Girl Empowerment through Competitive Robotics

[ UUID ] fcd4e84a-7580-4e7a-82a3-8e9cba5111ee

[ Session Name ] Girl Empowerment through Competitive Robotics [ Primary Space ] Youth Zone [ Secondary Space ] Youth Zone

[ Submitter's Name ] Misa Rojo [ Submitter's Affiliated Organisation ] Girl Scouts of Central Texas, Inc (GSCTX)

What will happen in your session?

Members of the Girl Scouts of Central Texas (GSCTX) Robotics team, the Lady Cans, will demonstrate the robot they built and programmed as a team and discuss their unique process for hands-on STEM learning for their all-girl team that empowers them to become future leaders. The team is given an annual robotics challenge to solve and use the engineering design process to program and build their robot. Volunteer mentors lead the team meetings, guide them through their competition cycles and design process, and connect the girls to STEM professionals. Mentors also ensure the girls experience every aspect of the design, building, programming, and team management processes, starting when they are in middle school and following them through high school graduation.

What is the goal or outcome of your session?

The goal of the session is to increase the audience’s awareness of the benefits of all-girl spaces in hands-on STEM education and address innovative ways to build leadership and STEM skills in girls through project-based, collaborative learning. Through our unique STEM engagement in our robotics program, GSCTX has helped girls, grades 6-12, achieve better grades in their STEM-related classes, enter competitive engineering programs at the University of Texas at Austin and the California Institute of Technology, among others, and prepare for future STEM careers. Engaging with the girls and their mentors would be inspiring for Youth Zone attendees and help them apply methods that were successful for the Lady Cans to their own STEM engagement efforts.

If your session requires additional materials or electronic equipment, please outline your needs.

Robot, tools, equipment, and booth collateral will need to be shipped over for this gallery

Time needed

All weekend, as an installation, exhibit or drop-in session