Its been awhile since I posted on CD. I used to be the lead mentor for the Falcon Robotics team 842. I am now with the Si Se Puede Foundation helping to develop the STEM Ecosystem in Arizona.
The Si Se Puede Foundation’s mission is to provide opportunities for underserved youth to develop an interest in and proficiency in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Our STEM Center was created so that young people, regardless of socioeconomic circumstances, can learn manufacturing skills, video production, 3D printing, 3D modeling, electronics, robotics, and more. Our organization serves as a bridge toward developing a new generation of active participants in the 21st century economy. We aim to support students from all backgrounds as they build their competence and their self-confidence in an inclusive, challenging, and creative environment.
The STEM center is a 5, 200 square feet facility that houses many types of manufacturing equipment. Some of the items include a tiltable head mill, a lathe, a 4’ x 4’ CNC router, a 4’ x 4’ laser cutter and Makerbot 3 -D printers. The center also has 20 laptop computers and 4 dedicated CAD computers with dual screens as we all as a classroom with a video projection and sound system.
In addition to the in house manufacturing equipment, the STEM center houses the AZ FIRST portable machine shop that can be accessed by all FIRST teams in Arizona. The machine shop will be transported to the Arizona Regional competitions during the seasons competitions. The center also has 1/2 of a standard FIRST Robotics Competition practice field for all Arizona FIRST teams to test on.
This STEM center exists to bride the STEM divide that exists in our community and the Si Se Puede Foundation is dedicated to help develop the STEM ecosystem in the state of Arizona
The video link below mostly covers our activities from our acquisition of the building to house the STEM center. ( about a year and a half ) There are four robotics teams based at the STEM center. 1 Robonation Robosub Team, college women’s AUV team called Desert WAVE ( Women in Autonomous Vehicle Engineering ), 1 FRC team called Degrees Of Freedom and 2 FTC teams called Da Geese of Freedom and Binary Bots. In addition to these STEM Center based teams the STEM Center is also available to all the FRC and FTC teams in the area. We currently have 19 schools represented on the teams based at the STEM Center and last FRC season 7 other FRC teams used the STEM Centers facilities. We are expecting more teams to be using the STEM Center this coming season.
We are hoping to be a model for other STEM Centers to be created so that more FRC teams can form regardless of their respective schools ability to start teams on their own.
I just thought it was time that I make a post about what we are doing in our neck of the woods!
Our Website: https://www.sisepuedefoundation.org/
The video Promo: https://youtu.be/Q0caA3MWcx4