TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Female students from Pioneer Robotics, the FIRST Tech Challenge team from Catalina Foothills High School, decided to take action on the lack of female involvement in STEM fields with a diversity initiative, Girls FIRST.
Girls FIRST focus their attention on the gender imbalance in FIRST robotics and STEM fields. They believe 'diverse perspectives and talents produce better decisions and results.' In this effort, the girls reach out to female students from math, science and engineering classes, invite them to preview Pioneer Robotics and their work and share with them why the female perspective is equally valuable as their counterpart.
The inspiring young minds behind Girls FIRST conduct interviews with female professionals, learning what it takes to enter male-dominated fields and how to navigate those careers where gender imbalance is present successfully.
Two of the current four members of Girls FIRST, Camila Ritz and Sara Nielsen, say the thought originated when volunteering for Pioneer Robotics as mentors at local elementary schools.
"We noticed when we were mentoring them how the actions between the boys and girls were quite different. The girls were less likely to speak up and share their ideas," Nielson said.
With already understanding the obstacles females face, the girls felt as if they didn't take action about the lack of female involvement and were also contributing to the imbalance.
"As a girl in engineering, I know how hard the gender gap can really be. They kind of felt, at certain points, inferior to the boys. And so, Girls FIRST sort of stemmed from that."
They work on not only getting girls involved in robotics but empowering those girls and supporting their involvement throughout that time.
"I kind of just teach them not to doubt their abilities because all of the girls here know what they're doing," said Nielson.
"And make girls feel like they are not only welcome, but they can really put in their ideas and make this team not just diverse but more strengthened," Ritz followed.
The girls say their goal by next year is to have the same number of girls in Pioneer Robotics as boys.
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Breanna Isbell is a reporter for KGUN 9. She joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2022 after receiving her bachelor’s degree in sports journalism from Arizona State University in May. Share your story ideas with Breanna by emailing breanna.isbell@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
