The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board hosted the Quebec provincial CRC Robotics Competition twice at the senior school in Laval in the span of five years, both times in February.

For three days, the senior school campus transformed one gym into an interactive kiosks nerve centre. The other became concert style seating around a boxing ring for the robots to preform their competition tasks.

3000 new people would be moving on and off site, school field trip visits would occur, a regular school day will transpire, VIPs, judges, and different stations need to be facilitated. Food, water, and bathrooms would need to be available. Guests would need to be able to quickly access different departments and the competition will need to follow its strict schedule.

During the second hosting experience we were able to have ASL alumni mentor the current team to enhance the progression of learning and to share their best practices.

Many of our lessons were being applied throughout this process.

ASLeaders learning leadership lessons in practical application:

November - January

• Dissect the proposal and plan

• Trouble shoot the rooms, hallways, allocations, and identify resources needed

• Map the responsibilities and walk through in order to assess

• Draft a SMARTE and identify departments needed and set the timeline

• Evaluate SMARTE

• Identify department heads and draft department SMARTEs

• Distribute and delegate tasks

• Identify solutions to needs and foster collaboration and creative thinking

• Contingency plan

• Review equipment, resources, space, and budget needed

• Evaluate and rehearse the 'car door to car door' experience

January 6 - January 20

• Recruit 100 volunteers and begin to align resources

• Evaluate

• Contingency rehearse

• Train & rehearse

January 20 - 2 days prior to competition

• Set the schedule

• Test and rehearse the digital and internal communications systems

• Disseminate information - communicate, communicate, communicate

• Review and final critic of SMARTEs, rehearse and confirm to adjust and overcome

2 days final prep & competition (3 days, 14+ hours per day)

• Manage 3 shift changes per day

• Deliver a bilingual event with access for all

• Adapt to rising needs and solve problems on the fly

• Facilitate the guest's needs and productivity

• Facility the host's needs

• Adjust the plan and people as needed

• Fulfill distribution of resources, food, and hardware as necessary

• Detail management - garbage, breaks, attitudes, (mission, team, self)

• Make safe - people, parking, equipment, movements

• Coordinate access and delivery of food and drinks

• Record, video, and photograph

• Close the day, evaluate, and transfer responsibilities and information

• Prepare in advance for shift changes and find replacements

Post Competition

• Evaluate, review, and record

• Celebrate & recognize