FIRST Ladies - Blog

February 19th, 2020

2/19/2020

This past March, Girls of Steel (GoS), along with Carnegie Mellon University, had the honor of hosting author and engineering leader Pratima Gluckman for several events, including our Greater Pittsburgh Regional FIRST Ladies Meetup! The experience was extremely influential on GoS and FIRST community members, as she inspired us to be strong and pursue our dreams.

On March 20, 2019, Pratima met with members of Women@SCS during lunch, and later spoke with GoS members at a special team meeting about her journey to becoming a leader at VMware, where she works with Blockchain programming. Using her challenges and setbacks as examples, she shared with GoS members the meaning of persistence and bravery, encouraging us to speak up for ourselves and acknowledge our value in any situation. The stories and statistics that she presented moved and inspired us all to be more assertive and forward-minded. More stories of inspirational women in tech can be found in her book, Nevertheless, She Persisted, where Pratima interviewed 19 female technology leaders to raise awareness of the need for diversity in the tech industry, especially in her home of Silicon Valley.

That same day, two GoS members interviewed Pratima at CMU, where they asked her more about her experiences as a leader and journey through writing her book. The interview can be found here!

Pratima also traveled to California, PA for the Greater Pittsburgh Regional at California University on March 21, 2019, where she spoke at our FIRST Ladies meetup. She shared her experience as a leader in the STEM field (at VMware), as well as her journey to becoming such a vocal advocate for women in STEM. Pratima emphasized the values of persistence, bravery, and supportive mentorship as well as the importance of increasing the number of women in c-suite positions in Fortune 500 companies, a field in which women are extremely underrepresented currently. Everyone felt motivated after hearing a strong female role model discuss her empowering insights at the meetup.

We all feel very inspired and moved by her work and journey. We highly encourage everyone to read her book and listen to her podcast, both found at pratimagluckman.com. On behalf of GoS and the FIRST Ladies community, we thank Pratima for visiting us and sharing her expertise and experience!

Here is a link to the live video:https://youtu.be/XtEJLcNoWQA
I cut and pasted the embed code from there to here for convenience:

This blog was written by Anna and Norah from FRC 3504 Girls of Steel Robotics. If you are interested in blogging for FIRST Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!

Being a Female in FIRST

2/19/2020

By: Michaela S.
Everyday life as a female in FIRST provides us with opportunities that can not be found elsewhere. A yearly event, IndyRage, is an all females off-season competition, hosted by FRC Team Cyber Blue 234. At this competition, the drive team MUST be all female. IndyRage is a great event for people to become more comfortable with positions on the team that are not normally open to them. With all of the opportunities provided to females on the field, some teams return to old habits in their pits. As a member of team 1792 Round Table Robotics, we pride ourselves in not having a single male in our pit at IndyRage. We used IndyRage not to win, but to have fun and to widen our knowledge. All of us got to do every position on the team. As an operator, it was my first time controlling the robot. I spent the entire match stressing for the end-climb. As the driver lined up for the climb, my hands shook in anticipation. I practiced the order so often that it rang in my head: right trigger, left bumper, left trigger, left bumper, left trigger. The switch from left trigger to left bumper was such a quick switch my finger switched. I looked up from the controller to see our robot fall to its right and fall back. We all inhaled sharply as we saw the middle bar protruding at a painful angle. After the match, we rushed the robot back to our pit and immediately began running tests. After minutes that felt like years crawling by, the middle bar was set back into place. At this moment I realized that being on the drive team is very stressful and also very rewarding. Without IndyRage and other events that allow females to try different positions, we do not get the full experience of a competition.

By: An H
As a female in FIRST, we sometimes get overlooked. However, when we dedicate ourselves to a project, we get our moment to shine. These common goals bring us together as a community. Every year, to grow our community of females in FIRST, Round Table Robotics attends an all-girls offseason event called Indy Rage. My first experience at Indy Rage was when I was a freshman, and it was life-changing. Competing with a large number of females made me feel like I belonged, and wasn’t as intimidating as being surrounded by a bunch of guys towering over me. As a freshman, typically students don’t really get opportunities to touch the robot or use more advanced tools. Despite this, at Indy Rage, I was able to do more than I’d originally thought. I was a part of the drive team and got to help more in the pit instead of just cheering in the stands. IndyRage was an event that radiates female pride and being proud of who you are as a person. Indy Rage promises an opportunity to show off what you can do, instead of being overshadowed by the opposite gender. Due to empowering events like Indy Rage, it’s a little easier for me to put myself out there and get involved. I’ve become more social with everyone and less fearful of trying new things; I can only thank the girls on my team. I’m proud to be a female in FIRST.

