We asked World Festival and State-Level Core Values Judges for tips and advice they have for teams. Here is what they shared:

1) Make sure the judges can hear everyone on your team and also see how you interact with each other.

2) Be unique with your identity. Do something to set yourselves apart to be memorable. Every team has bright shirts and cheers, etc. Be different. Be bold. Team identity is not only a part of the rubric, but when judges deliberate, you want to be that team that judges are telling other judges about (for good reasons)

3) Make a unique Core Values poster (if you make one) that reflects your team’s identity. Don’t overdo the text–use large pictures instead. Judges won’t have time to read all the text. You can point to these pictures during the presentation.

4) The Core Values poster should be used as a backdrop (or prop). Face the judges while you talk, not the poster. We want to see your team.

5) View the poster as a giant notecard which will help your team tell your team’s story. You are not judged on the poster itself. It is only for your team to remember examples from the season.

6) Be prepared with examples of how your team has demonstrated Core Values during the season. Each member should be able to give examples.

7) Know how your team is structured. Not every team has formal roles, but teams should be able to communicate how meetings are conducted, who does what, and how conflicts are resolved.

8) Don’t just talk about learning new programming languages or sharing your projects for Discovery and Impact. Try to dig deeper.

9) Make sure you identify how you worked together even in Robot Design and Innovation Project judging.

11) If you have a team cheer or something to say extra to say the judges, please do so within your judging time slot. If you wait till the end of the judging session, you will be eating into the time the judges have to take notes/score you, or you might not be given the extra time. The team cheer should be either as you enter/exit the room, or as part of your team’s presentation.

12) Understand that Core Values goes far beyond knowing the definition of Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition. The best teams have internalized those and exhibit them without even thinking about them. Strive for this.

Thank you to Joe and Asha for the tips