54 Indiana Teachers Receive Classroom STEM Grants
TechPoint Foundation for Youth is pleased to announce the winners of the EnablINg STEM Fall 2017 Grant Cycle, which was open to all Indiana kindergarten through 8th grade classroom teachers in schools with a free and reduced price lunch percentage of 55% or greater. This competitive grant program provides grant dollars to teachers to support the purchase of supplies and equipment that enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum in the classroom. Applications were evaluated based on their ability to implement hands-on, project-based STEM programming, while also focusing on the use of resources that could extend beyond the school year, had clearly defined outcomes, and had an emphasis on student STEM engagement.
The following 54 teacher projects from 28 Indiana communities were selected from among 119 applications to receive up to $500 in grant dollars totaling nearly $25,000 in funding from this grant cycle:
- Emmalena Rios, St. John Bosco
- Jamie Paino, Claypool Elementary School
- Tricia Sederholm, Peru Junior High School
- Matthew Geiger, 10th Street Elementary School
- Jon Metz, Harshman Magnet Middle School
- Terry Ward, Frankton Elementary School
- Michelle Smelser, Mary Castle Elementary
- Angela Weeks, Deer Meadow Primary
- Rebeccah Dyer, Henry W. Longfellow Medical STEM Middle School
- Sarah Dunham, Elwood Intermediate School
- Miranda Figert, Acron Elementary School
- Chi Chi Bardell, Montessori Garden Academy
- Jacqueline Scott, Hayden Elementary School
- Sarah Archer, Chapelwood Elementary School
- Rachel Nesbit, Blue Academy
- Tracy Nicodemus, Hay Primary Center
- Amy Hartung, Pleasant Run Elementary School
- Leigh Barnes, John Simatovich Elementary School
- Marjorie Alberson, Willard Elementary School
- Amanda Moore, Sunny Heights Elementary School
- Emily Brooks, Pleasant Hill Elementary School
- Jordan Weldon, Sunnyside Elementary School
- Jeremy Hughes, Hayden Elementary School
- Cynthia Fish, Liberty Elementary School
- Roza Selvey, Southside Middle School
- Jane Jones, Thomas Jefferson Elementary School
- Kara Sedam, Canaan Community Academy
- Carol Blake, Laurel School
- Shannon Hudson, Crawfordsville Middle School
- Jillian Gudenschwager, Flint Lake Elementary School
- Apryl Kidd, Hatfield Elementary School
- Jennifer McGillem, North Wayne Elementary School
- Allison Case, Bridgeport
- Tonya Wass, Austin Elementary School
- Kendra Guerrero, Pleasant Run Elementary School
- Shannon Howell, Alexandria Monroe Intermediate School
- Amy Mihalich, Cold Spring School
- Jennifer Bartram, Webb Elementary School
- Bryan Beeler, Milan Middle School
- XaViera Ellinger, Montessori Garden Academy
- April Wolf, Dayton Elementary School
- Trisha Montgomery, Cold Spring School
- Angela Hale, Meredith Nicholson Elementary School
- Jackie Secrest, Northeast North Academy
- Dave Shafer, Skiles Test School of STEM
- Sherri Barnes, Guion Creek Elementary School
- Katherine Brown, Guion Creek Elementary School
- Beth Walenga, Lincoln Elementary School
- David Nelson, Indian Creek Elementary School
- Matthew Perkins, H. L. Harshman Magnet Middle School
- Jamie Boxler, Monon Trail Elementary School
- Sue DeLong, Clinton Prairie Elementary School
- Ruthann Copeland, Cold Spring School
- Shannon Shrader, Taylor Elementary School
Chosen projects ranged in topic from shark dissections and Rube Goldberg projects, to gardening and makerspaces. Teachers could request between $75 and $500 per project, with the majority of grantees receiving between $400 and $500.
Thanks to a $10,000 matching donation from Angie’s List Foundation and the generosity of the attendees at this year’s TechPoint Mira Awards Gala for funding this round of classroom projects!
Are Indiana Schools Committed to Offering STEM Opportunities to Students?
Did you know that Indiana employers estimate that there are 2.5 jobs available for every 1 STEM-skilled job seeker? By next year, there will be 1.2 million unfilled jobs nationally in the STEM workforce. Rapidly growing fields like Software Development, Computers Systems Analytics, & Engineering are creating far more jobs than there are job-seekers with the skill-set to fill them.
Here at TechPoint Foundation for Youth, our focus is to ensure Indiana's K-12 students have access to learning opportunities that will inspire the pursuit of STEM careers. Our programs remove the barriers which result in students’ loss of interest in STEM and lack of understanding of existing career opportunities.
The Robot Pirates of Parkwood Elementary School gather around the field before a match.
One of our fastest growing programs, the State Robotics Initiative (SRI) provides elementary schools the resources needed to launch a robotics program, including a VEX IQ Robotics Kit, teacher training, and ongoing support for sustainability. Robotics teaches young students valuable STEM skills and develops crucial 21st Century workforce qualities such as collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication. Additionally, robotics offers opportunities to students who aren’t necessarily interested in more conventional, and readily available, extracurricular activities like athletics or the arts.
The first year of the SRI was highly successful! The number of Indiana VEX IQ elementary teams grew from 70 to over 500 teams, reaching more than 5,000 Indiana students who had not previously been exposed to robotics! It was a fantastic first year, but our work is not done. There are still more than 800 elementary schools across the state who have not taken advantage of this unique opportunity. We want to be certain that the leadership within Indiana schools understands that robotics is just as valuable (and just as fun!) as offering athletics or fine arts. If every school district offers athletics and fine arts why not also offer competitive STEM opportunities for their students?
In May, we challenged Indiana superintendents to take the “Robotics Pledge”, making robotics education accessible to EVERY elementary school in their district with the help of our SRI grant. We recently spoke with the superintendent of Greater Clark County Schools, Dr. Andrew T. Melin, who is championing robotics in his district by ensuring that all twelve of the corporation’s elementary schools are providing robotics programs. Here is what Dr. Melin had to say when asked why he thinks it is important that 100% of his elementary schools offer robotics programs:
Teams from all elementary schools in Greater Clark County gathered for a scrimmage in February 2017.
“Our elementary students gained invaluable skill development in terms of critical-thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork at the VEX IQ robotics competitions. The great value of VEX Robotics is that students are involved in STEM learning without realizing it because it is fun and engaging. It gives students who are primarily academically focused a chance to participate in a team environment. It was so exciting and meaningful, that we thought all of our elementary schools would benefit from participating.”
When asked about Greater Clark’s goals going forward, Dr. Melin stated, “We want students to use our academic skills’ focus on reading, writing, and math along with our PRIDE career skills of Persistence, Respectfulness, Initiative, Dependability, and Efficiency to apply their learning, to work collaboratively, and to enjoy the experience.”
Blue Dots = Schools with VEX IQ teams
Robots = Districts with a robotics team in every Elementary School
Greater Clark County isn’t the only district in the state to commit to making robotics accessible to all elementary students. MSD Decatur Township, Lake Ridge New Tech Schools, Frankton-Lapel Community Schools, and East Noble School Corporation have also received grants for 100% of the elementary schools in each of their districts.
If your school or a school in your area is still feeling hesitant about applying for the State Robot Grant, check out what other Indiana teachers and administrators are saying after their first year.
Is your school corporation committed to offering students this unique STEM learning opportunity? Take the Robotics Pledge today and help us grow Indiana’s future!
Learn more at www.techpointyouth.org/robots/
To see if your school is eligible to apply for a robotics grant, visit our Robot Map.
CoderDojo Indiana Hackathon!
