Featuring FTC teams that advocate for representation of women, LGBTQ+ individuals, minorities and more!
Throughout the engineering world, it has been clear what the image is: cis white men. This true, considering that for every 10 men in the engineering field there is less than 1 women. How are young girls suppose to enter STEM when this is the representation? This lack of women and other minorities is definitely a problem and needs to change. Being a women wanting to go into the STEM field myself, it is hard to be acknowledged or recognized simply based off of gender or ethnicity.
Luckily, there are some amazing robotics teams out there under FIRST Robotics that advocate for change and promote STEM to underrepresented communities.
But first, what is FIRST? They are a robotics program which has about 150 teams in the SoCal region alone. FIRST’s motto “Gracious Professionalism” is carried out by every team. With this, comes some amazing teams that stand for representation.
Now, by viewing the insight of what it’s like to be a robotics kid in a gender divided field and how teams are using their voices (and robots) to advocate for change, let’s gear up to what they are up to and who they are to the STEM community!
Why is representation important?
It is key that every person is equally represented wether that be just for a small robotics team or in the work force. Everyone must feel heard and seen everywhere they go! Though, it is hard when you are, for instance, the only women in a male dominated field. To put in simple terms, It’s like a blue bowl in a cupboard of red dishes. It is difficult to fit in and feel comfortable in such environment.
This is true in the engineering world as it is a male dominated field. As young girls, minorities, or queer individuals try to get into STEM, they feel out of place and discouraged to pursue STEM. This is clear when 40% of women leave the engineering workforce and 1 in 4 leave the field after a certain age due to underrepresentation. As of now, in the engineering workforce, there are only 13% of women working. In addition, minorities are continuously underrepresented as well, with only 7% of blacks and hispanics being STEM workers. The current engineering culture has hindered people other than the white male image to pursue a career.
This tables clearly need to turn on representation, and that’s where FIRST robotics comes in. As many robotics teams acknowledge the issue at hand, they strive to empower others, showing that anyone can be apart of STEM, no matter who you are!
The Action…
Often, many robotics teams are co-ed, consisting of boys, girls, and gender nonconforming members. One of these team is FTC #4628 Suit Bots, based in Monrovia California. Even though they feature all genders in their team, each member’s skills are equally highlighted and the team works together to build their team’s robot. Consisting of POCs, women, queers, and other minorities, they strive to have everyone that goes through Suit Bots recognized. Yet, this ideal space of having all genders work together is not a reality in the professional world. One member states, “I feel like many young queer and gender non confirming people often feel excluded and do not feel encouragement to be a part of STEM as engineering and robotics are usually meant for cis-white-men (I mean, just look in our robotics room!) But with more all girls teams such as Javabots and Marlbots, and teams who are open to all people, such as Suit Bots, we can create a better future for the world.”
The Suit Bots takes it upon themselves to change the old norm of the engineering world and create a new norm for everyone stating that
…[We] have taken the initiative and started working with an elementary school to encourage the girls from a young age that engineering is for everyone.
By suiting up to the challenge and working with younger kids in their new STEM program, they can start to be exposed to an inclusive future in the STEM world! We can see this in action in an interview with one of the girls they work with, Karisse. She states, “I feel excited to do STEM because it’s interesting!” She also states that the info Suit Bots is teaching will help her in the future by being able to make websites using code and aid her in becoming a doctor! Karisse expresses great excitement and happiness to have the opportunity o experience engineering at young age and desire to pursue a STEM based hobby or career in the future.
Later, the Suit Bots plan to keep up with their advocacy for inclusivity by hoping to form a program allowing for more POCs to join STEM and continue to encourage underrepresented communities to do robotics.
By creating this safe space, they hope to inspire other teams to do the same, upholding the idea of a less divided world and room for everyone to do robotics no matter what gender, ethnicity, or person you are!
Additionally, Suit Bots are not the only team that strives to empower others to pursue engineering. Robotics teams under the Girls Scouts, FTC #5218 Javabots and #25 Rock N’ Roll Robotics are two all girls team that inspire girls to join the STEM world. Based in Pasadena California, they strive to spread ideals of FIRST and representation throughout the engineering community.
