How to Become an FRC Mentor or Volunteer in Pennsylvania

Every FRC team runs on volunteer mentors — and most people who’d be great at it assume they’re not qualified. Here’s what the role actually requires.

You don’t need to be an engineer

This is the most common misconception, and it’s costing teams good mentors. FRC teams need people across:

• Mechanical & electrical — CAD, fabrication, wiring, machining
• Software — robot programming, version control, testing
• Business & operations — budgeting, sponsorship outreach, scheduling
• Communications — social media, documentation, presentations, photography

If you have professional experience in any of these areas — even outside of robotics or engineering specifically — you have something to offer a team like ours.

What a mentor’s time commitment looks like

It varies by role and season phase:

• Build season (January–February) — the heaviest commitment, often several evenings a week as the robot comes together against the six-week deadline
• Competition season (March–April) — event-day support, travel, and pit crew help
• Off-season (May–December) — lighter, more flexible: camp support, community outreach events, fundraising, and planning for next season

Most mentors don’t commit to all of it — teams need people who can show up consistently for even a few hours a week.

What mentoring with Team 10989 looks like

Blast Robotics runs out of a donated workshop at 15 Waterloo Avenue in Berwyn, PA. Since our May 2025 founding, our mentor bench has grown from 3 adults to a broader network supporting FRC build season, Blast Camp, and STEM Tutoring — and we’re still actively recruiting, especially in software, business/sponsorship, and communications.

How to start

Reach out through team10989.org or our contact page with your background and availability. There’s no minimum commitment to start a conversation — we’ll help you find the role that fits.