Explain what “Everyone has a place here” looks like in daily team behavior.
Describe how inclusion, safety, and learning connect in 5041.
Choose actions that help new, quiet, younger, unsure, or different team members participate.
Respond professionally to mistakes, conflict, exclusion, harassment, or bullying.
Practice communication habits that build trust across technical and non-technical roles.
Commit to specific behaviors that make 5041 safer and more welcoming.
5041 Identity
Our motto is a behavior standard
“Everyone has a place here”
This is not just a slogan. It means our shop, meetings, pit, travel, outreach,
Discord, drive team, awards work, and mentor conversations should help people belong.
Open Door
Interest and hard work should matter more than prior experience.
Shared Growth
Students should be allowed to learn, practice, fail, and improve.
Team Responsibility
A welcoming team is built by everyone, not only mentors or leaders.
Mission, Vision, Values
Inclusion is part of how 5041 defines success
Mission
Grow every season by learning technical and professional skills while staying open to students who want to join.
Vision
Create an inclusive space where all students can engage with STEM and enjoy learning for its own sake.
Values
Practice FIRST values, Gracious Professionalism, Coopertition, inclusion, and STEM for all.
Key idea: We are not only building robots. We are building people, trust, and future teammates.
#STEMisForEveryone
Students voices matter
“We all deserve a safe place.”“We value each other and our differences.”“Everyone has a valuable skill.”
Student Needs
What students need from the team
Safety
Respectful language
No bullying or harassment
Clear ways to ask for help
Belonging
People are invited in
Roles are explained
Questions are treated as normal
Purpose
Everyone has useful work
Strengths are noticed
Growth matters more than status
When people feel safe, they ask better questions, take useful risks, and stay involved longer.
FIRST Culture
In FIRST Gracious Professionalism is how teams compete and work together
FIRST describes Gracious Professionalism as doing high-quality work while
valuing others, respecting individuals, and strengthening the community.
High-quality work
We try to do things well: build carefully, document clearly, test honestly,
and improve after mistakes.
Respect for people
We treat teammates, mentors, volunteers, opponents, and visitors as people
who matter.
Competitive kindness
We can want to win and still help others, share knowledge, and avoid making
anyone feel excluded or unappreciated.
What It Looks Like
Gracious Professionalism in the 5041 shop
During build
Explain what you are doing instead of taking over.
Let newer students try real tasks with support.
Correct unsafe work calmly and clearly.
Give credit to the people who helped.
During competition
Speak respectfully about other teams and robots.
Help teams when you can, even if you may compete against them.
Represent 5041 well in the pit, stands, queue, and field.
Handle wins and losses with maturity.
Gracious Professionalism is not “being nice instead of being competitive.”
It is being competitive in a way that still values people.
Common Team Moments
Choose the response that keeps the space safe
A new student makes a beginner mistake
Risky: “How do you not know that?”
GP: “That part is tricky. Let me show you once, then you try.”
A mechanism breaks before a match
Risky: Blame the last person who touched it.
GP: Focus on the fix first, then review the cause later.
Another team needs a part or advice
Risky: “They should have planned better.”
GP: Help if we can do so safely and responsibly.
Check for Learning
Which response best shows Gracious Professionalism?
A teammate is struggling to understand how to use a tool during build season.
You are busy and the robot deadline is close. What is the best response?
Choose one answer.
Daily Actions
How to make space for different team members
New Members
Explain acronyms, tools, roles, and why the team does things a certain way.
Quiet Members
Invite ideas without forcing someone to perform in front of the whole group.
Younger Members
Give real jobs with support instead of only cleanup or watching.
Experienced Members
Ask them to teach, document, and make room instead of taking over.
Communication
Inclusive communication is specific and respectful
Helpful
“Want me to show you how this works?”
“What part do you want to try?”
“Let’s test that idea.”
“Can you explain your reasoning?”
“I made that mistake too.”
Harmful
“Just let me do it.”
“Everyone knows that.”
