Spring Break
College of Engineering conducts girls-only robotics summer camp
Women prepare to enter robotics field
Rachel Mehlhaff
Issue date: 11/27/07 Section: NEWS
"We wanted them to feel safe and creative," Akl said.
Mitra Mahdavian, NT alumnus, who worked at these camps for the past three years, said the girls surprised her.
"When the girls started they were apprehensive about being there," she said. "They didn't think they could do it."
By the end of the camp she said they were a lot more confident. There was also a change in their attitude toward the subjects of engineering, computer science and math.
"It was pretty amazing, they learned faster than we could teach them," Mahdavian said.
"It helps them build confidence, which is always a great thing."
The original idea for these camps came while judging a Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology robotics competition, where area middle schools and high schools compete. Keathly said that while talking with students, he and Akl realized there was a need for computer science and engineering camps just for girls.
Akl said the girls at the competition had to fight harder than the boys to get their designs incorporated into the designing and building of the robot.
There is no cost to participants. The grant is used to cover the different costs of the camps. It covers replacement parts for the robots, lunches and snacks, student salaries, transportation and time the professors are at the camp, T-shirts and miscellaneous items such as pens and pencils, Keathly said.
Through these camps, Keathly said girls are also taught that college is an option and financial aid is available.
Keathly and Akl have guest speakers from different fields of engineering come to the camps. This is so the girls can have female role models from the industry, Akl said.
Mitra Mahdavian, NT alumnus, who worked at these camps for the past three years, said the girls surprised her.
"When the girls started they were apprehensive about being there," she said. "They didn't think they could do it."
By the end of the camp she said they were a lot more confident. There was also a change in their attitude toward the subjects of engineering, computer science and math.
"It was pretty amazing, they learned faster than we could teach them," Mahdavian said.
"It helps them build confidence, which is always a great thing."
The original idea for these camps came while judging a Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology robotics competition, where area middle schools and high schools compete. Keathly said that while talking with students, he and Akl realized there was a need for computer science and engineering camps just for girls.
Akl said the girls at the competition had to fight harder than the boys to get their designs incorporated into the designing and building of the robot.
There is no cost to participants. The grant is used to cover the different costs of the camps. It covers replacement parts for the robots, lunches and snacks, student salaries, transportation and time the professors are at the camp, T-shirts and miscellaneous items such as pens and pencils, Keathly said.
Through these camps, Keathly said girls are also taught that college is an option and financial aid is available.
Keathly and Akl have guest speakers from different fields of engineering come to the camps. This is so the girls can have female role models from the industry, Akl said.
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