To start, JavaBots feel that representation has gotten better, but still needs work. They state that “…although there are many more women participating in STEM fields, there’s still a lack in adequate representation, so engineering is often seen as a masculine field, so women are often discouraged from acting feminine in order to be taken seriously.” This outlook is interesting and shows how women should be able to embrace femininity while working in STEM. With the already lack of women figures, the people in it should be able to be themselves when working.
We realize that not many girls get the experience to have such a supportive female community, so we try our best to connect girls to those existing supportive environments or help them create their own. I’ve looked up to other girls on my team for years, so now that I’m older with more experience, I strive to be like the girls that were my role models, by spreading the message that everyone should be able to confidently participate in stem and express themselves without apology.
Currently, their main outlook on representation has been trying to improve the outlook on women. They state, “Even now, I feel a pressure to present a certain way at meetings and competitions to be viewed as a good leader. I still try my best to not be affected by these expectations and not censor my self expression.” Breaking the stereotype of the engineering workforce is no easy task. JavaBots invite girl scout troops to their workshop so they are exposed to STEM activities such as programming or building robots. They state, “It’s amazing to see how inspired the girls become when they are given the opportunity to create. We’ve had troops come back years after visiting us to tell us that they found their interest in STEM through our activities.” Their impact is lasting on these young girls and we hope to see them continue their amazing work with Girl Scouts to allow more women to embrace STEM, finding the Java in their bot!
Additionally, Rock n’ Roll has also made it clear that they want to change the way the engineering field views women. They state, “Our participation in FIRST as young women shows that there is a step towards bridging the gap we currently witness, however more is still to be done as we feel there is still this underlying tension regarding women partaking in engineering.” In doing so, they have created thier virtual RNRR Badge Program through working with Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles. With this program, they teach multiple young girls skills related to STEM and the girls can earn badges.
We were able to reach girls from all over the Southern California Area, and expose them to the opportunities available in STEM.
Rock n’ Roll prides themselves in creating a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. They state, “Our team fosters a welcoming and outgoing environment that allows us to reach out to other communities and educate those unaware about the need for better engagement of women in male dominated fields. The foundation of our team rests on the idea of ‘no experience needed’ in order to learn and become a successful and contributing member of FIRST. We are prideful of the impact we make and in becoming role models for young girls and other communities.” By teaching younger girls skills in STEM, they are able to apply it into their future goals. By being a role model to everyone in the STEM family, Rock n’ Roll has made lasting impressions by making STEM more inclusive!
Another all girls team that is MARLvelous in advocating for inclusivity, its #3526 Marlbots from Los Angeles California. They are constantly pushing the boundaries with their gender-minority team by empowering women in STEM. They pride themselves to “create a community of supportive FIRST students who encompass a wide range of identities.”
Currently, Marlbots feel too as if the engineering field is heavily dominated, as with many others stating, “Gatekeepers in STEM have a tendency to exclude people who don’t fit the mold such as LGBTQ+ individuals, women, and minorities. This has a detrimental effect on engineering practices and the individuals who wish to pursue engineering.” They also discussed in an interview that the younger generation don’t have anyone to look up to and identify with. The current state of the engineering field in regard to representation and diversity needs work and here’s how Marlbots is going to conquer it!
Marlbots partners with organizations such as LGBTQ+ of FIRST and FIRST Ladies to encourage diversity in STEM and the FIRST program. In doing so, the team hopes to show that women and minorities can express themselves in STEM. They state, “We want to be a team that supports others no matter what and we will always be there to provide support and a safe space for all.”
To emphasize, Marlbots have made it their mission to connect with their community and teams to encompass a wide range of identities.
We believe that no matter who you are, anyone should be allowed to pursue an interest in STEM.
With all this, they have built a strong community around them that is supportive of their message and strive to change the way the engineering field is. Marlbots is taking big steps in their advocacy for inclusion within STEM and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for these women and more!
Overall, all these teams are in the path to a more diverse world! From Suit Bots creating a robotics program to encourage young girls to pursue STEM, to Marlbots partnering with inclusive organization, these high schoolers are taking the extra step towards inclusivity. By empowering the underrepresented community the engineering field, we are able to see an amazing new generation of engineers of all genders, races and sexuality.
Special thank you to the following FTC teams:
#4628 Suit Bots, #5218 Javabots, #25 Rock N’ Roll, #3526 Marlbots
You rock! 🎸
Written By: Deanna P.