Year 8s, Robots & Women in STEM

Learning for the future

Over the course of two days, a selection of year eight girls, myself included, traveled to RMIT University for a workshop on Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Maths and Engineering).

We began the first day with discussing what we thought STEM was, and aspects of it, such as what we thought qualified as robots, with another school, Hazel Glen College. We then actually got to go and make robots, with a lecturer at the University. It was super fun as there was lots of parts to fit together but they all worked.

After lunch, we again talked about women and the future of STEM and what we thought we become available in the near future. After this we split up, and the Northcote High girls went on a tour of RMIT’s nanotechnology labs, and had to suit up in protective gear, to make sure we didn’t carry anything foreign into the labs. Inside the labs, we saw many pieces of equipment, including microscopes that worked on the same principle that vinyl players do! There was also an air shower, and many exciting experiments happening as we were there.

The next we came back, we again began the day with robots, but this time we got to program them using the Aduino software, and we programmed them to turn left or right whenever the sensor encountered something in front of it. We also got to go and use RMIT’s X lab, which had many exciting pieces of virtual experience tech, including VR headsets, and a robots that you could teach to move. The final stop on our workshop was to 3D printing, where we both went on a tour of the 3D printing lab, and got to use the printers.

Overall, it was a very exciting experience, and I enjoyed it lots and learnt a lot more about what actually is STEM.

Hannah Kelly, 8F