Engaging
girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics is a topic of
national interest. A recent Verizon commercial stated “66% of girls in
4th grade like math and science, but only 18% of all college
engineering majors are female.” Take for
instance, Kaitlyn Pankoe a 6th grader at Terrace Community Middle
School in Tampa. Pankoe likes being challenged in her work, but while growing
up Pankoe, like some girls her age, she wanted to be a pageant queen. All that
changed when she attended the All Girls robotics camp this summer.
Indeed,
the rationale and need for girls and women in STEM is clearly apparent, and is
one of the many
areas FLATE has been targeting to propel women towards STEM
related professions. One of the many successful dissemination vehicles employed
by FLATE is the robotics camps, particularly the All Girls Robotics Camp which
historically kick starts camp season every year, and is targeted to capture the
interest of Girls in STEM starting at the middle school level. “The camp has
got me thinking” said Pankoe. “I now want to be a veterinarian and use
technology to heal animals” she said ruminating upon her switch and new found
interest in STEM and robotics.
Pankoe
was not alone in raving about robots. She was one of 22 girls enrolled in
FLATE’s All Girls robotics camp; all were aspiring to become either a marine
biologist, a doctor and even a journalist reporting on technologies of the
future. The “hook” for these future STEM professionals was provided by robots, and
programming it to follow specific commands to complete challenges.
The
robotics camp served as a platform to fire campers’ interest in STEM, and explore their
knowledge of STEM/roboticss. “I like robots because they are versatile and in
general can do tasks better than humans” said Anna Seerey. To that end, the
camp featured, for the first time this year, the all new Lego® Mindstorms®
EV3 Robot system. From the bottle touch challenge to rainbow dash, camp
curriculum was primarily designed to enhance campers’ skills needed to succeed
in high-tech, STEM-related careers using a modern manufacturing setting. “This
was my first time programming robots. I liked that they were fun and
challenging” said Avery Surrency.
Another
hands-on component of the camp was also a tour to a high-tech manufacturing
facility where
students got a real-world view of what it takes to become a STEM
professional and how that translates in a high-tech manufacturing setting. Campers
got a taste of STEM-at-work during their visit to Publix Diary factory in
Lakeland, FL. “It was interesting to see how machines and robots are programmed
to work together in a production line” said Seerey . “I
never thought I’d like robotics and physical sciences, but now that I am
doing it I really like it. I think I will keep doing it as it’s a lot of fun”
said Seerey.
In
addition to an invigorating STEM experience, FLATE partnered with Suncoast
Credit Union Foundation and the HCC Foundation to offer 11 scholarships, for
the first time, to students from low income families to attend the All Girls camp.
The scholarships were awarded on a first- come, first-served basis, and were
geared to encourage/expose girls to careers in science and technology. “Those are careers of the future and it is
important for these young ladies to have those skills set as they progress on
their educational/career path” said Mary Tlachac, executive director of Suncoast
Credit Union Foundation. Donna Wolski,
director of development for HCC Foundation, agreed that the camp was effective
in sparking student curiosity/interest in STEM, robotics and technology in
general. “I would love to see some of the campers return to HCC to pursue STEM
related educational pathways once they graduate from high school” Wolski said.
Response
from parents of campers has been equally positive. “I was very impressed by the
structure and
quality of the program as well as the enthusiasm of the girls at
the camp” said Colette Glover-Hannah. In a follow-up email to FLATE’s camp
director, Collette stated that the camp has helped her daughter, Elois who
shared the video of her robot with her science teacher, to grow in the field of
STEM. Ramona Smart-Smith another parent
wrote saying that she is thankful her daughter, Jordana had the opportunity to
attend the camp. “She is a hands-on learner and it helped her engage more with
her peers and work together as a team to accomplish a project” wrote Ramona.
She noted “the program was structured, informational and had great teachers who
sparked her interest to work harder to create a satisfactory project.”
For
more information on the camps visit www.fl-ate.org/projects/camps.html, and www.madeinflorida.org, or contact Desh Bagley,
FLATE outreach manager and camp director at camps@fl-ate.org.
For a follow-up of the remaining camps and a behind-the-scenes look at camp
instructors and assistants who inject their expertise and knowledge to make the
camps run smoothly throughout camp season, stay tuned for a story in the August
edition of the FLATE Focus.
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