events as possible, as itll be fun and enriching!
- **Maintain your relationships.** Send thank you notes to organizations who host you and work with you, and keep them updated about your teams progress. It is easier to ask for a favor from an organization that likes your team.
- **Be persistent.** If your idea doesn't work the first time or doesn't find the success you hoped, don't give up! Evaluate what went wrong and try again.
- **Diversify.** Try to do as many unique outreach events as possible, as it'll be fun and enriching!
- **Maintain your relationships.** Send thank you notes to organizations who host you and work with you, and keep them updated about your team's progress. It is easier to ask for a favor from an organization that likes your team.
- **(Respectful) email spam always works.** Send lots of emails. Your fundraising, Connect, and sponsorship email target should be 100+ a season - per category. The more emails you send, the higher the chance you will get a response.
- **Visit in person.** It is much harder to ignore an in-person visit you pay to a company than it is to ignore an email. Prepare a one-page flyer and elevator pitch, and remember you have a limited amount of time to make an impression on the person youre talking to.
- **Visit in person.** It is much harder to ignore an in-person visit you pay to a company than it is to ignore an email. Prepare a one-page flyer and elevator pitch, and remember you have a limited amount of time to make an impression on the person you're talking to.

Housekeeping
------------

Keep a list of the programs your team has created or contributed to. Ensure you take photos at every event with team members. Keep track of your **Reach** (tangible interaction or observation of your team), **Engagement** (how many people interacted with your team/you interacted with, e.g. by attending events), **Impact** (how many people are directly impacted by your outreach events), and **Conversion** (how many people get involved with your program.)

If looking to include these statistics in your judged presentation or portfolio, ensure you adhere to the Awards Definitions" located in the appendix of |gm1| that outline terms relating to outreach. These terms are: *Started*, *Mentored*, *Assisted*, *Provided Published Resources*, *Ran*, *Hosted*, *Reached*, and *Advocated*.
If looking to include these statistics in your judged presentation or portfolio, ensure you adhere to the "Awards Definitions" located in the appendix of |gm1| that outline terms relating to outreach. These terms are: *Started*, *Mentored*, *Assisted*, *Provided Published Resources*, *Ran*, *Hosted*, *Reached*, and *Advocated*.
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