“That’s a dumb question.”
“You are not a build person.”
Jokes that target identity, ability, or background.
Mistakes
Safe teams make failure useful
Normalize
Everyone starts somewhere. Mistakes are expected in design, coding, wiring, awards, and outreach.
Repair
Fix the part, fix the process, and fix the relationship if someone was embarrassed or dismissed.
Document
Turn lessons learned into checklists, CAD notes, code comments, pit notes, and mentor reminders.
Roles and Access
Belonging means access to real work
A team can accidentally exclude people by:
Letting the same students use every tool.
Assuming quiet students are not interested.
Not explaining inside jokes or acronyms.
Making business, safety, media, or outreach seem less important than robot work.
Only asking friends to help with high-visibility tasks.
A team creates access by:
Rotating practice opportunities.
Pairing new and experienced members.
Explaining the “why” behind decisions.
Respecting all team roles as team success.
Keeping documentation useful for the next person.
Conflict
Professional conflict keeps people safe
Pause
Stop escalating. Keep your voice controlled and focus on the issue, not the person.
Clarify
Ask what happened, what is needed, and what decision has to be made next.
Escalate
If someone feels unsafe, threatened, excluded, or targeted, bring in a mentor immediately.
5041 expectation: Students should maintain a professional attitude and find diplomatic solutions.
Scenario Practice
A new student is watching instead of participating
Your group is wiring a practice board. A new student has been standing nearby for 20 minutes,
but nobody has asked them to help. What is the best response?
Choose the strongest response.
Check for Understanding
Sort each action
Invite a new student to try
Say “everyone knows that”
Explain the reason behind rules
Use jokes that target people
Give real jobs with support
Take over without teaching
Ask what someone wants to learn
Ignore unsafe comments
Respect names and pronouns
Assign only cleanup work
Bring mentors into serious issues
Mock beginner mistakes
Builds Safe Space
Risks Safe Space
Required Quiz
Pass to complete the module
Each question is on its own slide.
Answer all 20 questions, then grade the quiz. Score at least 18 out of 20 to unlock the completion certificate.
Before You Begin
Enter Your Name
Please enter your name before starting the quiz.
This name will appear on your completion certificate.
Quiz Question 1
1 of 20
What is 5041’s team motto?
Quiz Question 2
2 of 20
Which action best shows inclusion?
Quiz Question 3
3 of 20
Why should mistakes be treated carefully?
Quiz Question 4
4 of 20
What should you do when a quiet student has not spoken during a design discussion?
Quiz Question 5
5 of 20
Which statement is most helpful to a beginner?
Quiz Question 6
6 of 20
If someone makes a joke that targets identity, ability, or background, the best response is to:
Quiz Question 7
7 of 20
What does Gracious Professionalism ask teams to blend?
Quiz Question 8
8 of 20
What is the safest first step when a conflict starts getting personal?
Quiz Question 9
9 of 20
Which role deserves respect on the team?
Quiz Question 10
10 of 20
What should experienced members do with their knowledge?
Quiz Question 11
11 of 20
When should serious harassment, bullying, or safety concerns involve a mentor?
Quiz Question 12
12 of 20
What is a good way to include younger members?
Quiz Question 13
13 of 20
Which behavior risks making the team feel unsafe?
Quiz Question 14
14 of 20
What does “access to real work” mean?
Quiz Question 15
15 of 20
If you do not know how to pronounce someone’s name, you should:
Quiz Question 16
16 of 20
What should the team do after a tense disagreement?
Quiz Question 17
17 of 20
Which choice best supports belonging during meetings?
Quiz Question 18
18 of 20
What should you do if someone says they feel unsafe on the team?
Quiz Question 19
19 of 20
Which team habit helps future members?
Quiz Question 20
20 of 20
What is the best summary of this module?
Quiz Results
Grade the quiz
You need at least 18 out of 20 to unlock the completion certificate.
Not submitted.
After passing, advance to the final completion certificate.
