All MOUSE Squad Members are teachers too. You teach your fellow Squad members, you teach your friends and family at home, maybe you teach people in your community, even teachers at school! Teaching is a critical part of every Squad's job. Your goal as a MOUSE Squad technician isn't to simply solve problems, it's to help people become more empowered to solve problems and "do things" on their own.

This year, MOUSE is introducing the first ever All-Squad Do-It-Yourself Competition. The goal of Do It Yourself, or D.I.Y., is to develop a teaching tool that helps others to do something on their own. Does your Squad have special skills, unique talents, or great solutions to common problems? Use this project to show others how they can do it too!

What's should it look like?

A successful D.I.Y. project has a few key characteristics:

• The need should be clear: It should solve a problem, answer a question, or help people learn a skill or bit of knowledge that will help them (D.I.Y. topics can be technical or non-technical).
• Uses new media: A great MOUSE Squad D.I.Y. utilizes new media and technologies to reach as many people as possible. Websites, screencasts, podcasts, videos, digital workbooks - all of these, and many more, are great media to use for your D.I.Y.
• Are fun and engaging: Be creative, often the best teaching tools are ones that make the subject or content exciting. Does your Squad have great actors available, aspiring musicians, directors, programmers - use available talents to bring your D.I.Y. to life.
• Are appropriate for students: Be smart, know your audience - make sure the tool you create is helpful and appropriate for people like you.

Watch a sample D.I.Y. video submission, The Perfect Handshake. Video is just one medium that might work for your submission. Link below to the D.I.Y. Project page for more detail about acceptable formats and criteria for your submission.

The first 50 submissions to this year's D.I.Y. project will earn a Pizza Party for your Squad courtesy of MOUSE. All projects will receive a shout-out on mousesquad.org and be entered to win one of two grand prizes.

• A LEGO NXT Robotics System
• A MOUSE Squad Flip(TM) Camera

Click here for more info about MOUSE's national D.I.Y. Project. Or, consult your region-wide Coordinator for details about D.I.Y. submissions for your Squad.

Each MOUSE Squad is encouraged to submit as many D.I.Y. projects as you like, however, individual Squads will be counted only once for submission rewards and D.I.Y grand prizes. Good Luck, and we look forward to reviewing your submissions in the months to come!