[serenagh]

This is an issue especially dear to me- I am one of those "powerhouse" girls, or would consider myself one. I walked onto an all male team my freshman year, and it was one of the most challenging/defining moments of my life- I learned how to stand of myself, how to deal with opposition, and get involved. But there were definitely times where I felt pushed out, not included, or told I wasn't good at it. I've been exceptionally lucky- I have an enginneer and a computer scientist as parents, who have always pushed me towards STEM, and my first exposure to FIRST was through a small all girls FLL team, which is what encouraged me to seek out the FRC experience in the first place. Without those things in my background, I might have quit. After that year, I knew something had to change - and I started an all girls FTC team at my school, primarily because I absolutely knew there were more girls who wanted to be involved, but couldn't walk into that room of guys all by themselves. I was surprised to find it wasn't my "math-sciency" friends who joined me on the team, but students who were interested in all sorts of things- arts, humanities, english. We managed to make are way, figuring out how to build and put together a robot, and manage a team. But there were definitely some differences. I co-captain both teams, and I know that some of the girls who are wonderful at designing and building had to be pushed, reassured that they weren't doing something wrong, that it was ok to try and fail. They, and I, were less likely to jump in and just try something than are male counterparts- so that extra push, that explanation, can mean everything. Don't dismiss us if we don't get involved right away. Anyway, this is a great thread, and a great discussion to have. For any girls out there - you rock! Keep proving that we can do just as much and more. Try something new, be that mechanical, or programming, grant writing or photography- they're all valuable skills, for everyone.