Volunteer Today

 - FIRST Robotics is truly a Volunteer driven organization.
In the 2013 Season 130,000 FIRST Volunteers gave 8.8 million hours of their time!

Become a Midwest Regional Competition Volunteer

Planning and running a Regional Competition Event is a huge undertaking, and only possible with the hard work and effort of our volunteer crews, who are the backbone of the long-established success of the Midwest Regional!

As the "grand-daddy" of FRC Regional Competitions, the Midwest Regional has seen many volunteers come through its doors.  Our volunteer crews are diverse and varied, coming from all walks of life, forming a community of like-minded, dedicated individuals and a sense of camaraderie, excitement and joy while working the Regional Event and For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST).

The classic chant,  "We've got spirit… How 'bout you?…" pales in comparison to what you'll experience at Midwest.  Part sporting event, part rock party, you may just see moms with Mohawks, dads wearing outrageous hats, grandmas, grandpas, aunts and uncles with painted faces and everyone dancing to such regional favorites as YMCA and Cotton-eyed Joe.  The spirit is electric and highly contagious!

There are many ways to help and we hope that you find something that works for you.  Just click on any of the Volunteer Positions listed below for a brief description.  Some of the positions may require specialized training and certification and some positions may require that you work over several days of the Midwest Regional.

All FIRST volunteers must register on the Volunteer Information & Matching System (VIMS).  If you are a first time volunteer, set up your account and register for the Midwest Regional.  Current Volunteers can simply Log-In, update their information, then select Midwest and indicate which volunteer roles you would like to fill.  Be sure to drop us a note if a position you'd like is not listed, or etc.
     *Note:  When you register as a FIRST Volunteer, you will be asked to agree to a background check.  Safety glasses and close-toed shoes are required.  The minimum age for volunteers is 13 years old and minors must be accompanied by an adult at all times, especially in the Pit Area.

If you are a new volunteer – Welcome to the MWR Family - we look forward to making new friends!  If you are a returning volunteer - Welcome Back - we look forward to seeing you again and renewing old friendships!  Don’t forget to wear your dancing shoes, your creative costume, every FIRST pin you’ve ever received, and break out the face paint, trick out your top hat, dust off your FIRST logo earrings, and get ready for lots of fun!

You can find a description of the different volunteer positions when you register for them in VIMS.  For questions, or more information, contact Polly Kahler, Midwest Regional Volunteer Coordinator, at polly.midwestregionalvc@gmail.com.

Congratulations to Volunteer Al Skierkiewicz - FRC Team # 111 WildStang!

Nineteen Year Mentor / Coach / Volunteer is Named as FIRST's 2013 Volunteer of the Year!

Al Skierkiewicz has been a fixture at the Midwest Regional since its inception as a volunteer mentor, coach and "Chief Robot Inspector  Al."   Not only was Al named FIRST's 2013 Volunteer of the Year at the World Championship Event, he was also recently honored with the Motorola Solutions School-Business Community Partnership Award for mentoring students and for serving as Lead Robot Inspector at many Regional and Championship competitions.

"It was like having 'Grandpa' with you, 24/7," said Jacki Rohde, who was part of the WildStang Robotics team for four years ...
...Skierkiewicz genuinely cares about the students, always asking how they're doing in school and if they did their homework before comiung to the robotics meeting.

"I don't know if there's a question he doesn't know the answer to," said Rohde, who wants to follow in his footsteps and be a mentor for a FIRST Robotics team.  "I've learned so much about how to be a leader, she said.
Read the Chicago Tribune article ...