Why is it that not many girls are into robotics?

[TheMuffinMan]

I think Kris had a good point, alot of girls are more involved in other things, apperances and sports than something along the lines of FIRST. I tried explaining what we did to my girlfriend and it went completely over her head she wanted to see a C3P0 walking android thing, and didn't quite grasp what our goal was. Then you've got some people that think we're off to make a Battle Bot thing with flame throwers etc, then those people get dissapointed when they learn we're just playing with triangles haha. Like my friend said earlier, all of the girls on our team are mostly working on PR stuff, handouts, banner, etc AND they're our officers, so they may not be hands-on with the robot but they sure push us along (except for the one meeting they all watched The Notebook and cried alow )

[IA-Howitzer]

OK, we have only 2 girls on our team and our team is made from 2 different schools (Woodside and Carlmont). Since there is no one from Woodside the people I talk 2 dont want to go and be the only girl there. Any tips on how to get a lot of girls in at once. I was thinking maybe announce something over the intercom but that might be sorta weird.

P.S. Ill try mentioning that RCU thing, but any other help would b great.

O ya, and for the post above me, if they like battle bots, tell them we still can try 2 wreck other robots but that its called "Defense".

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by IA-Howitzer

if they like battle bots, tell them we still can try 2 wreck other robots but that its called "Defense".

However...

Originally Posted by <G25>

Strategies aimed solely at the destruction, damage, tipping over, or entanglement of ROBOTS are not in the spirit of the FIRST Robotics Competition and are not allowed.

[Lisa Perez]

Another thing to consider is that in their curriculum, a lot of girls gravitate toward the social studies and English subjects. I was talking to a bunch of my friends the other day, and it seemed that out of our whole group, I was pretty much the only one who favored math and science.

To add, most people think robotics is completely math and science, which it's not. That's why at my school, we've been working to break that stereotype and demonstrate that people who are indeed apt to like the social studies and English more can still get involved in a large capacity.

IA-Howitzer: The intercom thing really works. When 573 first brought girls into the team, that's how they got our interest. Usually if at least one person's interest is sparked, they will talk friends into coming with them (that's usually the case here).

In my own opinion as a girl i would say that they are too embarsed to join or think it wierd.i am the only girl on the team trying to get others to join is hard.i will take any ideas at all.

[Nin_estarSaerah]

well, I have several theories as to why there are less girls.

First of all would be that girls' brains do often work differently than guys' brains. their interests simply don't lie in engineering as much.. often, not always. but this is not as big a reason as other reasons.

girls care a lot about their popularity and reputation. they don't want to be stereotyped as a "nerd", unless, like me, they embrace their nerdiness.

also, guys on teams have a lot to do with it. sometimes they mentally see girls as cheerleaders and poster makers... or they see a girl as somebody just for them to hit on and flirt with, which may turn girls away from a team.

society's stereotypes also attribute to the lack of girls, and perhaps fuel these other reasons as well

[vic burg]

Originally Posted by IA-Howitzer

Any tips on how to get a lot of girls in at once. I was thinking maybe announce something over the intercom but that might be sorta weird.

Just so everyone knows, I do not mean to be rude or mean sounding in this post. I am just generalizing from what I know.

What you can try to do is just have everyone already involved tell all the girls (and boys) about robotics. Have a demonstration at lunch with a robot, or put up posters. Obviously, guys can still join but, one really huge plus to having girls on the team is that we have smaller hands (usually) and can get in those tight spaces where electrical wires have become unplugged or a screw fell in between pieces, etc. Also, (and I don't mean to demean the guys), but girls seem to have better hand-eye coordination, for like, the position of human player or maybe driver. I'm not saying that guys are terrible with it, but it's really about the brain chemistry. However, that's neither here nor there-- basically just try to appeal to girls. you don't have to paint your bodies pink (although im sure 233 wouldn't mind -- lol) but just advertise it, on the pa system, with posters, flyers, just talking, etc.

