Eighty Washington middle school girls spent the day working in teams to build robot Legos. Working alongside mentors from the Kentridge High School robotics team, their goal was to construct a Lego robot that can follow a black line using a light sensor.
It was a friendly competition, so the winner was less important than the intended lesson: To show these students what a career in STEM fields might really be like.
It’s part of a bigger push by FIRST Washington, a nonprofit state organization that aims to get kids ages 6 to 18 inspired in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) opportunities.
Their Girls FIRST initiative specifically targets girls in that age range, with the goal of recruiting and engaging them in FIRST programs and connecting them with female mentorship and resources.
“It brings relevancy as to why kids need to stay in school; why math, why science is important,” said FIRST President Erin McCallum. “And really what they’re learning today is a preview of what they could do on the floor of Boeing, in the research lab of Microsoft, or the floor of Amazon, so it’s very much project-based skills-based learning.”
Tuesday’s event was the result of their partnership with Kent Chamber of Commerce, the Kent School District, and Amazon. Amazon capped off the event by announcing a $10,000 donation to FIRST.
If you’re interested in volunteering as a mentor for the program or want more information on how to bring the program to schools in your area, click here: www.firstwa.org
