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technical literacy is a growing concern for america
in the near future almost half an all new jobs will require an education
beyond high school get nearly twenty five percent of student are failing high
school
america lags behind many other countries in teaching math and science skills to our
children creating a gap between the jobs required and the people qualified to
hold them
a program that is making great strides towards bridging that gap in educational
disparity is the first robotics program
the first robotics program is designed
to allow students to be able to
get involved
in the engineering design process
Eastside memorial high school located in Austin, Texas
is one of the most underserved schools in the city
the dropout rate is double that of others in the district and only twenty
percent at the school's graduates are considered college ready
a lot of the kids have the stereotype
or being told by
people at the best they can do is construction, mcdonald's. Eastside has
a very high gang
population. They've been academically unacceptable for the last seven years
however the robotics program there is inspiring hope in a seemingly hopeless
situation
by helping students see that they have a potential for a bright future
robotics is opening a door of possibilities for students who otherwise see
themselves as destined for failure. The way than that i was before i joined
robotics was
basically completely chaos
basically dealing with drugs, gang members i was in a gang
I was planning on graduating and then just get a full time job
most probably I'm sure I would have gone back to the same path I was on before
But since robotics came into my life, I don't want to go back. I want to
stay in Austin and go
to UT, a good college and
get my degree in engineering
Before I did robotics all I did was go out, hang out with friends
and drink
i would just pick up a few cigarettes 'cause i knew people that would buy them for me
a few times i've tried math.
robotics changed my life in a very big way because
there was the path I was on before and now it's just completely altered
I have learned a lot of
skills some robotics
First of all, my animation skills. I never knew I could even do that. School wise, I have
cared more about my grades now and I guess
i just want a better future
Community mentors
like Joe Daly from National Instruments, make a big difference in the implementation
and success of robotics programs. Having industry mentors
come in
is so significant
for a program like this. When they're working alongside they're actually
doing the same thing as the engineer. That
closeness and that collaboration is something that cannot be duplicated any
other way.
Once mentors came along and showed us what we could be
I was like "Wow, you know i could become a person like that. Make money, become an engineer"
Now i can look at what we can do and it's like
we have an opportunity to make a robots and start furthering ourselves and get
jobs at nasa or other machine companies
I'm on the career path to become an engineer or become something really good
and be something amazing for my family.
It's the first time i've really seen
uh...
change
real change.
If these kids can do it, if they keep the talk going
this community can undergo a change.
Kindergarteners should learn about robotics
start it when you start school until you finish school. All the way to
college.
That would be fun. You know how our world would change if that
would happen?
To have a bunch of engineers?
That would be cool.