This blog was written by Michaela and An from FRC 1792 Round Table Robotics . If you are interested in blogging for FIRST Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!

A testament to the womxn and gender minorities in the robotics community:

2/2/2020

I’m a fifth-year FIRST participant. This is my second year on my high school’s FIRST Robotics Competition team. I spent three years in FIRST Tech Challenge, one year in FIRST LEGO League, and was part of FIRST Global Team USA in 2018.

My role is primarily non-technical—in FIRST Robotics Competition, I’m part of our Business subteam, responsible for fundraising and outreach; in FIRST Tech Challenge, I ran the outreach program, engineering notebook, and awards-related endeavors.

And, especially over the years in FIRST Tech Challenge, I am intimately familiar with gameplay and strategy...but in that arena, I am all too used to being overlooked.

As almost any girl or gender minority in the robotics community will tell you, at tournaments—particularly high level competitions like the World Championships—we are all too often subject to the assumption that we aren’t as technically or strategically inclined as our male team members. And it’s incredibly nuanced: it’s the little things, like when a representative from your next round alliance partner comes to your pit to ask about strategy, but approaches a male team member in your pit first; it’s when in a meeting with your elims alliance, you propose a strategy that is dismissed with merely a condescending look but is then, five minutes later, asserted by a male member of your team or another...and then it’s discussed.

So what does this do? To the girl who enters robotics from a very young age, this implicit sexism becomes internalized, to the point where even in a wholesome and supportive team environment, she becomes the one marginalizing herself the most. She equates her value to what others perceive it to be, which is often not what it truly is.

To gender minorities participating in robotics: know that you are not alone in your experiences, and know that this is not a climate that should be normalized. And if you feel like you don’t have people around you who will support you if you try to discuss challenges you’ve experienced, I can be your people; FIRST Ladies can be your people.

To the gender minorities in this activity who speak up for equity: a large part of my understanding of sexism in the robotics community comes from your advocacy. Thank you for all you do to promote active discourse and understanding.

To the gender minorities on drive teams: you have all of my respect for holding your own on a technical level both within your own teams and in front of other teams, who continuously question our competence.

And to our femxle coaches and mentors: thank you for being positive role models. You are a beacon of light that illuminates the path to achieve success in a male-dominated environment.

This blog was written by Anika from FRC 449 The Blair Robot Project . If you are interested in blogging for FIRST Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!

K-12 Robotics education

1/11/2020

I have a strong bias: I think every child in America should receive a K12 education that includes both technology and engineering - in the regular classroom. K12 education provides the foundational skills from which students choose their careers and in today’s world, a foundational education must include all the ingredients of STEAM, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.

I have visited with many teachers who say their school district provides STEAM education, only to find that the school offers technology and engineering as optional high school classes or there is an optional after-school competitive robotics team. Most K12 schools in my area provide computers to all students, but are not providing technology and engineering education for all students. Does your local school say they teach STEAM, but instead they provide S(science) A(arts) M(mathematics) education for all students and T(technology) and E(engineering) for some (or none)?

Did you know that there are high quality technology and engineering educational materials readily available for students of all ages? Take a look at the reusable robotics competition kits from FIRST LEGO®️ League (FLL). Each year a new competition is released. Teams not only design and build a sensor based, programmable robot, but they also complete a science based research and design project. FLL competitions include engineering, technology, creativity, reading, writing, science, mathematics, problem-solving, presentations and team-work. Each year, FLL provides a well-developed, 100% reusable, project-based STEAM education, in a kit. Past FLL competition kits are often sitting on a shelf or in storage. These kits could be directly incorporated into project based classrooms or traditional schools that don’t have project based classes, could include a STEAM class (with robotics) in the rotation for art, music and gym.

Another option for STEAM is reuse of FIRST or VEX IQ competition kits. These competition kits are partially reusable, partially consumable. The base robots, the competition field and themed challenge can be reused, but modifications to the robots will result in additional supply budget each time the class is run. A required section of STEAM shop class is often feasible for eighth graders. During competition season, students might not learn both technology and engineering, but when FIRST and VEX IQ are taught in the classroom, all of the technology and engineering components become required for all students.