Do you have what it takes to be a developer? We're giving central Indiana kids a chance to find out!
CoderDojo Indiana (CDI), an initiative of TechPoint Foundation for Youth, is excited to host its inaugural hackathon, which, if you aren't familiar with the term, is an event where a group of people come together to engage in collaborative computer programming!
In this case, we're talking about a group of kids joining us at DeveloperTown (just south of Broad Ripple) on Saturday, July 22, 2017, to participate in all kinds of fun activities! Students will have a chance to test their skills (and learn some new ones!) by completing coding challenges in two programming languages: Python and Scratch. While the event targets student participants (ie: ninjas!) from CoderDojo clubs throughout Indiana, anyone is welcome to attend - no experience required!
The day will begin with opening ceremonies at 10am followed by a 5 hour challenge period. During the challenge period, students will be able to earn points by completing different coding challenges - the more difficult the challenge, the more points they can earn! During lunch, students will also have a chance to interact with some exciting hands-on exhibitors. The day will conclude with awards and prizes.
While it's FREE to participate, you must register at cdihackathon.eventbrite.com by Wednesday, July 19th in order to reserve your spot!
At the start of last summer, 15 CoderDojo clubs existed in Indiana, mostly located around Indianapolis and supported by the city’s thriving technology sector. Thanks to a partnership between Eleven Fifty Academy and TechPoint Foundation for Youth, that narrative is changing. There are now more than 30 CoderDojo clubs in communities throughout Indiana, with sites in 3 additional communities expected to launch by September 2017. The movement’s footprint has grown from just shy of 100 students to 450+, and we're excited to continue that growth in the years to come, giving all students access to high impact computer science programs!
We hope to see you at the CoderDojo Indiana Hackathon on July 22nd!
TPF4Y and Indiana DWD jointly inducted into the STEM Hall of Fame as 2017 Partner of the Year
TPF4Y Executive Director Laura Dodds and DWD Commissioner Steve Braun
INDIANAPOLIS (June 13, 2017) - The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation recently inducted TechPoint Foundation for Youth (TPY) and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) into the STEM Hall of Fame as the 2017 Partner of the Year. The honor was given at the VEX Robotics World Championship, held at the Kentucky Exposition Center.
The REC Foundation defines STEM Hall of Fame Partner of the Year recipients as “well-recognized and respected organizations with vision, products, and services aligned with the fields of science, engineering, and technology, and with personnel that represent a valued spectrum of knowledge and talent across STEM.” TPY and DWD join the ranks of previous inductees including NASA, Texas Instruments, Project Lead The Way, Autodesk and others.
An Indiana student at a VEX IQ Challenge competition.
“The explosive growth of VEX Robotics teams in Indiana over the last year is a direct reflection of the progressive vision of STEM leaders in the state, and specifically, the combined efforts of Indiana’s Department of Workforce Development and the staff at TechPoint Foundation for Youth,” said Jason Morrella, President of the REC Foundation.
In Spring 2016, in partnership with the REC Foundation, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and TechPoint Foundation for Youth expanded the successful City of Indianapolis VEX Robotics Competition model started by Former Mayor Greg Ballard statewide, with a focus on providing equal access to high impact STEM learning opportunities for all Indiana students.
“Indiana is always looking forward for ways to bridge the gap of workforce supply and industry demand. We know that robotics engages diverse student populations in comprehensive STEM subject matter that has been proven to spur interest in STEM college and career pathways,” said DWD Commissioner Steve Braun. “This program is going to make a real difference for Indiana students and employers, and we are honored to be recognized for this work alongside our partners at TechPoint Foundation for Youth.”
State Director of Robotics George Giltner, TPF4Y Executive Director Laura Dodds, and former DWD Associate COO, Dennis Wimer
One year after expansion, the State Robotics Initiative has impacted thousands of students, with the number of competing elementary school teams skyrocketing from just over 70 to more than 500 teams in Indiana. At the recent VEX Robotics World Championship, 29 of Indiana’s elementary VEX IQ Challenge teams - more than any other state - were invited to compete with peers from over 30 countries around the world. Recent feedback and evaluations from Indiana teachers and participants has reinforced the impact the initiative is having on students.
“Our partnership with DWD kicked off the State Robotics Initiative and we are thrilled that we have been able to introduce this innovative platform to so many Indiana students,” said Executive Director Laura Dodds. “We’ve had teachers share that this experience has encouraged their most reserved female students to find a voice, another sharing that their students are already beginning to look at colleges with robotics programs. It’s been rewarding to be a part of such an impactful partnership and we are beyond thrilled to be recognized now as a member of the STEM Hall of Fame alongside so many other great organizations.”
TechPoint Foundation for Youth recently kicked off the second year of the State Robotics Initiative with 400 more robotics grants available for Indiana elementary schools and out-of-school providers who don’t already have a VEX IQ Challenge team. To learn more about the robotics grant, how to apply, how you or your company can get involved, or to support a team in your area, visit www.techpointyouth.org/robots or email George@techpointyouth.org.
About REC Foundation: The REC Foundation seeks to increase student interest and involvement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by engaging students in hands-on, sustainable and affordable curriculum-based robotics engineering programs across the U.S. and internationally. The REC Foundation develops partnerships with K-12 education, higher education, government, industry, and the non-profit community to achieve this work. More information at: www.RoboticsEducation.org or www.RobotEvents.com.
About Indiana Department of Workforce Development: The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) serves the worker and the employer to ensure workplace success. DWD is committed to innovating and invigorating Indiana’s economic future by providing WorkOne Career Centers, Unemployment Insurance, Labor Market Information, Regional Workforce Strategies and Professional Training. Through these services, DWD is able to develop a premier workforce that enables Indiana employers to flourish and entices businesses from outside our state to relocate to Indiana.
About TechPoint Foundation for Youth: TechPoint Foundation for Youth is committed to inspiring our state's underserved K-12 students to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We believe that our youth should be equipped to address Indiana's growing demand for a skilled workforce. www.techpointyouth.org
2017 All Girls FLL Challenge!
The 2nd annual All Girls FLL Challenge took place on Saturday, May 20th on IUPUI's campus and hosted almost 60 girls. Representing Avon, Bedford, Fort Wayne, Hobart, Indianapolis, Martinsville, West Lafayette, and Zionsville, 12 teams participated in this day-long, off-season event that focuses on boosting the confidence of females participating on robotics teams. The event was planned and hosted by an all-female steering committee comprised of staff from the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, IndianaFIRST, the School of Informatics & Computing, and TechPoint Foundation for Youth.
Judges Ashley Looper & Katie Richmond pose with Ruby Roo.
Similarly to last year, the opening ceremonies were followed by three, 1-hour long sessions that allowed the girls to experience the virtual reality and media labs during a building tour with IUPUI students, practice with their robots to prepare for the afternoon's competition, and work together on this year's Sisterhood Activity.
The Sisterhood Award is based on the successful completion of the activity, which changes every year to reflect the FIRST LEGO League challenge. Since this year's challenge was Animal Allies, the steering committee wanted an activity that tied engineering and design concepts to animal welfare so we invited some guest judges to help us pull it off!
A team of girls works together to design their prosthetic concept for Ruby Roo.
Ruby Roo, a chihuahua born without her front legs, was the star of this year's Sisterhood Activity. The girls were charged with designing a prosthetic concept for Ruby that was not too heavy or too light or too cumbersome - all problems she's faced with past prosthetics. Her owner, former veterinary technician Ashley Looper, talked to the girls about various animal prosthetics while Katie Richmond, a certified prosthetist/orthotist at Prosthetic Solutions of Indiana, told them more about prosthetics for humans. After learning from our judges, the girls got to meet Ruby and then use craft supplies to create their own prosthetic designs. There were lots of exciting ideas!
