ALL
GIRL
ROBO-
TICS
TEAM
The Robotics Club at ICS is as the coaches note, is that it is The two teams have finally been
thriving, and this year we have OK if things don’t work the first merged into one big STEM team
a new development. According time and that they should keep and are designing, coding and
to Joanne Morris, Director of trying new approaches until building bots preparing for the
Educational Technology and they succeed. regional STEM competition which
one of the coaches of the girls’
took 11-14 April 2019 in Tanzania.
team, “One of the things that Ms. Morris describes the first “The girls have built confidence
is new this year is that we have semester as a very successful in their ability to design, build
a dedicated girls’ team with one. A few weeks ago, the and code, and they are active
two female coaches.” She adds, boys’ and girls’ teams had an in the activities,” the coaches
“Ms Jean Rueckert and I are internal competition, in which underline. “They also gained a solid
proud to be working with these they built an Automatic Tennis understanding that women can
amazing girls!” Ball Collector, a robot that code, too.”
collects tennis balls and put the
Explaining the makeup of balls at some designated place ICS has a proud history in the
the teams further, Ms. Morris within a specific period. The annual regional ISSEA STEM
says, “We decided to give the coaches explain that, though Competition, which brings students
girls their own club so they a boys’ team won on the day, in the region together to compete
would have the opportunity it was a close competition, in a designated challenge. Our
to design, build, program and and they won by a single students were champions of the
flourish.” As such, our girls are point. “We are proud that last STEM competition that was
empowered to solve their own both the teams are extremely hosted here in Addis at the ICS
problems, take initiative and supportive of each other both Addis campus.
learn independently. One of the in the activities and in the biggest lessons the girls learn, competition,” adds Ms. Morris.
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