Not interested in classrooms with FLL, FIRST or VEX? Pick another quality robotics program. Be careful in your selection: inclusion of robots does not mean inclusion of technology and engineering. Look for robots that include a strong engineering component and also have a requirement for every student to learn programming with interactive sensors. A quality STEAM robotics curriculum will also embed strong educational components for reading, writing, math and science. Finances can be a concern for schools, so I recommend intentional selection of robots that can be reused.

Problems to overcome to see STEAM in the K12 classroom:

K12 teachers often don’t have technology and engineering training. Maybe teachers could attend summer robotics camps like the one at CMU’s Robotics Academy, or check out Birdbrain technologies and their Reading List.
I found only a few universities that offer technology and engineering for all K12 teachers, there may be some universities including technology and engineering for all K12 teachers? Changing teacher training would make a huge difference.
Do your administrators value STEAM education for all students? Administrators are often key to requiring STEAM for all.

Can K12 SAM (Science, Arts and Mathematics) education be upgraded to K12 STEAM education? We already provide K12 students with competitive robotics, but until public schools teach STEAM for all, we have technology and engineering for some. Schools need to provide all kids with a foundational STEAM education. Share what you know. Get involved. Together we can move our educational system from: SAM for all and STEAM for some--->STEAM for all.

This blog was written by Christine, a volunteer and judge at FIRST events. If you are interested in blogging for FIRST Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!

The Importance of Active Women Mentors

1/4/2020

A decision to become a mentor, is a decision to change lives. By looking back, it is clear that a couple of small decisions changed the course of my life and the lives of those around me. A simple decision to take a programming class in high school, started a chain of events that led me to become the robotics mentor I am today.

I grew up in a large family and it was difficult for my parents to juggle their myriad of responsibilities with our many requests for afterschool and weekend activities. It was impossible for all of us to go in different directions at the same time; as a result, our opportunities primarily came through “extra” classes offered at school or things we could with family or friends. The school made a small decision to have a math teacher offer computer programming. In tenth grade, I took that class and found that programming was a challenging and fun way to combine two things that came naturally to me: math and art. The school’s decision + my decision = I pursued a career as a computer programmer.

Fast forward a few years, I realized that the school my children attended had a lot of technology: computers for typing, drawing and learning Excel: but, no technology or engineering classes! I looked for something that would provide the missing T and E from my kids STEM education and found it: competitive robotics. There was one small problem: there were funds for after school robotics, but no robotics teacher. I made a decision: I volunteered.

Many years have passed and I have continued to be involved in robotics. As a woman, I have noticed that many robotics teams are missing a valuable asset: girls! Robotics is amazing, creative, fun and enjoyable: why would any girl choose to miss out? The more I observe, the more I wonder if girls are consciously choosing to miss out or if they simply lack the right opportunities….

It has been my observation that robotics teams with good female involvement are a direct result of one or more of these decisions:

The school requires all students to learn robotics in a regular classroom. An area school teaches a semester of VEX robotics to all eighth grade students during shop class: their shop teacher also coaches the FIRST robotics team. The male/female ratio on the FIRST team is the same as the male/female ratio of their average classroom.
Another area school has good male/female ratio's. They don’t require robotics, but they run two teams: boys (male coach) and girls (female coach).
As a general rule, I have noted that any competitive team that has at least one women working alongside the team in the pits, that team usually has 50% or more females.

Until K12 schools provide technology and engineering education to all students, women can make some small decisions that will have a huge impact. One way is to become involved in a quality robotics program. A word of caution, not all robotics are created equal and a decision to purchase robots doesn’t automatically result in STEM education any more than a school that purchases a lot of technology is guaranteed to provide quality technology education! I have mentored five different robotics programs and highly recommend FRC, FLL, FIRST and VEX: all of them have quality robots and excellent educational curriculum.

If you want a change at your school, it will take some work. Although a well-rounded robotics program is very educational and includes technology, engineering, problem solving, reading, writing and mathematics, many schools don't know what they are missing. If you can influence your school to include robotics for all, I recommend they consider using FIRST robots and educational curriculum, it starts as young as preschool. Another quality robotics education is available through VEX IQ.

Whether you work in a school or in a club: share your experiences with others. Encourage other women to become mentors alongside you. Choose to become actively involved in making tomorrow better for ALL of our kids - girls included!

This blog was written by Christine a volunteer and judge at FIRST events. If you are interested in blogging for FIRST Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!

