MITRE + Partners + Robots Equals an Equation for STEM Inspiration

In partnership with MassRobotics and the local AFCEA chapter, MITRE introduced students at two Boston high schools to the field of robotics. The event was made possible by our strategic partnerships and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) outreach.

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A typical workday for Brandon Keith, electronics engineer at MITRE, involves programming electronics devices and troubleshooting hardware issues. But he recently elected to instead spend a day in a high school classroom talking to 14 eighth to twelfth graders, most from underrepresented backgrounds, about careers in STEM. He also helped them assemble robotic prosthetic hands.

The students asked him about his job, MITRE, the courses he took in college, and the steps he took after high school to land a job in engineering. When he asked them to sum up their day in one word, they told him "challenging," "fun," and "memorable. "

"I really enjoyed having the opportunity to step away from work for a day to positively impact the community," Keith says. "This event was personally meaningful because the robotics course I took in high school is what piqued my interest in STEM and encouraged me to enroll in an engineering program in college.

“I was happy to be in position to provide a similar experience for these students."

MITRE sponsored the event for Boston Community Leadership Academy and New Mission High School. It took place on April 7, duringNational Robotics Week. Ten girls and four boys participated.

该活动与MassRoboticsand theLexington Concord Chapter of AFCEAInternational. AFCEA—the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association—is an international professional association that connects people, ideas, and solutions.

Miter的玛丽莎·麦考伊（Marissa McCoy）从事网络运营，担任AFCEA列克星敦 - 康科（Lexington-Concord）分会的包容性和多样性副总裁。她还在活动计划委员会中。

When Strategic Partners Collaborate, Good Things Happen

"Being strategic partners with local organizations like MassRobotics and AFCEA—and having passionate employees who are also part of these organizations—you naturally become part of the fabric of the regional innovation ecosystem," says David Moody, director of MITRE’s Bedford, Massachusetts, operations and strategic development.

"That means, if you put in the work, good things like this event happen naturally."

MassRobotics provided the robotic hand kits, which included curriculum, hardware, and programming tools, to inspire students to pursue multiple projects. Students spent several hours building the actual hands and then programming it to perform simple tasks. Afterward, the kits were given to the schools for permanent use.

MITRE's sponsorship allowed several teachers to be trained in using the kits so they can become an ongoing part of the curriculum. We sent three engineers—Keith, Ryan Jobson, and Deirdre Johnson—to speak with the kids (two in person and one virtually) and then help them as needed during the project assembly.

MITRE will also be awarding three scholarships (for $1,500, $1,000, and $500) to the students who can best answer the question: If you could go back in time, how would you use robotics to change an event in history?

A Chance to Bridge the Digital Gap

Withpredictions关于即将到来的合格STEM申请人的短缺，以满足对工作需求的高需求，Miter可能在培养子孙后代的人才方面起着重要作用。

Miter's STEM委员会联合领导人Jamar Owens说：“我们的战略和重点是成为美国STEM管道系统的主要支持者之一。”“我们是一个非常依赖STEM的组织，但也是一个组织，该组织了解如果数字差距不断增长并留下许多美国社区，则了解经济对某些社区的影响。”

Owens and his STEM Council co-leaderMichael Longattended the event virtually and were thrilled to see so many enthusiastic kids. One school principal said that the students were sad to see the day end—a reaction, the principal emphasized, that almost never happens with outside events.

"A STEM event like this really brings things full circle for me, because I have been in a lot of the same places as these kids," Long says. "And to know that the STEM Council and MITRE can help provide that support and give them an opportunity to have an impact really epitomizes our goal of solving problems for a safer world—and a more just one."

Photos courtesy of MassRobotics