empowerED Research & Validation Survey
Please complete this survey to help us understand your experiences and needs related to FIRST and collaboration. Your input will guide the development of empowerED. We’re exploring empowerED, a student-led platform for the FIRST community where students teach students, share/remix resources (like a GitHub-style library), and document outreach impact in a way that supports awards and reporting. This 7-minute survey helps us understand what tools you use today, what’s missing, and what you’d actually use. Your responses will guide us in building this platform. https://empowered-me.org/
Consent
I understand this survey is for research/validation only.
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Yes
No
Your role
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Student
Mentor/Coach/Parent
Background
Which FIRST program(s) are you involved in?
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FLL
FTC
FRC
Multiple of the above
Not currently on a team (but involved in FIRST)
Years of experience in FIRST
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< 1 year
1–2 years
3–4 years
5+ years
Country / region
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Team number (optional)
Current collaboration habits
If you had a tool that did the following, how much of a "game changer" would it be for your team?
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1 = No impact
2 = Nice to have
3 = Major time saver
4 = Game changer
Finding a specific lesson plan or CAD file and being able to see exactly how other teams modified it for their own use.
Getting a technical question answered by a verified expert student or mentor within a few hours.
Hosting an outreach event where the attendance, photos, and impact data are automatically formatted into a "Judge-ready" report.
Attending a live workshop taught by a top-tier team from a different region without leaving your house.
Having a public "Impact Portfolio" that proves your team’s contributions to the FIRST community for awards (like Impact/Compass).
Which of these situations is the MOST frustrating for you right now?
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I know the resource exists somewhere (Discord/YouTube/CD), but I can't find the specific version I need.
We do great outreach, but documenting it for the judges feels like a second job.
I want to teach other teams, but I don't have a platform or an audience to reach them.
I have a technical question, but I'm afraid to ask on public forums because of the 'vibe' or slow responses.
Our team's best knowledge is stuck in a Google Drive that disappears when seniors graduate.
If a new platform solved your #1 frustration above, what would be the biggest "barrier to entry" that would stop you from using it?
I don't want to manage another login/account.
My team is already "locked in" to our current way of doing things (Slack/Discord/Drive).
I'm worried about the quality of the content if anyone can post.
I'm worried about accidentally sharing "secret" team strategy or code.
It looks like it would take too much time to set up.
Where do you currently go for help/resources?
Team Discord(s)
Chief Delphi
Reddit
YouTube
GitHub
Google Drive folders
In-person workshops
Mentors at events
Other
How easy is it to find reliable resources?
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Very hard
1
2
3
4
Very easy
5
1 is Very hard, 5 is Very easy
Biggest pain point today
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Resources are scattered
Hard to know what's trustworthy
No good way to ask questions + get answers
Hard to collaborate across teams
Outreach impact is hard to track/prove
Don't have time
Other
Describe a time you got stuck and couldn't find help quickly.
Student Experience (Signals of Intent)
When you are trying to learn a new skill for your team (e.g., Java, Onshape, Wiring), what is your biggest hurdle?
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I can't find a tutorial that explains it simply enough for a beginner.
I find a tutorial, but it’s for an old version of the software/hardware.
I have a specific follow-up question, but there’s no one to ask.
I learn better by watching someone do it live, but we don't have local workshops.
I don't even know what I'm supposed to learn first.
Think about the skill you are BEST at on your team. How do you currently share that knowledge?
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I only teach my own teammates in person.
I’ve written documentation/code that stays in our team’s private folders.
I post on Discord/Reddit to help strangers when I see a question.
I’ve made a YouTube video or public guide.
I want to teach others, but I don't feel like an 'expert' enough to post publicly.
I want to teach others, but I don't know where to find students who want to learn.
If you taught a 30-minute workshop to 5 students from other teams, what would be your primary concern?
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I wouldn't know how to structure the lesson.
I'm worried I'd get a question I can't answer.
I don't think anyone would show up.
It feels like a lot of work for no 'credit' or recognition.
I'm not worried; I'd do it today if there was a platform for it.
Other
Testing the Value Proposition
What should NEVER be shared publicly?
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Student personal info
Team finances
Exact competition strategies
CAD files before events
Code before events
Outreach photos with faces
Other
Preferred visibility default
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Public by default
Team-only by default
Private by default (opt-in public)
For Students
What do you most want help with? (Pick up to 3)
Programming
CAD/design
Mechanical build
Electronics/wiring
Drive practice/strategy
Outreach planning
Awards writing
Fundraising
Leadership/team ops
Would you attend a 30–45 min student-led online to further discuss about this initiative
Yes
No
Mentor/Parent Experience (Operational Pain)
Which of these "Mentor Tasks" takes up the most of your time or causes the most stress?
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Knowledge Transfer: Ensuring the team doesn't lose all its skills when the seniors graduate.
Outreach Oversight: Chasing students to document their outreach hours and impact for award submissions.
Resource Vetting: Finding high-quality, safe, and up-to-date training materials for new members.
Collaboration: Coordinating with other teams for joint practices or workshops.
Technical Support: Being the only person available to answer 'how-to' questions for the students.
When your students use resources from the internet (GitHub, YouTube, etc.), what is your biggest concern as a mentor?
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Accuracy: They might be following bad advice or outdated methods.
Safety/Privacy: I don't know who they are interacting with or what data they are sharing.
Plagiarism: They might 'copy-paste' without actually understanding how the logic works.
Distraction: They spend more time searching for solutions than actually building/problem-solving.
If your team's outreach impact (hours, people reached, locations) was tracked automatically in a verified dashboard, how would that change your "Awards Season"?
No change (we already have a perfect system)
1
2
3
4
Massive relief (it would save us weeks of stress)
5
1 is No change (we already have a perfect system), 5 is Massive relief (it would save us weeks of stress)
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