University of Minnesota Twin Cities: Gopher CSE (Computational Science and Engineering)

12/30/2019

On November 2nd, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities hosted Gopher CSE, an event co-run by the College of Engineering, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and the office of admissions. My friend and I both applied to Minnesota for STEM majors, me for computer science and her for computer engineering, so we decided to go together.

All of the girls gathered in the Coffman Memorial Union and we went into the auditorium where we got to listen to two presentations from two professors at the university, Dr. Victoria Interrante and Dr. Maria Gini. Dr. Interrante discussed the research some of her students have been doing involving measuring how humans interpret spaces in virtual reality. Dr. Gini talked about the different uses of artificial intelligence including robots that can be used to help kids with autism interact with others.

After the presentations, we walked to Bruininks Hall where we got to eat dinner. My friend and I sat down next to three other girls who were students at the university. We got to ask a lot of questions about what the classes were like and what kind of projects they were working on. Then, we walked over to the mechanical engineering building where we got to see a laser cutter and made picture frames. While we worked, we got to socialize with the other girls. There were a wide range of interests from computer science to environmental science, and I got to meet another girl who is also on an FTC team.

I had never toured Minnesota before Gopher CSE, so the event gave me a feel for the campus while also giving me insight into the particular field I was interested in.

This blog was written by Georgia from FTC Team Vertigo (FTC 6287). If you are interested in blogging for FIRST Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!

Behaving like a professional

12/10/2019

Hi, my name is Melissa Ryan and I am the lead coach for The Golden Ratio team (FTC #12682). This is my fourth year as an FTC coach and I love seeing how FIRST improves the confidence and skills of all students. My topic today is the importance of behaving like a professional. Professionalism extends to every aspect of life and work. Professionalism and respect starts with you and starts early. You CAN stand out in a crowd, on your team, in your classroom or clubs, and open doors of opportunity for yourself through your actions no matter what your age.
Getting people to take you seriously and notice your talents and potential begins with your own attitude because people are usually going to see you through your own lens. How do you treat yourself and what kind of “mind food” do you eat? It’s true, just like programming a robot, Garbage In, Garbage Out (GIGO). I encourage you all to be your best self every day by starting your day off positively through some of these ideas:

Input Humor, Inspiration, and Learning Each Day (Ideas: Listen to comedians in the morning, listen to TED talks in the morning, YouTube Motivational Channels)
Pray for a positive spirit or for a learning experience to bless you that day
Write down your blessings from yesterday
Exercise

Also, make sure you are using your time wisely and not fritter your time away on endless social media pursuits. The Internet is awesome for learning new concepts and technical skills but it can also be a black hole of wastefulness if you’re not careful. Some more recommendations for how to become someone whom people are drawn to and respect are:

Eliminate Toxic People and Environments from your daily interactions.
Dress like you intend to be taken seriously and professionally.
Be a light in the room not a downer or energy drainer
Don’t gossip about others, if you have been offended by someone speak with them directly and politely, perhaps there has been a misunderstanding.
Don’t over promise something. But, when you do make a commitment to get tasks done be sure you actually DO IT by the deadline so you become known as a person that can be trusted and relied upon.
Reply to emails, texts, and group chats from your coaches, mentors and project members to show them respect and you’ll get respect in return. When someone has to keep reminding you to respond to a project discussion or complete a task you come off as immature and irresponsible. Remember, you may want a recommendation or a job from one of these people someday and your reputation will precede you.

Will Durant once said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Everything you do repeatedly forms a good or bad habit. Therefore:

Are you a gossiper or an encourager?
Are you an excuse maker or a change maker on your team or in your classes?
Are you a diplomat or a divider of people?
Do you take ownership of excellence in your work or just do enough to get by?

The more you work out the muscles of excellence and goodness the stronger and more noticeable they will become to others. The more you practice negativeness and excuse making the easier that will become too. Hence:

Eliminate Victim Mentality
Look Ahead Not Behind
Stop Making Excuses
Be Dependable, Trustworthy, and Responsible (Take Ownership)
Acknowledge Failures but Reach for Success
Advocate for Yourself and Control Your Narrative
Act Like a Winner and You’ll Become One
Have grit. Grit is the perseverance to keep on going to reach a goal even when it gets difficult. It’s viewing failure as a learning experience not a stop sign.

In conclusion, becoming someone people view as “professional” is far more about developing the right attitude and right habits than it is about being the most knowledgeable person in the room. If you practice the above traits, I guarantee you that you’ll see success and self-confidence flourish!
This blog was written by Melissa from FTC Team Golden Ratio Robotics (FTC 12682). If you are interested in blogging for FIRST Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!

