Hispanics in FIRST and Engineering

[macman828]

Originally Posted by indieFan

You might want to contact the local chapter of SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers). They may be able to offer you some insight into how to recruit, as well as how many engineers are Hispanic at this time.

I am a SHPE Detroit Professional Chapter member.

Five years ago my chapter hosted a Noche de Ciencias at a predominately Hispanic high school in Detroit (Cesar Chavez Academy) and that night the school asked if we could mentor their robotics team they wanted to start. I never left after that. I had done FRC when I was in High school, and I work at volunteered at event so I had the experience needed.

I am much closer both at work and at home to some of the FRC powerhouses but I rather drive 50 mins to be with my school for this exact reason. To increase the number of Hispanics like myself in Engineering and STEM and general.

I agree with indieFan that SHPE is a key way to bring those professional members to mentor teams and bring more Hispanics into FIRST.

PM me if you like more details on all of the ways we in the Detroit area are doing this. We now have 6 teams in the area with the highest Hispanic concentration population. 4680, 5577, 5756, 5901, 5068, 5915

CD in Pontiac is another great example as well as Team 66.

I wish we did more in Michigan, especially in Grand Rapids but there is no SHPE chapter there I can lean on.

FIRST is trying to partner at a national level with SHPE and the other minority organization.