Schools

Montgomery BEST serves as the local BEST hub for middle and high schools in central Alabama and the surrounding area; counties served include but are not limited to: Montgomery, Lowndes, Macon, Autauga, Elmore, and Lee. Registration begins each year in late spring and ends by Kickoff Day.

Registration for the 2023 competition is closed. Check back next year to join us for the 2024 competition.

Note: Information below is general. Refer to the Competition page for specific event information for this year’s competition.

 

What are the basic team expectations?

      • 1st year teams attend free summer training
      • Teams should attend all three components of the BEST Program held in Montgomery
        • Kick-Off Day (early September)
        • Practice Day (6 weeks after Kickoff – mid October)
        • Competition Day (8 weeks after Kickoff – early November)
      • Teams may choose to participate in one of the following:
        • Robotics Only
          • Must build a functional robot
          • Must submit a Project Engineering Notebook
        • Robotics and the BEST Award
          • Must build a functional robot
          • Must compete in ALL four components of the BEST Award: Project
            Engineering Notebook, Marketing Presentation, Team Exhibit and
            Interview, and Spirit & Sportsmanship.

What resources will Montgomery BEST provide? What materials do we need?

            • Participation in Montgomery BEST is free.
            • Each team will receive a returnables kit (robot electrical components, motors, etc.) that must returned to Montgomery BEST at the conclusion of the event
            • Each team will receive a consumables kit (raw materials to build the robot) that teams may “use up” when building
            • Teams will need to provide their own materials for the BEST Award
            • Teams may need to purchase additional consumables to replace those materials that are “used up” during prototyping

How to form a team:

          • Teams must be affiliated with a public, private, or homeschool group.
          • Teams must have a lead teacher of record
          • Teams must be composed of middle and/or high school students
          • Teams participating in the BEST Award component of the competition must have a minimum of four team members

 Teacher Training Workshop

 

          • Usually held in July
          • This program targets teachers, key students, and mentors to provide a comprehensive overview of the BEST Robotics program and the tools and information teams will need to successfully navigate the 6-week competition. The workshop will also include training for the new IR sensor module.
          • Registration is free for all participants. Attendance by at least one teacher or mentor for new schools is required (2 recommended). Recommend at least 1 adult attendee for returning schools. Limited to 3 teachers/students/mentors per school until all schools have had a chance to sign up.