After lunch, the teams presented their prosthetic ideas to Katie, Ashley, and Ruby in hopes of winning the Sisterhood Award, and participated in the Animal Allies robot competition in the auditorium.
At the end of the day, six total awards were presented to the most deserving teams for the following accomplishments:
Sisterhood Award: Hobart Brickies from Hobart
For the Sisterhood Award, judges base their decision on the teamwork and core values exhibited during the sisterhood activity time, as well as the team's presentation of their finished invention. They look for a team that invented a clever product, but did so while displaying enthusiasm and support for the ideas of their fellow teammates.
Champion: Robo Saviors from Martinsville
The Champion Award is presented to the team with the highest score during the robot competition.
Runner Up: Gamer Girls - Narwahls from Zionsville
The Runner Up Award is presented to the team with the second highest score during the robot competition.
Robot Design Award: AME2 from Indianapolis
For the Robot Design Award, judges look for a team whose design work stands out. They evaluate mechanical design, innovation, programming effectiveness, and team strategies for solving missions to assess overall design quality. Judges also take into account how well the robot performs on the competition field
Creativity Award: Gamer Girls - Turtles from Avon
For the Creativity Award, judges look for a team whose effort and performance is unique from every other team. They base their decision on conversations and observations made throughout the day while they look for a team that displays creativity in every aspect of their work, from the design of their robot, to the presentation of their team, to the way they work together.
A girl-powered team of volunteers was instrumental in making the event a success!
Phoenix Award: The Thing That Moves from West Lafayette
The Phoenix Award is given to a team that displays a can-do attitude throughout the event, even when presented with disappointing challenges or problems. The judges look for a team that does not give up easily and is determined to persevere despite difficulties.
Congratulations to all our teams for a fabulous day of STEM learning & thanks to our volunteers for making this event possible!
A Driving Force: Grassy Creek Elementary's Girl Power Duo
The Grassy Creek Elementary School teams pose for a group photo at one of the seven events they competed in this season.
The kids on the VEX IQ teams at Grassy Creek Elementary School may be young, but they already have a good idea of what they want to be when they grow up. Answers range from scientist to dentist to the most popular answer, engineer, because, as one student said, "engineering is really fun."
With 19 kids split among three teams, the school has been to seven competitions this season and will be on their way to VEX IQ Worlds in Louisville next week, lead by their dedicated and energetic coaches, Dustin Ecker, Ryan Gammons, Andy Knies, and Capri Corwin. In speaking with the Grassy Creek coaches, you quickly understand why the students on this team are so excited about robotics. As Coach Ecker put it," we want the robotics program to ignite a passion for learning; our biggest goal is to build lifelong learners and problem-solvers in hopes that just maybe, these kids will be the future of engineering."
Although the students on all three of Grassy Creek's robotics teams - WolverineBots, BatBots, and HulkBots - are 1st year robotics competitors, each team has proven to be quite a force to be reckoned with. And robotics isn't all they do - most of the students participate in other activities like basketball, baseball, Math Bowl, Spell Bowl, soccer, lacrosse, jujitsu, and football - however, when schedules interfere, most students will choose robotics over other activities. As one 4th grader put it, "Robotics has more to offer than football. In football, you don't really use your brain that much."
The WolverineBots from left: Hannah, Jocelyn, Natalie, Jala, Eli, and Raylen.
These students are certainly using their collective brain power on the robot field, and the results have been impressive! Eli, Hannah, Jala, Jocelyn, Natalie, and Raylen, the six students making up the WolverineBots team, were crowned Teamwork Champions at four different competitions this year for their top ranked robot performance. This group of 3rd and 4th graders are well-spoken, respectful, and driven to succeed, with a straightforward approach to delegating roles for each team member.
One of the drawings Jocelyn did for the team's engineering notebook.
"I tried driving but realized I wasn't too good at it," said Jocelyn, who is a designer and researcher for the team. "But I like writing, drawing and presenting so I decided to be a researcher and make our robot sketches in our engineering notebook." Jocelyn joins Hanna as the primary researchers for the team. These two are absolutely essential to the team winning an Excellence Award earlier this year and receiving the opportunity to compete in all areas at Worlds. The Excellence Award is the top honor of each competition. These girls have worked tirelessly to put together a sound research project and develop a strong design notebook!
When it was time to decide on drive teams, Jala and Natalie became a driving duo, using practice time to hone their skills. Natalie's ability to quickly park and balance on the bridge and Jala's skills in driving and scoring led the two to formulate their winning strategy - Jala drives first, scoring as many points as possible, then hands off the controls so Natalie can seal the deal on the bridge before the final buzzer. There's also a second team of drivers for the Wolverines - Raylen and Eli - who naturally work well together as well. Raylen and Eli found their stride with driving and are an essential part of the many teamwork awards the Wolverines have won. These boys equally share driving rounds with Natalie and Jala and often alternate rounds during the qualifications rounds. These four know the teamwork challenge is a complete team effort and their support of one another is inspiring.
In the moment, the girls rely on one another's encouragement and coaching. "During the matches she reminds me what buttons to hit and gives me tips and advice," Jala says of Natalie's competition coaching. "Sometimes I even get mad because she's not telling me what to do! But we always make up really quickly as soon as the match is over."
Jala and Natalie driving their robot at IndyVRC. Photo by Ellie Sophia Photography
The team didn't start the season as the powerhouse they are now. Jala was quick to explain that they didn't even make it to the finals during their first competition, fueling them to watch the winning teams' robots and take notes so they could later modify their robot to make it better. At their second competition they made it into the finals, but still didn't place at the top, so it was back to the drawing board during practice. Finally, during their third competition of the season, they made it to the finals and were part of the winning alliance - ultimate success! It was an experience that taught them the real-world meaning of the mantra "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." In fact, that mentality helped the girls compete and win during the final matches at the two biggest events in the state - in front of a HUGE audience and under a lot of pressure - the IndyVRC and the VEX IQ Elementary State Championship.
Jala and Natalie hold the Teamwork Champions trophy at the 2017 IndyVRC.
The kids on Wolverines, along with their friends on BatBot and HulkBot, have amassed 12 awards this year. This would not be possible with out the strengths that students from all teams bring to the group at Grassy Creek. The three teams have collaborated, shared ideas between teams, and provided practice and competition tips to one another for nearly 8 months.
Now the whole team needs to keep that mindset as they head off to Louisville, Kentucky, for the biggest competition of their short robotics careers: the VEX IQ Robotics World Championship. They'll be competing against 280 of the best teams from around the world, with over 30 countries represented. "Honestly, our goal for Worlds is simply to enjoy the opportunity,"explains Coach Ecker, "We are going there aiming to make the finals, place in the Top 20 if at all possible. However, we know that Worlds means the absolute best of the best. We are bound to have some incredible rounds but there's always a good chance that something will go terribly wrong at some point - and that's okay."
Although humble, the team seems ready. They even hosted additional practices during their school's spring break to prepare. But at the end of the day, win or lose, what will they do after the match?
"Shake hands and give everyone a group hug!"
Sounds like a winning strategy to us.
Indiana State Championship - Finals Match
Indiana VEX IQ Elementary State Championship
Photo by Ellie Sophia Photography
On February 25th, more than 95 robotics teams from 38 cities around Indiana competed in the Indiana VEX IQ Elementary State Championship hosted by the State Robotics Initiative. The competition took place at the Campus Center at IUPUI with over 1,500 spectators in attendance.
