Student's Voice

"A robotics team! You want me to join a robotics team? Are you serious?" That was the reaction of Lindsay Davies, a popular Grade 12 student from Governor Simcoe High School in Niagara Falls, Ontario, when her friend asked her to join a robotics team two years ago. "I thought it was for geeks," says Davies. "Boy, was I wrong!" Lindsay's reaction is not surprising. The thought of girls building robots just doesn't fit the stereotype of young teen girls today--or for that matter, ever. But one man's novel idea seems to be changing the stereotype of girls forever.

FIRST robotics, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, is a non-profit organization founded by Dean Kamen. No stranger to new ideas, Kamen's most noted inventions include the Segway®, a wheelchair called iBot (that allows users to climb stairs and raise themselves to eye-level) and the first portable insulin pump for people with diabetes. Not only has he created products that help thousands of people worldwide, he has also created a program that, while building life skills, annually now influences more than 30,000 high school students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. The FIRST robotics program draws more than 1,300 teams from Canada, Brazil, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and as of 2007, every state in the U.S.

Every team has the same challenge: six weeks to design and build a working robot. Each team receives a kit containing hundreds of parts and, with help from dedicated mentors and teachers, must build a robot designed to carry out a specific task. This year's game, "Rack 'N' Roll," tested students' and their robot's ability to hang inflated tubes on "spider legs." The legs were configured in rows and columns ranging from two feet to 10 feet high. Some robots also had vision systems, programmed to navigate the robot during an autonomous 15-second period at the beginning of the match. At the end of the match, robots had the opportunity to lift one of their alliance's robots four inches off the ground. If successful, the team gained bonus points. High school students accomplished all of this in six weeks while balancing schoolwork, family and a social life. It's not the image one typically associates with teenagers.

Robotics is not for the faint of heart. It's a gruelling schedule that requires commitment and stamina. There are highs and lows, frustration and happiness, excitement and disappointment, strategy and teamwork. "When it works, you feel really happy, but when something goes wrong, we all feel the pain," says Davies.

After much persuasion, Davies told her friend she would give it a try. The experience changed her life! "I was kind of skeptical at first. I was on the hockey team at school and I knew robotics was a huge commitment. I knew once I joined the robotics team I had to quit the hockey team, but I didn't care, because it's so much fun!" Davies passionately exclaimed.

When asked if she thinks there is a lack of women in the science and math fields today, she replies: "Yes, definitely. Even on our team." The National Council for Research on Women have found that women constitute 45% of the workforce in the U.S., but hold just 12% of science and engineering jobs in business and industry. Unfortunately, careers in science, math and technology are still dominated by men, but that could be changing. How can more girls be inspired, like Davies, to take an interest in the science and math fields? The answer may lie in Kamen's crazy idea to build robots.

The National Council for Research on Women has also found that girls are more successful in math and science programs that incorporate a co-operative, hands-on approach rather than in programs that stress competition and individual learning, which makes FIRST robotics the perfect activity for any girl. It has been proven that girls who become involved with FIRST robotics are far more inspired to pursue careers in science and technology: "The good news is that I don't have to tell you I think more women have pursued Engineering, I know they have," says Kamen. According to Kamen, The Ford Foundation contracted Brandeis University to do an independent peer equivalent study of the impact of FIRST on kids. Extensive and running to hundreds of thousands of dollars, the study took four years to complete and looked at the longitudinal impact on schools that had FIRST versus those that didn't. It compared high school students who participated in FIRST Robotics Competitions with a group of non-FIRST students, all of whom shared similar backgrounds and academic experiences, including math and science. Kamen says that, in schools with FIRST, women were three times more likely to stay in school and graduate, and were 150 per cent were more likely to choose an engineering career. He adds, "I can unequivocally tell you that even people who are experts came back from this work to report to our board of directors the remarkable impact FIRST had on women and minorities in changing their attitudes about careers and science. It was the most profound study they have ever seen on that subject".

So what is it about this program that captivates so many young girls' interest into science and math when nothing else has ever had such success?

Kristen, a mentor from Wildstang, the 2006 Chairman's Award winning team, says, "What astounds me most is the actual transformation of these students who come into the program, especially girls. At the beginning, girls are kind of reserved and they don't really know what they're necessarily getting into. But as they put their foot in the water and become involved in more and more areas, they become outspoken, confident women. It's the best thing about being a mentor." Boys and girls are working together in a way that older generations could only dream of. FIRST does an outstanding job at making girls feel welcome in the world of robotics. They host Women in Science & Technology Forums from which girls have been known to leave exclaiming: "Very inspirational, made me feel proud to be a woman in science," or "I learned a lot and I feel reassured and confident about entering the science field."

Davies reflects on the impact robotics has had on her life, "It has given me a lot of confidence and experience. I've become surer of myself, especially with giving presentations such as the Chairman's Presentation. I've actually been able to do things I never thought I would."

Kamen admits that even though robotics is still seen as a man's world and boys typically outnumber girls on a team, there are some exceptions. Of the 1,300 teams out there now, 19 are all-girl. One all-girl team called Where's Waldo, ironically, just can't stay hidden. The members of the team constantly hear "Where's Waldo?" from passers-by and are quick to respond, "Here we are!" This energetic group of 22 girls is from Trafalgar Castle School, an all girls' school in Whitby, Ontario. They heard about the program in 2004 and have been hooked ever since--stacking up awards everywhere they can be found. Most notably, in their first year they won Rookie Inspiration and Rookie All-Star, which qualified them for Nationals in Atlanta, Georgia, where they were awarded Rookie Inspiration. In their second year, they were the first Canadian team to ever win the Engineering Inspiration award on American soil. This year, they earned the Imagery Award at the New Jersey Regional. Whether it's because of their unique eye-catching uniforms or their stadium-shaking spirit in the stands, Waldo inspires the idea that "Girls Can." On team Waldo, they like to say, behind every great robot there is a great woman.

"I've discovered I love to build robots and if someone had told me that two years ago, I would have told them they were crazy," says Laura Hildred, a Grade 11 student on team Where's Waldo. "But in FIRST robotics, I'm doing something I love. I'm meeting new people--boys and girls--and travelling to places I had never dreamed of travelling to as a teenager." As a result of FIRST robotics, the outgoing brunette is now setting her sights on engineering when she goes to university. She's not alone; her story is repeated among the many young women who participate in FIRST robotics.

Regardless of the accessibility of robotics teams in high schools, the math and science fields are still dominated by males. It is important that more women become involved in the programs available to them, especially programs like FIRST. Sixteen years ago Dean Kamen had a vision, "To create a world where science and technology are celebrated . . . where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes." FIRST robotics is the reason more women are turning to the fields of science and technology where there are many exciting opportunities. This dream is quickly becoming a reality--especially for women like Lindsay Davies, Laura Hildred and countless other 16-year-olds around the world, including the writer of this article.

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