Metal Moose: Women in STEM

Recently, the Metal Moose robotics team hosted a Women in STEM workshop for female-identifying students in 5th through 8th grades. The workshop, spearheaded by Lucia Sanchez ’24, focused on three main activities:  LEGO robotics, Python programming, and an introduction to Metal Moose and FIRST Robotics. Sanchez shares, “The LEGO robotics activity was for elementary-aged students, and Python programming was for middle-school-aged students. During the LEGO robotics portion, we taught students how to build and code LEGO robots step-by-step using Ev3 kits. The Python programming section consisted of the open-source Tech Girlz curriculum, which allowed us to teach students basic programming concepts by creating a digital Mad Lib and a number-guessing game. Lastly, we did a brief presentation for all of the students about what the Metal Moose does and how FIRST Robotics and the competitions we attend work. We then did a robot demonstration of our 2024 robot ‘Clio’ during which we explained the functionality of the robot and let students drive it.”

Sanchez says she was inspired to organize this event because she was first introduced to robotics in elementary school in an all-girls tech workshop. “It inspired me to further pursue LEGO robotics and STEM activities at my own school. So I wanted to run a Women in STEM workshop [here] for middle and elementary school girls to build coding skills and learn about robotics in a safe and supportive space.” Because the workshop was such a success,  the Metal Moose team plans to continue holding free STEM workshops in the coming years.