The State Robotics Initiative (SRI) launched in 2016 as an expansion of the successful IndyVRC program begun in 2013 by then Mayor Greg Ballard. A partnership between the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, TechPoint Foundation for Youth, Project Lead The Way (PLTW), and Ivy Tech Community College drives the initiative with the goal of bringing robotics to every school in the state of Indiana, beginning with our youngest Hoosiers.
Photo by Ellie Sophia Photography
With significant seed funding secured from Guggenheim Life and Annuity and support from long-time robotics funders USA Funds, Roche Diagnostics and Eli Lilly and Company, the number of elementary VEX IQ robotics teams in Indiana grew 600% during the 2016-17 school year. In 2016, 443 VEX IQ robotics teams were started in 198 cities and towns across Indiana as a result of grants provided by the State Robotics Initiative. Participating schools received robotics kits, registration fees, teacher professional development, and PLTW classroom activities to incorporate robotics during the school day.
Indiana has become a national leader in robotics education for elementary students and is now home to a grand total of 518 VEX IQ elementary teams, 96 of which qualified to compete at the State Championship. The 26 winning teams from State will now move on to the World Competition in Louisville, Kentucky, on April 23-25, 2017. Indiana’s qualifying teams will compete there against 275 teams from more than 20 countries to take home some of the most coveted awards in youth robotics.
In addition to the championship, TechPoint Foundation for Youth hosted the 4th annual interactive STEM fair with more than 20 booths and over 500 students in attendance. The free event was open to the community and allowed students to experience hands-on, interactive science, math, and technology activities.
State Championship award winners
To learn more about the Statewide Robotics Initiative, visit the their webpage.
5th Annual IndyVRC Robotics Tournament
Photo by Ellie Sophia Photography
On January 7th and 8th, 162 teams of students from around Marion County competed in the 5th Annual City of Indianapolis VEX Robotics Championship (IndyVRC). The competition was held in Nicoson Hall at the University of Indianapolis.
The first IndyVRC featured only 36 high school teams but demonstrated the possibilities of a robust, hands-on STEM education program. Now in its fifth year, the event has grown to more than 160 teams from elementary, middle, and high schools who compete for scholarships to Rose-Hulman, IUPUI, and University of Indianapolis, plus internships, advancement to the state finals, and the competition's top honor: the Ballard Excellence Award, renamed last year in recognition of Former Mayor Greg Ballard's contribution to STEM education in Indianapolis.
Photo by Ellie Sophia Photography
The IndyVRC’s success led to the newly formed Statewide Robotics Initiative, spearheaded by TechPoint Foundation for Youth with major support from funders and partners like Guggenheim Life and Annuity, Indiana Department of Workforce Development, Herbert Simon Family Foundation, Project Lead The Way, USA Funds, Eli Lilly and Company, and Roche Diagnostics. The two-year initiative will supply grants to 800 elementary schools throughout Indiana, giving them a robotics kit, teacher training, classroom activities, program support, and high intensity compeititons.
Photo by Ellie Sophia Photography
“Seeing so many Indiana students with access to a robotics team is truly a realization of Former Mayor Ballard’s dream when he first initiated the IndyVRC back in 2013,” said Laura Dodds, Executive Director of TechPoint Foundation for Youth. “The event started as a way to get robots into the hands of all Marion County students, and inspired an initiative that could expand that goal to all Hoosiers.”
Photo by Ellie Sophia Photography
Indianapolis is home to companies in need of a workforce skilled in advanced manufacturing, robotics, and technology, but the education pipeline from grade school to employment is often lacking. The IndyVRC was launched five years ago to accelerate the development of high-quality K-12 educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and help bridge the gap between workforce readiness and employer need. The Statewide Robotics Initiative is continuing to grow this concept on a larger scale, using the same IndyVRC model but starting at the elementary school level with the hope of working up the education ladder.
“The State Robotics Initiative was made possible after a huge kickstart from our partners at Department of Workforce Development and Guggenheim Life and Annuity,” said George Giltner, State Director of Robotics at TechPoint Foundation for Youth. “This initiative has catapulted Indiana into the position of a STEM education leader in our country, with more VEX elementary robotics teams than any other state, and we look forward to seeing how this impacts our future workforce.”
The VEX IQ State Championship is coming up on Saturday, February 25th and is still in need of volunteers - often with no experience required! To look at available positions and sign up, click here.
This year's IndyVRC was a huge success! Here's a look at the event by the numbers...
Awards List
* denotes qualification for the State Championship
Ballard Excellence Award
High School VRC: 6210X Heritage Christian Robotics*
Middle School IQ: 323S Cornerstone Robotics North*
Elementary School IQ: 11106A Pleasant Run Elementary*
Guggenheim Life and Annuity Tournament/Teamwork Champions
High School VRC:
6210X Heritage Christian Robotics*
6210Z Heritage Christian School*
6078S Speedway High School*
Middle School IQ:
323S Cornerstone Robotics North*
20048A FTMS East - Robotics*
Elementary School IQ:
10992A Grassy Creek Elementary*
10404A Cold Spring School*
Indiana Workforce Development Design Award
High School VRC: 6842Z Park Tudor Middle School
Middle School IQ: 10272 Paramount School of Excellence*
Elementary School IQ: 10394A Indian Creek Elementary*
Think Award
High School VRC: 6926V Providence Cristo Rey High School
Middle School IQ: 6210A Heritage Christian School
Elementary School IQ: 10990 Sycamore School
Judges Award
High School VRC: 323G Cornerstone Robotics
Middle School IQ: 20048D FTMS East - Robotics
Elementary School IQ: 10714B Center for Inquiry 2
Robot Skills Champion
High School VRC: 6210X Heritage Christian Robotics
Middle School IQ: 323S Cornerstone Robotics North
Elementary School IQ: 10990 Sycamore School
Roche Innovate Award
High School VRC: 7368W Covenant Christian High School
STEM Research Project Award
Middle School IQ: 1024V Fall Creek Valley Middle School*
Elementary School IQ: 10477 Paramount School of Excellence*
Create Award
Middle School IQ: 10775 Sycamore School
Elementary School IQ: 38102X Sidener Academy Redhawk Robotics Grade 3-4
Volunteer of the Year Award
Jessica Cummings, Rolls-Royce
1,160 Students Impacted by Hour of Code!
Three students at Sidener Academy work together on an Hour of Code activity.
Last week, TPF4Y facilitated Hour of Code at three Indianapolis Public Schools in order to celebrate Computer Science Education Week for the third year in a row. CS Ed Week is a worldwide, grassroots campaign to encourage as many K-12 students as possible (with over 323 million served so far!) to participate in an Hour of Code activity. Students around the globe are encouraged to try their hand at coding by completing one of Code.org’s introductory activities. We invited the students we worked with to try CodeCombat (for middle schoolers) and Disney's Moana: Wayfinding with Code (for elementary schoolers).
A student at IPS School #51 is excited to start the Moana Hour of Code activity.
On Monday, December 5th, and Wednesday, December 7th, TPF4Y partnered with Harshman Magnet Middle School, IPS School #51, and Sidener Academy to expose students to the world of computer science. Some of the students had experienced Hour of Code in the past, while it was a new experience for others.
"Seeing the students gain confidence in their coding skills as they completed each exercise was awesome," said Lindsay Siovaila, a Salesforce employee and co-founder of Girl Develop It - Indianapolis. "In just a short time, these students began to build better problem solving and reasoning skills, and it was cool to be a part of that and help inspire the next generation of computer scientists!"
Lindsay Siovaila, co-founder of Girl Develop It - Indianapolis, works with students on an Hour of Code activity.
