Non-traditional, interest-based options for MS

After talking with Bridget last night, my challenge to myself is to come up with a list of options for how to get middleschoolers involved in learning activities with others that would involve meeting/getting to know other kids, and furthering their interest in a certain area.

TEAM COMPETITIONS
Team competitions are great for a number of reasons. The competitive aspect works for some kids but I don't think it does for most. However, there are many other reasons to get involved in team competitions:

• It's a great social opportunity with a purpose so the kids can get to know each other better without all of the focus being on finding common ground
• It gives the team members a goal to work toward with parameters laid out and a rough plan on how to get there -- but still lots of opportunity for creativity
• It gives them something to work on with others who are interested in similar topics
  
• It gives a deadline so there is pressure to get something done and a time when it's over
  
• It gives the kids a feeling of being part of something bigger
• It gives endless opportunities for developing team building skills, learning how to work with different learning styles, learning how to brainstorm as a team, etc.
• It gives them a reason for improving their skills and knowledge -- not knowing how to do something, not following through will hurt the team, not just them
• It gives a reason for a deadline that isn't just to respond to a teacher's request -- it's the team's deadline, it's for the end result, they're helping their peers
  

1. FIRST Lego League (which I can talk endlessly about the benefits of -- see the results for my middleschooler at: http://water4tomorrow.org ). This is for 9 to 14 year olds: http://firstlegoleague.org ).
   
   
2. FIRST also offers a middle/highschool option of programming VEX computers (FTC http://www.usfirst.org/what/FTC/default.aspx?id=380)
   
   "The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is a mid-level robotics competition for high-school students. It offers the traditional challenge of a FIRST Robotics Competition but with a more accessible and affordable robotics kit. The ultimate goal of FTC is to reach more young people with a lower-cost, more accessible opportunity to discover the excitement and rewards of science, technology, and engineering. "
   
   
3. FIRST's major highschool program involves big robots -- again, bringing in programming, design, marketing, technical writing, presentation, working with the public, mentoring kids, etc., etc...
   
   
4. Math Olympiad, Science Olympiad
   
   
5. Envirothon (http://www.envirothon.org/) -- very cool slideshow to watch. I think this would be a great option for Benjamin at some time (for Grades 9 to 12) and I know that the Wildlife Center at Centennial Campus has classes for envirothon teams. Might be fun to go to their Nationals in 2009 in August in Asheville since it's close.
   
   
6. Here are some very interesting technology competitions (individual and team) from the Technology Student Association but I don't know if they're open to homeschoolers. Might trigger some ideas to look up, though:
   http://www.tsaweb.org/Middle-School-Competitions
   
   
7. EV Challenge -- a middle-school competition where a team builds a solar car and races it each spring. I don't know if homeschoolers can compete or not but it looks like a fun challenge. http://smarttchallenge.com/Schools/Middle_School/
   

I'm sure there are multiple other competitions but that's a start.

Non Competition Options
I think you can meet some of these characteristics with other options like forming a small coop to explore one topic. Maybe have the kids involved in deciding what topics will be explored for 6 weeks at a time and do classes (sharing with each other) and field trips on those topics. Another option might be to buy a kit and work on it together (like a solar car kit). Or form a "technology club" and have a list of options available for them to work on. Or be involved in a service project of some scale (Habitat for Humanity, Save the Rainforest, or something like that?). More of a challenge to come up with a topic but still doable.

The big thing is to find an interest, identify a goal, and find some other kids who want to be involved (& who have similar interests).