Using Robots to Raise Interest in Technology Among Underrepresented Groups

Women and minorities are under represented in the IT field at the high school, university, and industry levels. Efforts to address this imbalance are often too late to solve underlying problems such as perceived ineptitude and actual inexperience. By designing and hosting a program for these underrepresented students in the middle grades, the Center for Distributed Robotics at the University of Minnesota hopes to establish a successful annual robotics day camp that will inspire both women and minorities to pursue careers in technology. Detailed accounts of the goals and methodology are provided. Initial survey results reveal a very positive response from the campers as well as strengths and weaknesses that will be useful in designing or refining similar camps.