Thanks to over 100 volunteers provided by several corporate partners, we were able to impact almost 1,200 IPS students over the course of two days. Our efforts were even featured on Inside Indiana Business with an article and quick video. Click here to check it out.
While Hour of Code has wrapped up for this year, our CoderDojo Indiana initiative is always looking for dedicated volunteers passionate about bringing computer science to underserved students. Currently, there are 20 CoderDojos in Indiana and we are in need of volunteers at several clubs in Indianapolis as well as throughout the state. If you are interested in learning more about volunteering at a CoderDojo club, please complete this form and we'll contact you with more information!
THanks to our Hour of Code partners:
Women in STEM: Tiffany White
Tiffany White
Chief Project Engineer, Helicopters Rolls-Royce
Tiffany White joined Rolls-Royce after graduating from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical - Astronautical Engineering, and has spent 22 years contributing to the propulsion system solutions for more than ten different kinds of aircraft. Currently one of seven Chief Project Engineers in the helicopter business, Tiffany is truly an exemplary woman in STEM.
Tiffany's career path started when, as a junior in high school, she took physics and loved it, even after her mom lovingly suggested that it might be too hard and her uncle told her she couldn't be an engineer because she was a girl. While at first physics did prove difficult, she was able to see the practical applications of the lessons almost immediately. Not a particularly strong player when her church youth group would play pool, the game suddenly made sense and her skills increased when some of her homework used pool balls at the basis of the problems. Her teacher encouraged her to look at engineering careers, and with the popularity of the space shuttle program in the news, she was inspired by the Challenger tragedy in 1986 to improve the safety and ensure the longevity of space travel. In fact, the poster of the Challenger on its launch pad that hung in her dorm room in college is framed and hangs in her office to this day.
Rolls-Royce engineers collaborate over an M250 engine.
Tiffany's earliest roles at Rolls-Royce were in project engineering at the "whole engine" level, which provided her with a broad understanding of gas turbine propulsion. Feeling she lacked any deep functional knowledge, she transferred into control systems, where she spent 10 years becoming an expert on how to control engines while honing her leadership skills with a masters degree in program management. Then, instead of moving straight up the proverbial ladder, she moved laterally and spent time learning everything she could about turbine components and subsystems, making her a stronger engineer with more informed decision-making skills. So when a Chief Project Engineer position unexpectedly became available, she was perfectly positioned with the technical foundation in controls, turbines, and project management as well was the necessary soft skills like leadership and team management.
Bell 407 helicopters that use the M250 engines.
In her role as Chief Project Engineer, Tiffany serves as the technical authority for the M250 engine, defining engine accomplishments and attributes, serving as the point of contact with customers, ensuring cost and schedule targets, and interfacing with the FAA and foreign and military airworthiness authorities on safety reliability, and certification. M250 engines are used to transport workers to and from oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. They are used to lift huge logs out of the forest instead of cutting roads through the trees. Rolls-Royce helicopters using M250 engines allow electrical linemen to be lowered onto high power lines. They give vacationers a birds eye view of the volcanos of Hawaii, the Smoky Mountains, and the Grand Canyon. They even give Indianapolis commuters an idea of how badly traffic is backed up on I-69 in the mornings via WTHR Channel 13's helicopters. Tiffany's M250 supports products that transport the critically injured to hospitals around the nation and protect U.S. soldiers and sailors around the world. The range of uses and magnitude of their impact make the products she oversees simply fascinating.
A Kiowa Warrior helicopter that uses an M250 engine.
As a long-time member and 2016-2017 President of Women & Hi Tech, Tiffany has continued to be an engaged role model for women in STEM fields. She concedes that the gender-related drop in self confidence that females face in school often continues into their careers, but encourages women to surround themselves with supportive friends, family, and coworkers. Support can be found in many forms; organizations like Women & Hi Tech provide opportunities to network with other confident successful women and blogs like this one showcase the highly technical and exciting roles women have in the community.
We're Hooked! A Rookie Team's First VEX IQ Competition
VEX robotics competition season is officially underway! Events are taking place around the state nearly every weekend between now and February 2017, giving robotics teams the opportunity to collaborate and develop their skills in a competitive environment.
South Newton VEX IQ team poses for a team picture. Even though they didn't feel ready for their first competition, the event taught the team so much and really brought them together!
We understand registering for that first competition can be a little unnerving. With almost 350 brand new Indiana teams working towards competing for the very first time, we asked one new coach to share her team’s experience at the October 29th Crown Point VEX IQ Tournament. Read Ms. Janice Skinner’s thoughts below about her South Newton elementary team’s first ever competition and why she’s so glad she was encouraged to let go of her uncertainty and give her students the opportunity to compete!
How many students do you have on your team?
13 students from grades 3rd - 5th grade
Do you coach alone or do you have help? Did you have former robotics experience?
I am currently the only coach. I had no previous knowledge of robots. However, not knowing all of the answers has turned out to be really beneficial, as the students are forced to learn and persevere when there are challenges. It really makes them take initiative and ownership when they are asked to find the answer themselves.
How many practices did you have prior to your competition?
We began practicing in mid-September, working towards the October 29th competition that I had signed us up for. We did get about 6 weeks of practice in, but by the time the competition got here, we still weren’t sure we were ready...
What concerns did you have going into the competition?
I actually emailed the Event Partner to tell her that I had decided we were only going to come and watch instead of participate, as I was afraid we would ruin the competition because we were not ready. Fortunately, the Event Partner encouraged me to participate, reminding me that the outcome of the scores would not matter, the event itself would be a great learning experience, and that we were all in it together. She made me feel so much better and I’m so glad I decided to go through with it.
What are some things that surprised you about the competition?
There were so many. We never once felt like we didn’t belong. There was so much camaraderie amongst all of the students. Even though all kids and teachers were busy, they still found time to stop and help one another. I learned so much from speaking to other teachers and students. We are hooked!
What will you do in preparation for your next competition?
Having the field and having a second robot is going to be extremely helpful with a group of 13 students. Knowing exactly the measurements and dimensions of the field will allow the team to better plan and strategize. I’ve found it’s really beneficial to be certain every student has a role; for example, Scorekeeper, Designer, Social Media, Driver, Builder, Driver Schedule Manager, etc.
What did the students like best about the competition?
Getting to work with students from other teams that they otherwise had never met or known. Figuring out how to communicate and work together as a team. Watching other teams compete helped expose the students to new strategies and designs that they had not considered. Having fun while working hard!
What advice would you give to other new coaches around the state?
Regardless of feeling like you may not be ready, register for an event and give your students the opportunity to experience a competition! You won’t regret it.
We hope this was helpful for all of you out there who are feeling nervous about registering for, or attending, an upcoming competition. Remember, scores and standings are secondary to the values your students will gain through collaborating as a team and being exposed to other teams around the state!
Ms. Janice Skinner teaches at South Newton Elementary and was awarded with a State Robotics Grant through TechPoint Foundation for Youth in Summer 2016. To learn more about the State Robotics Initiative, visit www.techpointyouth.org/robots/
If you are interested in sharing your story, please email us at robotgrant@techpointyouth.org.
Repurposed Corporate Computers Grow Indiana's Future Tech Workforce
INDIANAPOLIS, July 11, 2016 – With the help of companies like Interactive Intelligence, out-of-warranty technology is being repurposed by start-up Multiply Technology, and issued back to the Indiana community through small-scale businesses, nonprofits and other organizations in need of low-cost tech solutions.
“When a computer goes out-of-warranty or reaches its end-of-life, our choices for what to do are limited,” said Todd Pedersen, Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Interactive Intelligence. “We’re thrilled with the idea that our equipment can be repurposed by Multiply Technology and used to make an impact in the community through programs like CoderDojo.”
