Silver Award Spotlight: Robo-Mustangs Rising
While girls and women are increasingly participating in STEM fields, they remain significantly underrepresented in robotics, particularly in engineering and technical roles. Rising Girl Scout Senior Aubrey from Troop 522 used her passion and talents in robotics to complete a Girl Scout Silver Award project aimed at bridging the gap in exposure to competitive robotics among students at Hugo A. Owens Middle School in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Aubrey has been involved in the robotics club at Hugo A. Owens Middle School since she was in sixth grade, the first year of the robotics program. The following year, her team made it to the finals of a state competition. Although she was already interested in STEM, building and coding robots to solve problems sparked her curiosity and interest in making this part of her future career path.
Recognizing the importance of nurturing early interests in STEM for incoming students, especially girls, Aubrey hosted an event at her school for rising sixth graders, where she introduced key robotics concepts and shared her passion for the field. She enlisted the support of Caren Daniel, a science teacher and the robotics club sponsor from Hugo Owens Middle School, to organize interactive stations for the event. By inviting incoming middle-school students, she hoped to spark curiosity and enthusiasm for robotics among the newest class.
“Robotics can teach vital life skills that are needed in the world,” Aubrey shared. “This project matters because it gives rising sixth graders an idea of what to expect if they join robotics. On a global scale, there is a huge need for collaborators, engineers, strategists, and programmers. Robotics can strengthen these skills and set a kid up for success in their future. My team will make this project sustainable by having members of the Hugo Robotics Club carry on hosting this event. Every year, an eighth grader will plan the event with the help of lower graders. The sixth and seventh graders will learn how to host the event, and then will host it when the eighth graders move on to ninth grade.”
By empowering the next generation of STEM enthusiasts, Aubrey is creating a more inclusive future for technology and engineering.
