Bravo Fleet Academy

Bravo Fleet Academy is the department of Bravo Fleet responsible for the mentoring of new members, particular through the creation, maintenance, and of maintenance of Academy Programs and Academy Courses. This charter-authorized department is led by the Bravo Fleet Academy Commandant.

Academy Programs

Academy Programs are the core components of the Academy. Each program has a set of learning outcomes that participants master through the completion of multiple quizzes and/or assignments. Some programs, like the New Member Program, are automated and some require feedback from staff. Programs are intended to enhance a member's skills in a specific area of the fleet, at the level of application rather than simply gaining knowledge on a topic. Put another way, programs are about demonstrating knowledge.

Current Programs

There are currently five active programs.

New Member Program

The New Member Program (NMP) is the shortest of the Academy Programs and is meant to be an introduction to the structure and functioning of Bravo Fleet. In particular, this program is meant to help individuals who are new to Bravo Fleet itself but are familiar with other online Star Trek organizations still operating under the "SIMM" model. To pass, members need to earn an average of 8/10 on the three quizzes.

Character Creation Program

The Character Creation Program (CCP) is intended to help members develop a long-form biography of the type suitable for an RPG application or a biography competition. This program includes information about the canon policy in general and multiple example biographies. To pass, members need to earn 8/10 on two quizzes and receive at least 2 out of 4 ('Average') on a submitted biography.

Command Management Program

The Command Management Program (CMP) helps members navigate the Bravo Fleet Management System (BFMS) and Bravo Fleet Wiki to create robust entries on both pages for their commands, whether these commands are the member's individual command or for a Roleplaying Game. Participants need to create a fleshed-out BFMS page and a wiki entry, as well as complete a quiz about starship classes and related information.

Fiction Writing Program

The Fiction Writing Program (FWP) focuses on writing individual stories on the BFMS, using the Fiction Writing Rubric as a guide. This program goes over style, tropes, and other aspects of writing that will help participants develop more attention to craft in their writing and how to respond effectively to competition prompts. To pass, members need to respond to six reflection prompts, receive at least 2 out of 4 ('Average') on a submitted story in response to one of three prompts, and submit proof of earning at least 20 Service Ribbons since completing the reflection prompts.

Plot Development Program

The Plot Development Program (PDP) helps members plot out full episodes/plots for their commands. Going beyond the micro-level content covered in the FWP, the PDP will have participants think about several different models for outlining a plot. Participants will submit a plot outline and then create a complete multi-story episode following that outline with at least 5 separate stories.

Planned Programs

There are currently two more programs being planned.

Collaborative Writing Program

The Collaborative Writing Program (CWP) will focus on helping members to plan writing projects (like RPGs) involving their peers. This will focus on best practices involved with collaborative writing, both for 1:1 interactions and for leading an RPG. Participants will respond to several reflection posts and earn at least 5 Duty Ribbons for collaborative stories submitted on Starbase Bravo.

Competition Leadership Program

The Competition Leadership Program (CLP) will focus on helping members to create engaging and effective competitions for their fellow members. This will explore the pros and cons of different competition types and ask participants to think about things like timing and grading. Participants will submit a draft competition proposal for feedback, and then submit and run their own competition with OCS approval.