Multiply’s mission is to be the conduit that connects companies and their out-of-warranty gear with nonprofits and other organizations that are doing good around the world. Multiply meets all regulatory and compliance standards; securely erasing and preparing out-of-warranty equipment for reuse by the community at a fraction of the cost of new equipment.
“We’re fortunate that Indy’s biggest and best companies care so much about directing resources to multiply the good,” said Aaron Padgett, Multiply co-founder. Doug Booth, Multiply’s other co-founder, added: “We’re really privileged to be the ones who can facilitate the use of these resources in a secure and sustainable way.”
Recently, CoderDojo Indiana, a TechPoint Foundation for Youth program, purchased laptops from Multiply Technology to support CoderDojos at Launch Fishers and The Speak Easy in Broad Ripple.
CoderDojo is a global movement of free, volunteer-led computer coding clubs for students between seven and 17 years old. CoderDojo Indiana, in partnership with Eleven Fifty Academy and CoderDojo Foundation, will launch 20 Dojos in Indiana over the next year, some of which will be outfitted with technology purchased from Multiply Technology.
Students at Horizons at St. Richard's Episcopal School participate in Hour of Code using TechPoint Foundation's Multiply laptops.
“Often Dojos require students to bring their own technology to the free program,” said Laura Dodds, executive director of TechPoint Foundation for Youth. “As you can imagine, this presents a significant obstacle for low-income families. Working with Multiply Technology, we’ve already purchased laptop sets for use at new Dojos making these programs accessible to any student wishing to participate.”
At the 2016 Mira Awards Gala hosted by TechPoint, the event’s presenting sponsors, Interactive Intelligence, Angie’s List and Salesforce, made a financial commitment to CoderDojo Indiana. Through audience donations matched by the three sponsors, more than $60,000 was raised that night to support the 20 CoderDojos that will start in Indiana in partnership with the Eleven Fifty Academy’s Cool Coding Awareness Week.
“Like many of our friends in the software industry, we struggle to find the talent needed to meet our needs,” Pedersen said. “Supporting programs like CoderDojo Indiana that gets kids excited about computer science allows us to build a talent pool right here in our own backyard. Knowing that many of those kids are learning the tricks of the trade on our repurposed equipment is especially exciting for us."
About Interactive Intelligence:
Interactive Intelligence Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ININ) is a global leader of cloud services for customer engagement, communications and collaboration designed to help businesses worldwide improve service, increase productivity and reduce costs. Backed by a 20-plus year history of industry firsts, 150-plus pending patent applications, and more than 6,000 global customer deployments, Interactive offers customers fast return on investment, along with robust reliability, scalability and security. It’s also the only company recognized by the top global industry analyst firm as a leader in both the cloud and on-premises customer engagement markets. The company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and has more than 2,000 employees worldwide. For more information, visit www.inin.com.
Interactive Intelligence is the owner of, and holds certain registrations for, the marks INTERACTIVE INTELLIGENCE, its associated LOGO, PURECLOUD and numerous other trademarks and service marks in the United States and various other jurisdictions around the world. All third-party trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.
Contact: Christine Holley, Sr. Director, Market Communications, Interactive Intelligence, 317-715-8220
About TechPoint Foundation for Youth:
As the leader in technology education efforts for the state of Indiana since 2001, TechPoint Foundation for Youth is committed to providing our state’s K-12 students, especially those typically underrepresented in STEM industry, with equal opportunities to explore the hands-on learning opportunities that inspire the pursuit of in demand STEM careers. In 2016, in partnership with Eleven Fifty Academy and CoderDojo Foundation, TechPoint Foundation for Youth launched the first of its kind statewide CoderDojo coalition known as CoderDojo Indiana. Over the next year, 20 Dojos will be formed across the state and outfitted with the technology needed to provide interested students access to these free community-based coding clubs. For more information on TechPoint Foundation for Youth & CoderDojo Indiana visitwww.techpointyouth.org.
Contact: Laura Dodds, Executive Director, TechPoint Foundation for Youth
About Multiply Technology:
Multiply Technology is an innovative startup revolutionizing the IT asset disposition industry. Multiply is focused on collecting and repurposing end-of-life machines, eliminating company data liability, minimizing waste, and most importantly making an impact on the community using that technology as a vehicle to do so. Multiply’s motto is to “Multiply the Good,” which has been the foundation of the company culture and the why behind their business. For more information, visitwww.multiplytechnology.com.
Contact: Doug Booth, Co-founder, Multiply Technology, 317-689-0585
All Girls FLL Challenge!
Almost 50 girls from 9 FLL teams came to the School of Informatics & Computing at IUPUI on Saturday, May 21st, to participate in the first annual All Girls FLL Challenge, an off-season robotics event for girls only.
Funded by the National Girls Collaborative Project and the Broad Ripple Kiwanis Club, the event was hosted by a planning committee comprised of the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, IndianaFIRST, the Learning Curve at Central Library, the School of Informatics & Computing (SOIC), and the TechPoint Foundation for Youth.
The following 9 teams participated in the event:
- Chemical Latinas - Indianapolis, IN
- Gamer Girlz - Indianapolis, IN
- Huntington Ladies - Huntington, IN
- Lady-Bots - Griffith, IN
- Robow Squirrels - Bedford, IN
- Silver Streak - Carmel, IN
- TransformHERS - Indianapolis, IN
- Waverly Legends of LEGOs - Martinsville, IN
- Wild - Indianapolis, IN
The day started with an opening ceremony followed by three, hour-long sessions that the teams rotated through. Groups of teams took a tour of the SOIC building and experienced cool technology like the virtual reality and media labs, spent time on the practice fields to prepare their robots for competition, and participated in a sisterhood activity that had them inventing a holder for 8 water bottles that was safe for both animals and the environment. After lunch, the robot matches began, interspersed with time slots to present their "Harmless Holder" inventions to the judges.
One of the unique aspects of this event was the pairing of female high school robotics team members with each FLL team. These high school volunteers were from 5 different FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams and were a great resource for the FLL-ers, allowing them to interact with older girls who love robotics just as much as they do!
Of the 34 volunteers who helped make this event a success, 33 of them were female, including an all-women planning committee, referees, and judges, who came with a very impressive combined resume. We would like to thank our esteemed judges for their help:
Adrienne Wright
VP, Technology
Emmis Communications
Carlotta Berry
Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Christina Dunbar
Senior UX Researcher
Angie's List
Jane Richardson
Director of IT Strategy
Cummins
Tiffany Trusty
Director of Apprenticeship
Eleven Fifty Academy
Six total awards were presented to the most deserving teams for the following accomplishments:
Champion: Robow Squirrels
The Champion Award is presented to the team with the highest score during the robot competition.
Runner Up: Lady-Bots
The Runner Up Award is presented to the team with the second highest score during the robot competition.
Robot Design Award: Waverly Legends of LEGOs
For the Robot Design Award, judges look for a team whose design work stands out. They evaluate mechanical design, innovation, programming effectiveness, and team strategies for solving missions to assess overall design quality. Judges also take into account how well the robot performs on the competition field
Sisterhood Award: Robow Squirrels
For the Sisterhood Award, judges base their decision on the teamwork and core values exhibited during the sisterhood activity time, as well as the team's presentation of their finished invention. They look for a team that invented a clever product, but did so while displaying enthusiasm and support for the ideas of their fellow teammates.
Creativity Award: Silver Streak
For the Creativity Award, judges look for a team whose effort and performance is unique from every other team. They base their decision on conversations and observations made throughout the day while they look for a team that displays creativity in every aspect of their work, from the design of their robot, to the presentation of their team, to the way they work together.
