VEX IQ Challenge Girl Powered Essay Challenge Sponsored by The REC Foundation
Girl Powered is an initiative to redefine the face of STEM by creating a more inclusive environment for all students within the robotics community. Together, with the support of the entire community, we strive to encourage equal participation of young women and men in competitive robotics. We want to use this challenge to show the robotics community at large just what it means to be a Girl Powered VEX IQ Challenge team!
Do you have a compelling and engaging story about how your team has incorporated Girl Powered into your program? Or do you have a story to share that illustrates how diversity of perspective changes your robot design, your team chemistry, and even your ability to succeed?
This challenge is about sharing your robotics experience as a team that embraces the Girl Powered initiative and what being Girl Powered means to you and your team. Your story must contain a clear beginning, middle and end.
Think of this as a pictorial essay: Your submission should be created using a combination of imagery (photography, drawings, screen captures, etc.) and supporting text.
5 key things to keep in mind for a successful submission:
- When you hear the phrase, Girl Powered, what comes to mind? How is it reflected in your team’s approach to robotics?
- Share how your team has taken initiative to create a more inclusive environment that attracts a diverse group of students.
- Share how each team member has tried various roles on the team (everything from designing, building, programming, strategy, awards, etc.). Explain what you learned through this experience.
- How do you believe diversity of perspective changes your robot design, your team chemistry, and even your ability to succeed?
- Who is your STEM role model and why? Does this person inspire you to have a more inclusive team/program? How?
We want compelling, engaging stories that give us insight into how you’ve taken the Girl Powered initiative and incorporated it into your experience on a VEX Robotics Competition team. The benefit of having a diverse team will become apparent through your individual stories.
*Your entry may be shared to help promote the Girl Powered Initiative.
Entries
Girl Powered Essay
This Girl Power essay was co-authored by two amazing students, Reese Miguel and Sara Khattak. They are both excelling in honors classes. They are part of an all-girl robotics team which all-the-more emphasizes the true need for Girl Power. They are both goal driven and not afraid to take on a daunting task; where in fact they enjoy the challenge.
Robogators Girl Powered Essay
Girl Powered Essay written by Riverglades Robogators detailing how our club has created a diverse and inclusive environment for robotics.
5081F: Girl Powered!
This submission was written by Annabelle Acevedo. It highlights her journey in robotics as a girl.
We are GIRL POWERED!
Hello, my name is Nadia and I am on team number 74177Z. We happen to be the only team at our school that only has girls. This essay is about what the phrase Girl Powered means to my team, about how much fun we have together and about our coach, who is our inspiration to be better, be more inclusive, kind and respectful.
Girl Power Pictorial Essay
This is our essay that explains what we think Girl Power means to us. We enjoyed working together to write this essay.
Girl Power Pictorial Essay
Here is our essay! We worked really hard on this and enjpyed every second. Hope you enjoy it.
Intelligence in STEM
This entry is from Lauren Lambert and Meredith Maze. They are the only two girls in their robotics team so girl power is important to them. They want to make a difference in their school so the girls made this. We hope you enjoy!
Rising Above the Glass Ceiling
My name is Jeanelle Reyna, and I am a part of Team 99808A, NOVA IQ Robotics. I wrote my Girl Powered essay about how girls are encouraged to rise above an invisible glass ceiling that is halting their progress in their careers. I hope that this can encourage girls to keep going, and break gender stereotypes, proving that girls can do anything.
Space Cookies: A Sisterhood
Here at Space Cookies, we support all our fellow STEM sisters. We believe that STEM is a highly male-dominated area, and it is our job as an all-girls team to support girls to go into STEM.
Girl Powered
Anna Asano and Nina Cimato are part of an all-girls robotics team- 5481C. This essay is about what the phrase Girl Power means to them, diversity in a team, and their STEM role model.
We Are Stronger When We Work Together
Girl Power means everyone is equal and we're all stronger when we work together.
My Robotics Journey Girl Power Essay
Essay online challenge by Jaliyah Weeks.
Women in Power
Women in Power written by Julisa Hermandez, Ashley Lopez, and Adriana Mazariegos Calderon
United with Robotics
" Nowadays we have a phrase to bring back all the brightness and potential that girls and women had back then, which they weren’t able to demonstrate."
Not all Girls Like Pink
We are AquaBots 1845A and we are the wave of the future! Read our online submission to find out how our team has Girl Power.
Girl Powered
When you hear the words Girl Powered, what do you think of? Well, when I hear Girl Powered it makes me think of girls supporting students/classmates, having people try new things, and making people feel like they belong. Girls can do so much more when it comes to problems. On team 214F STUDS we have a total of three girls out of ten people. Those three girls are Mya Bryson, Hailey Hall, and I, Aubrey Baber. To be honest, us three girls actually do a lot for our team. When there are seven boys you already know that’s going to go down hill straight away. Most of the time they...
Girl Power Essay
VEX IQ Girl Power
By: Kaimbria, Penelope, Jonna, Karlee
When presented with a problem, not every person is going to give the same solution. There are logical ways, rash ideas, and maybe something in between, but when working in a group, and especially a group with diverse people, you can hear everyone’s thoughts. By doing so, you can figure out the problem. Since I’ve joined the VEX program, I’ve been able to see so many different perspectives and ideas, and because of that, my viewpoint has...
Girl Powered: Courage to Continue
We believe being Girl Powered means continuing on—no matter the obstacle. We’ve all faced obstacles in robotics, sometimes big, sometimes small. But the true measure of success is not what happens one day, it’s having the resolve to keep going, even when the going gets tough.
Girl Power
This is our picture essay about what Girl Power means to us in context of VEX IQ robotics. Our school has had a girls VEX IQ robotics team each year since the program started in 2016.
Girl Powered Robohawkes
Please see files for our submission:
Girl Powered Robohawkes
Written By: Gabriella Daise & Lilly Khan
Team #4295A
(504 words)
Girl Mentor Inspire
Paige, a returning robotics student, mentors her new team!
ROBOTICS AND GIRL POWERED
Have you ever thought about what Girl Powered means? Girl Power is essentially girls helping other girls to achieve a goal.
Girl Powered is a saying that uplifts and acknowledges girl's working together to achieve a goal in reference to self-determination, confidence, and empowerment. The act of girls working together in a team to make inspiring work. Girls supporting other girls, no matter what you look like, no matter what background you come from. It's about accepting the fact that you're a girl, especially back then and especially...