2006 Jerry Award Entry for
Capital PC User Group

Prize Use:

1) Purchase robotics kits for workshops and for demonstrations.

2) Purchase software for hands-on workshops--especially for teaching programming (EasyC for the robots).

3) Help with transportation so that inner city youth can attend events.

Project Description:

DCRobotics, a Special Interest Group (SIG) of CPCUG, helps inner city youth by starting and supporting Robotics Clubs, and helps them enter robotics competitions such as the FIRST Robotics Competitions. (FRC) Students can be motivated to learn about computers, math, and science through their interest in robotics and competitions. The robotics competitions use math, computing, engineering, and science skills, but are run like sports events and are exciting entertainment. The positive impact of these competitions has been evaluated by Brandeis University http://www.usfirst.org/about/impact.htm

Our outreach is primarily to inner city and metro region schools with low student achievement. We assisted one team in 2004-2005, six teams in 2005-2006, and are working with three more. For 2006-2007, we expanded to include starting high school and middle school VEX teams and a local VEX Competition League.

Adult mentors are recruited and supported by DCRobotics and help students learn skills such as programming, HTML, and electronics. The mentors assist the students to learn skills and model professional behavior. DCRobotics recruits and supports the mentors through local mailing lists, our monthly planning meeting, special events with speakers, and hands-on workshops. This summer we sponsored three well attended workshops on robotics at UDC. This fall we will have a speaker from NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) and workshops on programming at Carnegie Institution. We believe that computers and robots can be a open door to a better future for many students.