Phoenix Award: WILD
The Phoenix Award is given to a team that displays a can-do attitude throughout the event, even when presented with disappointing challenges or problems. The judges look for a team that does not give up easily and is determined to persevere despite difficulties.
Congratulations to all our teams for a fabulous day of STEM learning and thank you to our sponsors and volunteers for helping to make this event possible!
Mayor Ballard Recognized at VEX Worlds
The VEX Robotics World Championship took place in Louisville, Kentucky, April 20th - 23rd, with over 16,000 participants representing 37 different nations, all under one roof at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Interestingly enough, a Guinness World Records title was achieved at the 2016 VEX Worlds for the largest student-led robotics competition!
Three members of our TPF4Y team were able to volunteer during the event, giving us the opportunity to bring our experiences back to Indiana to implement as we expand the State Robotics Initiative.
There were several highlights of the event, including the parade of nations during the opening ceremony that showcased each of the countries participating in VEX Worlds. The robot competition matches themselves are always exciting and VEX Robotics and the REC Foundation also unveiled the brand new VEX and VEX IQ challenges and game pieces.
For our Indiana contingency, the real highlight was the induction of former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard into the STEM Hall of Fame, where he was recognized on stage for his commitment to robotics education for students through the City of Indianapolis VEX Robotics Championship (IndyVRC). This was followed by the announcement of the Indiana State Robotics Initiative, which will scale Mayor Ballard's vision statewide through seed funding from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development with support from the Governor's office.
One of our Indiana teams, 323S Skyhawks from the Cornerstone Robotics Club in Indianapolis, took the middle school VEX IQ World Championship title! The team was paired with 10543C Bestic C from Shanghai, China, and the duo accomplished a perfect score of 173 during their final match, edging out their nearest competitor by 2 points. Check out their story in the news here.
Overall, we had a great trip and are already looking forward to returning next year!
4th Annual IndyVRC!
The 4th annual City of Indianapolis VEX Robotics Championship (IndyVRC) was held at the Indiana Convention Center on January 23rd and 24th and hosted over 160 robotics teams from across Indianapolis. Students competed for the coveted 5 foot Excellence Award trophy along with 22 other awards and honors during the two-day event, which is the largest city robotics competition in the nation. Historically held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the IndyVRC moved to the Convention Center this year to accommodate the sheer size of participation and attendance. Over 5,000 people attended during the course of the weekend.
Each year, a VEX and VEX IQ challenge is presented to students in the form of a robotics game. Indianapolis students, with guidance from their teachers and mentors, use the VEX Robotics Design System to build innovative robots designed to score the most points possible in qualification matches, elimination matches, and skills challenges. In addition to having a great time and building amazing robots, through their participation in the VEX Robotics Competition and their work within their team, students will learn many academic and life skills.
The IndyVRC also hosted the 3rd annual STEM Fair, which showcases hands-on activities brought in by corporate, program, and community partners. This year, students participated in a game of BINGO that involved receiving stickers from visited booths to put on their BINGO cards. Those students who completed their BINGO cards were entered into a raffle for cool STEM prizes. Booth activities ranged from coding games on laptops to Math Pentathlon board games, 3D printing demos, and a robot that could sort Skittles by color. Roche Diagnostics, the presenting sponsor of the IndyVRC since its inception, brought a semi-truck outfitted with real, working machines used by the companies employees all over the world.
On Sunday January 24th, Irvington Preparatory Academy won the Excellence Award, the highest honor awarded at the Indianapolis VEX Robotics Championship. As part of the Excellence Award, students who meet admission requirements on the Irvington Preparatory Academy team will be awarded $10,000 scholarships to Rose-Hulman. The team also is awarded one qualifying spot to the Indiana State Championship.
Congratulations to all the teams, students, coaches, and volunteers who participated in the event!
VRC Division Awards
- Excellence Award (State Championship Qualifying Spot + $10,000 scholarships to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology)
- 8123 Irvington Prep
- Tournament Champions (3 State Championship Qualifying Spots + internships with the Information Services Agency from the City of Indianapolis for 2 students from each team)
- 5690B Bishop Chatard High School
- 6210 Heritage Christian School
- 6210X Heritage Christian School
- Design Award – 5870 Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory Academy
- Energy Award – 7282D Franklin Central High School
- Innovate Award – 317A Horizon Christian
- Judges Award – 7368W Covenant Christian
- Programming Skills Champion – 6210X Heritage Christian School
- Robot Skills Champion – 8123 Irvington Preparatory Academy
- Sportsmanship Award – 8246 Perry Meridian High School
Middle School VEX IQ Awards
- Excellence Award (State Championship Qualifying Spot)
- 6210A Heritage Christian
- Teamwork Champions (2 State Championship Qualifying Spots)
- 6210M Heritage Christian
- 6210A Heritage Christian
- Teamwork Finalists
- 10364 Franklin Township West
- 10778 Stonybrook Middle School
- Design Award – 20048 Franklin Township East
- Energy Award – 10364 Franklin Township West
- Judges Award – 48466 Guion Creek Middle School
- Robot Skills Champion – 6210A Heritage Christian School
- Programming Skills Champion – 6210A Heritage Christian School
- Sportsmanship Award – 1024F Fall Creek Valley Middle School
Elementary School VEX IQ Awards
- Excellence Award (State Championship Qualifying Spot)
- 10675 St. Thomas Aquinas
- Teamwork Champions (2 State Championship Qualifying Spots)
- 10990 Sycamore School
- 11121 Lowell Elementary School
- Design Award – 10477 Paramount School of Excellence
- Judges Award – 11065 Thomas D. Gregg IPS 15
- Sportsmanship Award – 10270E Riverside IPS 44
3rd Annual FLL Robotics Tournament!
On Saturday, December 5th, over 200 robotics students ranging in age from 1st - 8th grade swarmed the Learning Curve at the Central Library for the 3rd Annual FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Qualifying Tournament! Hosted jointly by the Learning Curve and TPF4Y since 2013, the event was created to offer a robotics tournament location that is accessible to inner city FLL teams.
The day began with opening ceremonies that led right into judging sessions for the 14 FLL teams in attendance. Teams present to groups of judges in each of three categories:
- Core Values - Teams are interviewed and observed to assess how well they have adhered to the Core Values, which are the cornerstones of the FLL program. By embracing the Core Values, FLL students learn that friendly competition and mutual gain are not separate goals, and that helping one another is the foundation of teamwork.
- Project - Teams present the solution they came up with for this year's challenge, as well as the research they did in order to formulate their solution. Teams may perform a skit, a PowerPoint presentation, songs, or choose another creative way to share their project solution.
- Robot Design - Robot design judging can be compared to an engineering design review in the real world. Teams work toward having the robot that best meets the requirement of completing programmed robot "missions." While the competition is a good way of assessing the best robots, points are also based on how well a team can explain their design and all the things they considered while developing it.
The tournament also housed a Junior FIRST LEGO League (Jr.FLL) Expo, where teams of younger students can show off their LEGO models and present their ideas to reviewers. The Expo took place during the morning, with the High Five Ceremony for the 14 teams wrapping up around noon.
The afternoon was filled with the actual robot competition for this year's FLL challenge, Trash Trek, which asks teams to explore the hidden but fascinating world of trash, from collection, to sorting, to smart production, and reuse.
Eight awards were given out during the closing ceremonies, two of which were presented by Mayor Ballard, who has generously supported the event with his attendance since the first year. Every student at the tournament also received a LEGO kit, donated by Ben Glenn, founder of The Chalk Guy Christmas LEGO Drive, which he coordinates with his young daughters.
