All Girls Teams?

[Liz Smith]

There always is talk about how to get more girls involved in robotics. I know of some teams of girls from all-girl schools, but what about in co-ed schools?

What do all of you think about forming all girl FRC teams in addition to an existing FRC team in a co-ed school? From what I've heard from people I know in robotics there have been the stand points:

1. Its good! It gets more girls involved!

2. Its not so good! The girls are completely separated and not as much learning and sharing of knowledge involved!

I'd like to get an idea what the whole FIRST community has to say on this issue.

[phrontist]

This is idea is pessimal. It gives an innaccurate view of the real engineering world, and shelters both male and female proto-engineers. The experience of working on a team is radically different if their is intentional sampling bias in said team. Very, very, very, few companies have entirely female employess. Very few, but slightly more are all male. This also wastes resources and would be socially bizzare.

[Alekat]

I'm not sure how it would get more girls involved. Especially if some of them only join at first because of all the guys.

[Total Tomboy]

for your information girls don't just join the team because of the guys. Us girls probably are more useful than most guys and we know more than you think we do!

[maltz1881]

Originally Posted by Alekat

I'm not sure how it would get more girls involved. Especially if some of them only join at first because of all the guys.

Wait a minute. I have never seen a girl join our team because of boys. That is like saying that boys would join strictly because of the girls. That is a sexist remark. Us girls on our team are offended by that remark. We work just as hard and sometimes much harder then some of the boys. We use power tools, we help design, we are creative, and at times we show the boys how to do things. All of us belong to the Chicks Union and are proud of ourselves. The boys on our team support us in every way and encourage us. This is the way it should be. GIRLS ROCK

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by maltz1881

That is like saying that boys would join strictly because of the girls.

Well, actually, one particular girl is why I signed up for Stagecraft when I was a senior. We've been married for 27 years now...

[Nuttyman54]

I agree. Having an all girls team is fine if you are an all-girls school, or maybe a Girl Scouts team, but having a co-ed school with an all-girls team would be awkward. I would think they would rather join a co-ed team. Alternately, all the girls on the co-ed team might opt to move to the all-girls team, leaving the "co-ed" team with only boys.

It would also create a lot of problems logistically. Both teams would probably want to have equal treatment, meaning sponsors would either have to shell out double the money, or all donations would be split equally. It just seems to me that it would be more trouble than it's worth. Personally, I'd rather see a co-ed team with a 50:50 boy-girl ratio

[Cory]

I would take everything said in this thread by a male with a grain of salt.

None of us can know how females feel about the subject.

In addition, it's somewhat insulting to all the women in FIRST to insinuate that they joined just because of the guys.

[aaeamdar]

Originally Posted by Cory

I would take everything said in this thread by a male with a grain of salt.

None of us can know how females feel about the subject.

In addition, it's somewhat insulting to all the women in FIRST to insinuate that they joined just because of the guys.

What he actually said was this:

Originally Posted by Alekat

I'm not sure how it would get more girls involved. Especially if some of them only join at first because of all the guys.

Your post takes his post to an extreme. He said /SOME/, not all. Please don't misrepresent what other posters have said.

I agree with a lot of what has been said here. I'm not sure how it would increase the girls' interest in robotics to have all girl teams. If you have 5,000 girls interested in this activity, I don't understand why creating all-girl teams would make more girls want to join.

I'm not maligning the OP here, I'm just adding my personal opinion that it's probably not going to help.

Paul Dennis

[Tristan Lall]

This has been tried at least once. Emery Collegiate in Toronto had, at one point, a girls' team and a boys' team. Now there's only one team.

I'm speculating here, but I have a feeling that the sheer cost of paying major expenses twice, combined with the problem of dividing up the limited mentoring resources and fabrication space and equipment led to the conclusion that one team would serve their needs adequately. I'm also not sure if there was sufficient participation in later years to justify maintaining the unusual structure.

If you want to know more, ask someone from 1219 (the ex-boys' team, and now the co-ed Emery C.I. team).

(By the way, there's no need for Cory's grain of salt here; this is all easily verifiable.)

[Jeffdewber]

There is actually an all girls team out here. I forget there number but they always have a pink robot they do pretty well at regionals Chespeake in particular.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Jeffdewber

There is actually an all girls team out here. I forget there number but they always have a pink robot they do pretty well at regionals Chespeake in particular.

There's plenty of all girls teams in FIRST. This thread is dealing specifically with one school having two teams--an all girls team, and a potentially co-ed/male team.

[KathieK]

An all-women's team might attract more young women because they would feel less intimidated than being on a co-ed team, especially if they are new to FIRST or new to technology areas.

Besides, I thought 1929 had done just this in Montclair?

[c-squared_2006]

Well I feel that sometimes young ladies are scared to step up to the plate and show that they can be chic but intellegent at the same time. I've been teased plenty by my girl friends and others for being on the robotics team and being the "dorky" engineering type. Sometimes peer pressure amounts to too much, from other girls only though, the boys couldn't really care less if you're on the robotics team or not. So many girls basically need a bit of an attitude adjustment. Not all girls mind you! But many.

[KillerCows456]

We have had an all girls team since the beginning of this year. In Montclair, there is 555, the co-ed team and 1929, the girls team. So far everything is going fine, we have 2 separate teams and 2 separate sponsors so there are no conflict of interests over anything.