BY BRIAN RZEPPA
While women make up 52 percent of the PhDs completed across all fields, only 42 percent of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) PhDs are completed by women.
There are a number of different variables that go into the participation numbers within STEM programs, but a local group is looking to combat that gap and is hoping to promote the STEM path to high school girls throughout Downriver.
The 2019 Goonettes Invitational, formed by Nicole Phinney, Madison Hernandez and Brandon Queen, will be held at Woodhaven High School on Sept. 14 and is intended to excite high school-aged girls about their potential within the STEM field.
Phinney has played a vital role within the Robotics community and is hoping to build on the work that she has done at Woodhaven High School.
“We are part of the Woodhaven Goon Squad who won the 2019 Michigan State Championship,” she said. “One of our girls, Madison Hernandez, last year was her senior year and she had reached out to me and told me that one of the things she was passionate about was getting events like these set up for girls. One of the things we’re passionate about is to give these types of opportunities and get girls excited about STEM.”
The event, which will match up some of the best robotics teams in the area, will be unique in a number of different ways. Outside of it being an all-girls affair, it’s also the first of its kind Downriver.
“There are no other opportunities like this one in the Downriver area,” Phinney said. “There’s one in West Bloomfield, but it’s very hard to get into and not a lot of teams get the opportunity to join. One of the reasons that this is really important is that it gives more opportunities to more girls to be able to shine. We love Downriver and we’re all Downriver people and we just see so much potential and opportunity in this area and we just want the girls to know that these opportunities exist for them. The more we can showcase these opportunities, the stronger we are.”
Along with the event itself, there will be some other elements that separate it from the rest of the pack. In addition to hands-on demonstrations, the Goonettes Invitational will look to be a launching pad for new high school robotics programs.
“One thing that’s unique to this event is what’s going to be called the ‘Hands-On Hallway,’’ Phinney said. “We have a bunch of STEM organizations from the Downriver and greater Detroit community that are signed up to do hands-on demonstrations. Kids who come will get to drive robots, they’ll get to see a CAD demonstration and they’ll be able to design robotic parts and print them out 3D. Those parts will go to schools in need who don’t have the resources to start their own robotics programs; so it’ll serve as a kickstart for those schools to robotics programs started.”
As the Invitational nears, Phinney noted that the one big challenge that they’ve faced to this point is the problem they’re working to combat: participation numbers.
“The one thing we’ve faced is that not a lot of the teams have enough girls to make an all-girls team,” she said. “The First Robotics community has been really good about getting more girls involved, but you still face the challenge of the thought that ‘girls aren’t supposed to be good at math or science.’ Our biggest challenge is the thing we’re trying to change, which is getting more girls involved so we can have events like this.”
Team sign-ups have slowly but surely been trickling in and for those that do participate, the day may have a great reward.
“We are custom-making official banners in purple and grey, which are the colors of the Woodhaven Goon Squad. When you play First Robotics, it is a huge point of pride to win a blue banner and so we are introducing our own banner,” Phinney said. “We are going to have awards like the Fearless Female Award and other more female-focused awards. We are also going to award a couple of scholarships to competitors which will be funded by local businesses.”
Though there is still time left before the Invitational, there has already been a tremendous outpouring of support from the community.
“When we first started talking to some teams within the community they were incredibly supportive. Everyone we’ve talked to has been so excited. Everyone has offered their help and support; Woodhaven High School is offering us the space at no charge, we have a couple of businesses that are chipping in with things like food for volunteers and we’re almost completely staffed for the major roles that you have to be trained for like referees and emcees. The amount of support we’ve gotten has been incredible.”
For more information about the Goonettes Invitational, or to apply for the scholarships being offered, visit the event’s website at GoonettesInvitational.Org.