Making STEM a better place for women

[PayneTrain]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

Lets keep in mind that this is natural.

There are quite a few socially awkward male and females in robotics so these situations can get worse. And, the lack of females with the interest can extenuate the situation but regardless this is life.

I am not advocating for creepy behavior but normal flirting and tries at a relationship with other members or members from other teams are to be expected.

We all are high school students after all.

The number one reason I still do what I do is because I want to provide as many students as possible with an equal or preferably better experience in FIRST than my own. I assume and hope that is the case for a lot of other alumni mentors.

When students do not feel like they feel safe or comfortable in a given environment, I take that very seriously and try to use the available channels to rectify that situation.

It is really really s****y that I have to go to female student members on my team and walk them through best practices for dealing with unsolicited actions and unacceptable behavior from other people at competitions... but what am I supposed to do? Telling them and their parents "kids will be kids" and "boys will be boys" is an unacceptable response.

I try to be proactive as possible when considering these scenarios but there is no more painful failure as a coach than having students who have been negatively affected by outside people so much that they cannot perform their duties and experience the benefits of FRC's competitive environments.

Team members sign a code of conduct and are reminded repeatedly throughout the season pretty bluntly to not be a creep or a jerk lest they be disappeared from the team if remedial action proves fruitless. FIRST and STEM does need a culture change to fix this really serious problem.

When a student comes to me and expresses relief that some guy that creeped her out at events will be going to a different college than her, that forms a really weird bittersweet reactionary thought in my head--a thought quickly replaced by the unfortunate and well-supported fear in the back of my head that her desire to pursue a degree in engineering means this will not be the last time she has to deal with this.