December 1st, 2019

12/1/2019

Hello! My name is Skye Schoen, I live in Johnsburg, Illinois, and this is my first year on an FTC team. I am currently a member of FTC team #1268 The Golden Ratio. I attended my first meeting in September after a good friend of mine, Kate Thomson, expressed her passion and love for her robotics. Seeing as I have always had a love for technology, and wanted to expand my horizon from just helping my dad work on computers on our kitchen table, I thought it might be a good fit! And I think I can say with utmost confidence that it has exceeded my wildest expectations. I will say, starting as a rookie on such an established team was a little nerve-racking, but having Kate there made it a little easier.

I soon made a strong connection to not only the other team member but also our adult mentors. They are such a welcoming group. They have made my first robotics experience something that I will remember for a long time to come. I am currently on the programming team. Seeing as I’m still a rookie, I’ve mainly been observing what the more experienced programmers are doing and trying to learn all I can from them. There are times where I wish I could do more to help them out, but the other programmers and the mentors make sure to remind me that just because I’m a rookie doesn’t mean that I’m not a valuable part of the team. We had our first robotics meet of the season this past November 9th, and it was single-handedly one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. I can’t even begin to describe how proud I felt to be part of this team. In just a little time I have spent with them, I feel like I have grown as a person. Not only am I learned loads about programming, but I’m also learning valuable life skills that will ultimately lead me to a prosperous future. Now that my post is coming to an end, I believe it’s only appropriate to leave you off with some inspirational advice; just because something scares you doesn’t mean that you should turn your back to opportunities that could change your life. Channel that fear into a want to become a stronger person. Try new things. And I hope you
have a great day!

-Skye Schoen

Robotics Facts That You Should know

11/3/2019

Robotic Facts That You Should Know
Anyone familiar with science fiction knows how important robots are to our vision of the
future. Ask the average person to describe what life will be like in 100 years, and the chances
are good that he or she will mention robots. But in most modern manufacturing facilities, the
future is already here. Thanks to advancements made by engineers, programmers and robotics manufacturers, automated systems currently are a big — and essential — part of industry. That role is expected to grow even larger as time goes on, and for good reason.
Robots offer a number of advantages in industrial environments. Not only can they perform
heavy-duty tasks that would be nearly impossible for people to do, but they can do so
thousands of times without making a mistake or suffering physical consequences, such as
repetitive strain injuries. They also enhance safety by taking on some of the most dangerous
jobs in factories and warehouses. Although many people think of them as a part of the future that hasn’t yet arrived, robotic workers are making a major difference in industrial settings right now. But because they’re considered futuristic rather than practical, people have a several misconceptions about robots and their use. To see some of these myths busted, take a look at the accompanying infographic.

Author bio: Julie Workman is Marketing Manager for Acieta, which specializes in industrial
robotics automation that helps North American manufacturers be globally competitive.

Leadership Lessons with Leanne Meyer

10/16/2019

Every year we host fantastic female role models for Girls of Steel. Past speakers include Julia Parsons, WWII codebreaker; Carnegie Mellon University Professors Henny Admoni and Jessica Hodgins; and PPG executive Rebecca Liebert.

Girls of Steel was pleased to have Leanne Meyer, the Executive Director of the Accelerate Leadership Center at the Tepper School of Business and Program Director of the Carnegie Mellon Leadership and Negotiation Academy for Women, speak at one of our meetings.

Leanne began her mission in South Africa and was inspired by events that occurred in her home country. Her mission is to assist leaders around the world to navigate their business life in the best way possible as well as making sure that everyone feels confident in themselves and the work that they are doing.
She discussed this with Girls of Steel by diving into the concept of being a leader and how women face challenges throughout their careers by trying to be successful. We could all remember a time when we were told that we should not be leaders or that we were being “bossy.”
Leanne’s inspirational speech helped to remind us that we are capable of being leaders and should never feel guilty about doing so. We need to own the word “bossy” and replace its negative connotation with one of power and independence.
She left us with this definition of leadership: “Leadership is using the greatness in you to achieve and sustain extraordinary outcomes by engaging the greatness of others.” by Susan L. Calantuono, CEO of Leading Women.
This blog was written by Emma from FRC Team Girls of Steel (FRC 3504). If you are interested in blogging for FIRST Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!