Claim OwnershipTomorrow's Innovators Podcast
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Paul Hill is a Research and Extension Professor at Utah State University where he has developed national, award-winning STEM education programs. This podcast is for the community of caring adults who serve young people in their profession and as volunteers. In this show, Paul deconstructs the foremost youth programs (e.g., FIRST robotics, 4-H) and resources for guiding young people down the path of innovation and leadership with successful professionals and volunteers. This is your go-to podcast for understanding how to lead, mentor, and inspire tomorrow’s innovators.
36 Episodes
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The Utah 4-H Underdogs are a robotics club of young engineers and innovators that are also refugees from 9 difference countries. In 2019 these incredible youth competed in their regional FIRST Robotics FRC Competition and won in the rookie category, which allowed them to advance on, to the FIRST World Robotics Competition in Houston, Texas. In this interview we discuss their experience getting involved in youth robotics, starting a club, and the importance of friendship, communication, perseverance, and hard work when building and programming robots for high-pressure competitions.
Deb Ivie is an Extension Assistant Professor at Utah State University where she develops 4-H STEM youth programs. Deb graduated from Brigham Young University with an undergraduate and masters degree in human development but got her start in positive youth development as a mother and eventually a 4-H robotics club leader for her 7 kids and their friends. She shares how she started a 4-H afterschool electronics program that eventually evolved into 11 4-H robotics clubs competing in the FIRST LEGO League. She also explains how she went about seeking funding for these teams, but more importantly how to strengthen core values within a robotics team and with partners like elementary schools and the 4-H program.
Alexis Worwood is the head coach of the 4-H Emoji-Coders robotics club from "coal country" in rural Emery county, Utah. She shares both the success and struggles of starting a 4-H robotics club that competes in FIRST LEGO League--from figuring out the rules and finding balance with the members of her team. She also speaks to the value in discovering the strengths and weaknesses of each club member and teaching the youth to become well rounded innovators and contributors in their rural community.
Curtis Larsen is a professor of computer science at Dixie State University and dedicated FLL volunteer since 2011. He shares his wisdom, experience, and insights through each mission of the FIRST LEGO League City Shaper challenge, providing you with tips and guidance on how to optimize your team’s scoring potential during the robot game. When you listen to this episode, it is advised you do so in front of your own challenge set.
Sherri Lords is a motivated classroom teacher at Red Mountain Elementary and manages a thriving 4-H Afterschool computer science club that includes multiple FLL teams. Rachel is current Utah 4-H State Ambassador who has been involved in FLL as a student mentor for the past two years and will be a head coach for this coming season now that she is 18.
2019-2020 FLL challenge - Youth are asked: What if you could build a better world? Where would you begin? In FIRST, youth are part of a community brimming with inspiration, creativity, and hope for a stronger, more sustainable future—one that’s built better together. Provided in this episode is the audio from the CITY SHAPER Kickoff on the FLL League YouTube channel.
Heidi is an elementary school teacher of 10 years and has lead and organized multiple FLL teams at her school. Aubree has served with Heidi for the past 4 years as an FLL mentor, and is an FTC robotics competitor. They have extensive experience in how to bring FLL into a school.
Gayla Peacock became involved in robotics when her brother, Curtis Larsen, asked her to be an assistant coach for their new team. The team has won awards at every FLL regional qualifier that they’ve been to, and attribute much of their success to Gayla’s taskmaster skills. You don’t need to be a software developer to lead a youth robotics team.
Matthew Lowe, principle of Hurricane Elementary, has a love for FIRST robotics. He has coached teams at his school for the past 6 years and created a robotics program with 13 teams. He brings insight and perspective into how a veteran school administrator leads, organizes, and supports a comprehensive youth robotics program.
Jenny and Alex Chamberlain are 4-H volunteers that have served as FLL coaches for multiple seasons. All the kids on their teams, from “Built to Be Wild” to “The Droids You Are Looking For” have had tremendous success applying the FIRST core values of gracious professionalism and cooperation in their everyday lives. They understand that youth robotics competitions are about more than robots.
This episode is a fantastic example of how an experienced, award-winning robotics team delivers in the Core Values, Project, and Robot Design sessions. This contains the audio from the Gator’s Grokking Gizmos 4-H robotics club judging presentations.
Paul Hill opens the 3rd season of Tomorrow's Innovators podcast and introduces the 2019-2020 season, FIRST RISE: THE FORCE IS BUILDING. FLL Jr. - BOOMTOWN BUILD FLL - CITY SHAPER FTC - SKYSTONE FRC - INFINITE RECHARGE
Chris and Sarah Ashworth, the leaders of the Wookie Cookies 4-H robotics club. Sarah is a Stanford grad who was a research scientist and junior high science teacher in the Bay Area before becoming a full-time, home-school mom. Chris earned his BS and MS in electrical engineering from BYU and is the RF Design Center Manager for Wilson Electronics in St. George Utah where they currently reside.
Rosey Rosander, a sports recreation professional who adopted a son that loves LEGOs. When he couldn’t find an existing 4-H club in his neighborhood that was competing, he started his own robotics club with no prior experience. Drawing on his coaching expertise, Rosey recruited members and their parents for his club, the 4-H GOAT Warriors, winning 3rd place at the FLL Regional Qualifier. Learn how Rosey made it happen here.
Paul discussing soft skills, what they are, and how mentors can help youth develop these skills. "We are not using kids to build robots. We are using robots to build kids" - Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST. Paul shares a piece written by Seth Godin titled “Let’s stop calling them ‘soft skills’” that informs intentional work of guiding young people down the path of innovation and leadership.
Paul interviews Rob Murray, an aeronautical engineer who went to visit Emery County, Utah and never left. He now runs a youth robotics program in a rural county of 10,000 people spread across over 4000 square miles. Rob works tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of youth in rural Utah so they can have the opportunity to develop their STEM and leadership abilities.
Paul has an impromptu sit down with his good friend, colleague, mentor, and NEW Director of Utah 4-H: Dave Francis. They discuss the project for the FLL "Into Orbit" Season and how teams can organize ideas and improve ideas before presenting. This season's project requires teams to "identify a physical or social problem faced by humans during long duration space exploration within our Sun’s solar system and propose a solution."
This episode is an inside perspective into FLL judging sessions at a region or state tournaments. Provided is the audio from the 4-H Nerf Herders Robotics club core values, project, and robot design judging sessions. It’s not all about robots, we don’t use kids to build robots, we use robots to build kids.
Chelsey Short, Regional Director of FIRST in Utah stars in this episode. Chelsey brings a wealth of experience in many youth programs including performing arts, public safety, and University Extension.
Paul riffs about 4-H and the history of 4-H with A.B. Graham and Jessie Field Shambaugh, some of the founders of 4-H. Audio(used with permission) is Albert and Jessie talking about the first 4-H clubs from the early 1900’s.
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