RANGER

Grade level

• Participation in the RANGER class is open to students in middle (grades 5-8) and high (grades 9-12) schools as well as students in home schools, afterschool programs, clubs, and community organizations of comparable grade levels. 
• Students attending community and technical colleges and four-year universities competing for the first time are also eligible to participate in the RANGER class.  Note that “first time” is defined as students AND instructors/mentors who have not participated previously. 

Number of teams

• The number of teams per school/instructor will vary depending on the regional event.  More than one team per school/instructor may be permitted, provided that there are no common students (i.e., students can only participate on one team).  Contact your regional coordinator for more information.   
• If the regional event cannot host more than one team per school/instructor, teams are encouraged to hold an in-school run-off to determine which team will represent their school/instructor at the competition. 

RANGER CLASS – REGIONAL PARTICIPATION/DEMONSTRATION

All companies participating in the RANGER class are required to take part in a regional event.  Companies that win their regional event advance to compete in the RANGER class at the international competition.  The total number of RANGER winners that advance to the international depends on the total number of individual SCHOOLS or ORGANIZATIONS (not teams) that participate in the regional (not just register, but show up and participate on contest day).   

• Regionals must have a minimum number of 5 individual schools/organizations in order to send a team to the international. 
• Regionals with fewer than 5 individual schools/organizations can send ONE team to the international provided that:
  • In addition to the product demonstration, the regional has required and scored at least 2 of the 3 Engineering and Communication components.
  • The team that advances has:
    • Passed the safety inspection
    • Achieved a demonstration score of at least 100 points, not including size and weight, safety, or organizational effectiveness
    • Achieved a combined Engineering and Communication score of at least 100 points, not including the company spec sheet or corporate responsibility
    • Successfully passes the RANGER video demonstration administered by the MATE Center
• Regionals with 5– 10 individual schools/organizations send the top ONE team to the international.
• Regionals with 11 – 20 individual schools/organizations can send the top TWO teams to the international.
• Regionals with 21+ individual schools/organizations can send the top THREE teams to the international.
• The regional hosting the international can send one additional team above their allotment to the international. 

Companies will be assigned to the regional that is geographically closest to their location. If companies are located equidistant from two or more regionals, the MATE competition coordinator and the coordinators of those regionals will discuss with the company which regional is most appropriate.

RANGER class companies that are prohibitively far from a regional event should contact the MATE Center for information about conducting a video demonstration. 

NO RANGER class companies will be permitted to participate in the international competition without either 1) winning their regional event or 2) submitting a video demonstration that is then approved by MATE competition officials.