The Global Search for Education: How Building Robots Builds Confidence in Girls

Posted By C. M. Rubin on Oct 9, 2019 "We added "Artificial Intelligence" to "Robotics & STEM" this year because it is an important and timely topic for young people to learn about." Prior to joining the Girls of Steel Robotics Program at Carnegie Mellon University's (CMU) Field Robotics Center, Theresa Richards was a science teacher in Pittsburgh where she created an award-winning lesson integrating robotics into a Human Anatomy and Physiology course. The problem her organization is trying to solve is the demand for more people in STEM, and in particular, women. A December 2018 report in Pittsburgh shows there are 80,000 STEM jobs currently available. "We believe that building robots builds confidence in STEM," says Richards.