Just get across the idea that robotics isn't only for guys. Heck, this is my second year as mechanical manger! There may be some people who may not like the idea of girls on a FIRST team, but there are 2 FRC teams I know (knew) of that are made up of all girls.

Just tell them about it!

[midway78224]

457 has plenty of girls on our team 10 to be extact and they do everything from being our team leader to being a programming our team does not stop them for doing watever they want. we always encourage them to do wat they want

[Erin Rapacki]

I think it’s a combination of the attitudes of the mentors and current students on the team. A team who already has females on it may do better at attracting more, a team with only guys (but guys who encourage females to take a leadership role) may do well at recruiting, but a team with only guys where girls don't even register on their radar as being technically competent will not do well at attracting them. All teams should recognize girls as having the potential of being technically competent enough to have a leadership position. The team should also have a means of teaching those skills (through pre season projects, etc...). The robot education people here at UML have noticed that it takes more hand holding and a longer period of time to get the ball rolling on a girl's interest in robotics and sci/tech, but once they become interested, they go deeper into it, become very skilled, and remain interested (I witnessed this on an all-girls FIRST rookie team as well.)

[vivek16]

Its because the general Nerd population is mostly guys. yes there are girls but not nearly as many tech geek girls as tech geek guys.

-vivek

[ebarker]

Originally Posted by Erin Rapacki

I think it’s a combination of the attitudes of the mentors and current students on the team. A team who already has females on it may do better at attracting more, a team with only guys (but guys who encourage females to take a leadership role) may do well at recruiting, but a team with only guys where girls don't even register on their radar as being technically competent will not do well at attracting them. All teams should recognize girls as having the potential of being technically competent enough to have a leadership position. The team should also have a means of teaching those skills (through pre season projects, etc...). The robot education people here at UML have noticed that it takes more hand holding and a longer period of time to get the ball rolling on a girl's interest in robotics and sci/tech, but once they become interested, they go deeper into it, become very skilled, and remain interested (I witnessed this on an all-girls FIRST rookie team as well.)

Good stuff here. This is right on.

If you want young women on the team, you have to plan and prepare for it. They need to feel welcome and valued by mentors and current members. And they need to be allowed to get hands on so that they will gain the experience, skill, and confidence needed. The culture of the team has to encourage participation and make opportunities exist for this growth to occur.

[Sarah H]

Hey, Im on Team 33 the Killer Bees from Auburn Hills MI, and I have been on the team for 3 years. My rookie year and second year I made pit crew and as a senior, I am now the driver and my classmate, also a girl was the operator this year. We now have plenty of girls this year, granted that we are still outnumbered by the guys. a lot of our student leadership came from females, may teams I am close with also have a number of female student participants, teams like 111, 47, 1 , the pink Team, and many others. I think that FIRST is being discovered by more and more females each year. I think that a large reason that you may see few girls is because they do not know about the program

[Meredith Novak]

I did notice that the Bees had 2 girl operators

[David Brinza]

As I recall, Falcons Robotics (Team 842) had an all-girls drive team at the San Diego Regional in 2007.

The next year, Team 842 won the Chairman's Award in Atlanta.

That says a lot about FIRST's commitment to breaking the gender barrier in science and technology.

[katd30]

I think it's really mostly society and how we were brought up. Girls I think place more emphasis on being normal and doing robotics or anything technological is very not normal for girls. We were brought up trying to be the prettiest and fit in with everyone else that by the time you get to high school all your nerdishness has been supressed to the point where you can't get it back. To me thats an important part of FLL and Jr. FLL and why I've been bothering my school superintendent to set one up. If we get an 8 year old involved FIRST before she looses her geek side we've got her for life most likely.

Also a girl doing FLL will know more about tools and technology than someone who hasn't. Which is why all the girls on my team seem to quit every year. The guys know more and act like we can't do everything they can when all we need to get is a little help or a demonstration. I'm not blaming the guys but when a girl wants to get into something like this, encourage her cause she's most likely giving up a lot for it and its something sher really wants to do.

Eep... Long post... We just had this discussion with the guys on our team...