My Story
I started in the First Lego League competition when I was 12 and loved having a place where I could collaborate with my teammates, a group of girls, in engineering. By the time I aged out of First Lego we were the regional champions and received a qualification for the Global Innovation Award. Due to my experiences I signed up to be a volunteer at my K-8’s elementary school robotics club and found something I loved more than engineering- teaching. Every Friday morning I would go to elementary robotics club and help a group of four girls program, build and learn about robots.
My Project
My project will set up a five-week program to empower a group of fifteen students through knowledge about stopping gun violence in our community, one that has endured the second largest mass shooting in America. The informative and hands-on program will first review school protocols, currently in place that take preventative measures against school shootings such as locks, intercom systems, and bulletproof desks. Then, students will learn about current innovations by engineers to prevent gun violence, such as identilock smart guns, new surveillance systems alongside the technological processes that allow these mechanisms to function. Following that, students will learn about the rudimentary aspects of engineering and design such as the elements of the design process to prepare for the final part of the program. Finally, after learning about currently implemented technologies and innovations as well as the bedrocks of the design process, students will create their own simplistic solution to take preventative measures against school shootings in their community. The simplistic and complex solutions will teach kids how engineering and STEM covers a wide array of topics and facilitates a broad spectrum of solutions.
My Interivew
Check out my interview with NAE Member Sharon Nunes where she discusses her background in materials science and the intersection of engineering, society, and the environment.