VALPARAISO | Building robots from Legos was the challenge Saturday for middle school girls and adult mentors at the Lego Robotics Workshop sponsored by Discoveries Unlimited at Ivy Tech Community College.
"They are building them from scratch and programming them to get them to do different things," said Cathie Dull of Discoveries Unlimited.
Discoveries Unlimited is an organization that links adult mentors with girls who are interested in science, technology, engineering and math, known as STEM.
Each team was provided with a Lego set and an instruction booklet to assemble their tabletop-sized robots, which they programmed to make various moves, powered by AA batteries.
Discoveries Unlimited brought in Steve Florence, of West Lafayette, an engineering and technology teacher at West Lafayette Junior-Senior High School, who leads a 35-student robotics team called the Westside Boiler Invasion.
Florence's team builds robots for national competitions organized by FIRST, or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, an international organization for high school students interested in technology and engineering.
"The idea is to inspire students in math, science and technology," said Florence, who brought some of his students to assist Saturday. "The goal is to try to find more females to be inspired because there's a need for their creativity and everything women bring to the table in the business world."
Florence said some of his former students have successful careers in STEM fields working for companies such as Boeing and Google.
Ava Massarella partnered with mentor Amanda Maynard to build her robot.
"I've always wanted to work at NASA when I'm older," said Ava, a sixth-grader at Ben Franklin Middle School in Valparaiso. "Maybe I'll build the next rover to go on a planet."
Ava said the hands-on experience building a robot makes learning fun.
"I don't like just reading it out of a textbook," said Ava, whose science teacher recommended she get involved in Discoveries Unlimited. "I like to do it."
Maynard, executive director of the Challenger Learning Center in Hammond, said, "that's the way science should be."
"I think STEM education is important especially for young girls," Maynard said. "If Ava chooses a career in the STEM path, then I've helped."
Maynard, a former teacher, said the mentors, not just the girls, benefit from participation in Discoveries Unlimited.
"I like the personal connection," Maynard said. "It's very rewarding to me."
Florence believes the future of students interested in STEM careers is unlimited.
"Let's get them inspired and see where they take themselves," he said.
