The East West Collaboration Project (EWCP) began in 2008 as a partnership between Akash Rastogi from FRC 11 and Ranjit Chahal from FRC 1323, to foster communication between teams in FIRST. EWCP has many goals, including mentoring teams remotely and providing them with the support to implement sustainable robotics education programs.

    Mark McLeod of FRC 358 has stated that many FRC programs have faltered in the past few years. To a large degree this is because FIRST itself is too large of an organization that focuses on creating new teams as opposed to helping smaller teams create their own sustainable programs. The EWCP helps fill this role. We provide mentorship and guidance to teams across the nation to keep them afloat and we even mentor new teams who are unable to find mentors in their area.

    The uniqueness of EWCP is that teams can be remotely mentored by experienced mentors in addition to fellow students through a variety of forms of communication including Instant Messaging and Chat Rooms, to conference calls and web meetings. The ultimate goal is to provide guidance on a personal level to the teams who have difficulty finding mentors and to develop a more targeted help network to supplement resources such as the Chief Delphi Forums. Teams involved in the EWCP all take part in this collaborative mentorship and learning.

    Services provided under the program include but are not limited to: help with robot design, CAD work, machining, fund raising, and team structure. While help is geared more towards veteran teams who are searching for guidance in specific areas of their team, aid is also available to rookie and second year teams trying to establish themselves through our Rookie Role Model branch run by Team Overdrive (FRC team 2753).

    To learn more about the EWCP and how you can help or be helped, please contact Akash or Ranjit. And please, do not hesitate to ask for help

EWCP: "Mentors who are there, whenever and wherever you need them"