A huge thank you to the 50 volunteers who came out to help run the event - we couldn't have done it without you! And congrats to all the teams on a great day of robotics fun!
Girls + Robots = Fun!
On Saturday, August 22nd, a group of elementary and middle school girls headed downtown to the School of Informatics & Computing (SOIC) on IUPUI's campus to participate in an all-girls, FIRST LEGO League (FLL) robotics training.
The girls and their adult coaches started this half-day session all together for an FLL program overview and some highlights of the FLL Core Values. They then split into sections with coaches in one room and FLL-ers in another to continue their trainings.
While the coaches covered a technical training on programming and running the robots, the girls split into groups of 3 and paired up with high school robotics students. Each group went over the basics of building and programming a robot to run specific missions, and allowed all the FLL girls to get some hands-on experience with the robots. It also gave them an opportunity to learn about the FIRST program and hear from the high school girls about what it's like to be on an upper level robotics team, especially as a female student in an often predominantly male program.
After each team had practiced sending their robots on a few missions, it was time to take an IUPUI-led tour of the SOIC's Media Arts Research & Learning Arcade (MARLA) as well as the Advanced Visualization Lab. MARLA provides students access to a professional-level game studio and gallery for those interested in 2D and 3D game design and animation, while the Advanced Visualization Lab boasts high-resolution displays and projection-based virtual reality devices. Needless to say, the FLL-ers were beyond thrilled with the opportunity to explore and interact with all of this technology!
A big thanks to our high school girls who volunteered their Saturday to come and help the younger girls learn more about robotics! These high schoolers represented 3 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams: Carmel High School's FRC 868 TechHOUNDS, Western High School's FRC 292 PantherTech, and Southport High School's FRC 1529 CyberCards.
We are lucky to have partnered with some great organizations to put on this all-girls FLL training. We had just as much fun as the girls themselves and look forward to a repeat event!
Thanks to the great organizations who planned and hosted this event:
Girl Develop It Brings Tech Skills to Indianapolis
We caught up with Lindsay Siovaila, co-founder of the Indianapolis Girl Develop It chapter to find out more about the organization and get advice from a woman in the coding world. Lindsay is a Senior Solutions Developer at Salesforce where she helps build tools and processes that help the Sales team demo their software. She worked with her friends Erica and Virginie to bring a chapter to Indianapolis after noticing that there were quite a few Girl Develop It chapters scattered throughout the Midwest (Chicago, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Cleveland), but not in their city. Lindsay explains:
“I first heard about Girl Develop It in 2014 via some blogs I read online that discussed the gender gap in the tech world and various efforts that have been going on to help bring more women and minorities into the tech world. I have always been interested in giving back to the community by teaching and tutoring, and Girl Develop It appealed to me since it was a chance to teach valuable tech skills to people who are curious about web development but don't really have a community or background in tech.”
GDI’s target audience is women who want to begin exploring web development or continue learning web development, but anyone is welcome to attend the classes and events. They welcome all skill levels and encourage questions! We asked Lindsay if she could offer a little advice for a total beginner who just wants to get started, and she shared a few pointers:
- Online resources are a great place to start, “but the real learning happens when you’re working on a real project and have a real problem to solve.” Think of a simple project, like a website showcasing your photography or favorite recipes, and then put your knowledge to use developing that project.
- Find a mentor that you’re comfortable with and who is further down the road in experience. Then ask them LOTS of questions. “One secret you might not know about developers is that we are all learning from someone else at some point - no one is the master of any topic, and we are all dependent on each other for help when we get stuck.
- Making mistakes is part of the learning process and is completely normal! A lot of time on real development projects is spent working out all the kinks in the code, so being comfortable finding errors or logic flaws is integral!
As far as the future goes, Lindsay wants to see Girl Develop It become a place where women can feel empowered to learn web development, and then use those skills to impact the community in a meaningful way. Another passion of Lindsay’s is the idea of passing on the skills women learn from GDI. She hopes that by offering these classes it will create new teachers and mentors for the future. Ultimately, the industry will become stronger with more women in tech and web development roles.
Be sure to follow Girl Develop It on Twitter, like them on Facebook, and, most importantly, sign up for an event on their MeetUp page!
Women in STEM: Gail Farnsley
In honor of Women's History Month, we sat down with TPF4Y board member Gail Farnsley to talk about her career, which began with programming and computer science and has shifted and grown through jobs both in the U.S. and abroad, to advising corporate IT leadership. She is currently an Executive Partner with Gartner, working with CIOs and other executive clients as a trusted advisor to provide expertise and guidance to help them achieve their business objectives.
"I think the most important thing is to find something you are interested in," said Gail, when asked what advice she has for girls following in her footsteps. "I didn't set out to do this job; in fact, I am sure I had no idea jobs like this existed."
Encouraged by a high school math teach who taught a programming class she liked, Gail got a degree in computer science. She had always liked puzzles and programming was like one giant puzzle, allowing her to figure out how to get the computer to do what she wanted it to do. After a few years as a programmer, she moved on to designing programs, and from there started designing whole systems, not just individual applications. And with a more well-rounded view of the business side of things, she eventually moved into management, something she never thought she would end up doing.
"I would also advise being open to new opportunities," Gail continued, "things you might have never guessed you would like. I never had a plan that I would run IT for a company or even be a manager, but I focused on doing a great job in the role I had, and all those other opportunities opened up for me."
And what memorable opportunities they were. As an analyst at Emery Air Freight, Gail traveled to Europe for two weeks to meet with the leaders of their offices in France, Germany, and the UK to demo software for a new pricing system. As it turned out, she was in the UK on July 13, 1985, and was able to attend the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium in person, a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As a project leader at Georgia-Pacific, Gail had a chance to work with their TV studio, where they needed to select software to keep track of all the work they did. She was chosen to go to Hollywood to visit a company that had developed a software tool that met their needs. When Gail first started with Cummins, she was working with their international distributors to implement new systems before Y2K. She traveled to Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Tokyo, and Europe to work with those distributors to ensure the software would be able to support their systems. Gail's job with Cummins also afforded her the opportunity to live in the UK for two and a half years, where she was responsible for IT for all operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Interestingly, Gail did not have many women who served as role models for her during her career.
"I think that is probably because when I was coming up through the ranks in IT, there were very few women in front of me," Gail speculates.
Luckily, she had some terrific male role models and mentors who pushed and encouraged her. All aspiring STEM students could use the helping hand, be it a man's or woman's, of a STEM mentor. Sign up with our US2020 initiative today and begin making a difference in the lives of Indianapolis students. You never know, you could be helping them towards the same inspiring career Gail has had.
FabFems Spotlight
While we could always use more, there are a good number of fabulous females in the vast network of STEM professionals. The problem is connecting with them. That's where the FabFems directory comes in.
The National Girls Collaborative Project, in response to the lack of women in STEM fields, is implementing the FabFems Project. As the initial phase of the project, the FabFems directory will serve as a "national database of women in STEM professions who are inspiring role models for young women." This directory will allow young girls and girl-serving STEM programs and organizations to find inspirational role models with a simple search that can be modified by city, state, country, interest area, ethnicity, field of work, etc. Once a role model is found, her profile can be viewed with a picture and information about her career, education, interests, a biography, and what level of participation she is willing to entertain. Participation levels range from online role model, during- or after-school visits, and field trip and summer camp participation.
As of today, we have fewer than 20 FabFems in Indiana with profiles in the directory. Let's increase that number now! Click here to create your FabFems profile and then share this info with any women you know would make fabulous female (STEM!) role models.