Tips & Wisdom from Veteran Team Advisor, Christi Elemont

eCYBERMISSION is all about igniting students' passion for STEM and showing them the impact they can make in their world through science and engineering, all of which would be impossible without the selfless support of dedicated Team Advisors like Christi Elemont. Christi is a veteran Team Advisor and educator at Seitz Middle School in Riverview, Michigan. We caught up with her recently to discuss her best tips, tricks, and advice for new Team Advisors. 

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eCYBERMISSION: Hi, Christi! Thank you for joining us today. To begin, could you please share a bit about yourself?

Christi: Hello! I am Christi Elemont and this is my 4th year being a Team Advisor for eCYBERMISSION. It is my 21st year teaching and I have taught math, science, and am currently in my 6th year of teaching STEM. I started doing eCYBERMISSION with my students at the middle school since it perfectly aligns with our STEM standards and it is an excellent introduction to the Engineering Design Process, which is the basis of all my classes! 

eCYBERMISSION: What is your process to help students with project selection?

Christi: The students at my level need to see and hear about past projects and winners. I start by showing them the winners from the last year from all levels and what their projects were. Then, I go over past projects from students I have had that won our state, and beyond. I also show them projects that I feel were above and beyond (not necessarily winners) so they know the expectations. This gets them excited to be involved and starts their wheels turning on thinking about the needs of our community.

eCYBERMISSION: What eCYBERMISSION resources do you find most useful and how do you use them with your teams?

Christi: The Student Help Center on eCYBERMISSION.com is my biggest helper. It guides me on how to outline the project for my students so they are set up for success. I really appreciate the rubrics that are posted and the kids find them helpful to go over before they work on specific sections of their Mission Folder. 

eCYBERMISSION: What other resources do you find most helpful?

Christi: I have to say that the people that work for eCYBERMISSION have truly been my biggest help. If my students are stuck or we need more information, Mission Control has always been prompt and detailed in answering our questions. I never have to stress with deadlines because I know they will get back to me so quickly and will help me with ANYTHING I have ever needed. They are truly amazing!!

eCYBERMISSION: How do you encourage collaboration within your teams?

Christi: It can be tough sometimes since the project requires quite a bit of time and students don’t always get along and agree on the same ideas. I try to encourage kindness and letting things go. Before we even start the project, I warn about team selection and that you will be required to work as a team, listen to everyone’s ideas, and sometimes your ideas will not win. Letting go of something you are really passionate about is hard, but just because you won’t be able to do it for this project if it gets voted out by your team, doesn’t mean it is lost. Keep your amazing idea in your back pocket for when you get another opportunity to share it with the world!

eCYBERMISSION: What timelines work best for your teams and how do you keep your teams on track for Mission Folder submission?

Christi: I like to get them to think for a couple of weeks about a community problem before we even start the project. Then when we are ready to start, I break the project up into pieces with deadlines for certain parts of the Mission Folder to be due.  Also, I have found that throwing in some catch-up days in between helps everyone regroup and helps the teams that need a little extra time. Not everyone can go at the same pace!

eCYBERMISSION: What are your top 3 recommendations for new Team Advisors?

Christi: 1. Give yourself grace and don’t be afraid to contact Mission Control with questions. That is what they are there for and are always happy to help! 2. Try not to be overwhelmed by the amount of work your teams need to complete in the Mission Folder. If you break it up into pieces, it feels like a much lighter load. Remember, slow and steady wins the race! 3. Have fun! This is a chance to bond with the kids over their incredible ideas. I am blown away by so many of them that they come up with!

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We are so grateful to Christi for taking the time to share her wisdom with us! After completing registration, Team Advisors can connect with eCYBERMISSION and other Team Advisors at our monthly Team Advisor Zoom forums held during the competition year and through the Team Advisor Facebook group. 

eCYBERMISSION registration for Team Advisors, students, and teams is open until February 26, 2025 at www.ecybermission.com/register. Mission Folders are due March 5, 2025. For questions or support with registration or Mission Folder submission, contact Mission Control at missioncontrol@ecybermission.com or by phone at 1-866-462-9237.

Faith Benner

AEOP Sr. Communications and Marketing Specialist