((PKG)) ROBOTIC CAMP GIRLS
((Banner: Robotics Camp))
((Reporter/Camera: Cristina Caicedo Smit))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Gaithersburg, Maryland))
((NATS))
((Banner: The SparkIT summer camp encourages young girls to pursue STEM careers))
((NATS))
((Cindy Shi, SparkIT Robotics))
My name is Cindy Shi and I am the teacher and leader of SparkIT Robotics program.
((NATS))
((Cindy Shi, SparkIT Robotics))
At SparkIT Robotics, I teach girls how to program using robotics and I think it’s very important for girls to do this because it’s innovative, but also a very interesting way for girls to program. So, all of SparkIT Robotics program is catered towards girls 10-15 years old because I think it is the best time for girls to learn.
((NATS))
((Wendy Shi, SparkIT Robotics))
When you program the robots, you have to know how fast the robot rolls, how long you want the robot to roll, and together how far the robot will roll. So, that requires multiplication, mathematics and a basic understanding of distance and time.
((NATS))
((Shradha Roud, SparkIT student))
Sometimes they are accurate, but sometimes they’re not that accurate. So, when we have to program it, we have to like try it out a lot of times.
((Cindy Shi, SparkIT Robotics))
The biggest challenge is that girls have the mental thinking that they are not capable, or they are not good or smart enough, and that is definitely not true. And I think that’s the main problem that girls have, is that they think that technology is often for boys.
((Nishka Ponnapureddy, SparkIT student))
Well, I’ve always liked coding and I’ve done Lego robotics, and then when I heard about this program, I’m like, wow, coding seems fun.
((Cindy Shi, SparkIT Robotics))
At the end of the program, I want the girls to take home the idea that they are good enough and that they are smart and capable enough to pursue STEM and technology in the future.
((SparkIT student))
I really want to be a math professor in college.
((Reporter))
How old are you?
((Student))
I’m eight years old.