BPC-DP: SpelBots: African American Women Showcasing Robotics and Computer Science to Underrepresented K-12 Students Nationally

斯佩尔曼学院将通过SpelBots机器人和计算项目以及为K-12学生创建全国SPELBOTS俱乐部，在全国范围内扩大其在计算机科学和机器人领域的女性和代表性不足的学生的工作。SpelBots是一个由非裔美国女性学生组成的团队，他们从事机器人研究，在全球范围内参加机器人和计算机科学比赛，并进行K-12推广。该项目的长远愿景是利用SpelBots的活动，在代表不足的社区中提供尖端计算机科学和机器人领域的职业榜样。该项目将向代表不足的学生及其教师介绍改变态度的计算机科学和机器人展示，并结合这些展示活动，利用社交媒体和当地讲习班，在K-12年级的学生中促进机器人和计算机科学俱乐部的形成和指导。此外，它还将在计算机科学和机器人研究、外联和竞赛项目方面招聘、指导和培训本科生非裔美国女性学生。此外，该项目将为当地历史悠久的黑人学院和大学的学生提供这些活动的建议。我们的目标是(1)调查展示方法在暴露、兴奋、招聘和指导未被充分代表的初中生和高中生在计算机领域的有效性，(2)研究我们在计算机科学领域的招聘和保留活动在非裔美国女性中的影响，特别是在一般情况下，为了传播最佳实践，以及(3)增加由非裔美国本科生女性进行的自主人形和移动机器人研究的数量。

Spelman College will expand its work with women and underrepresented students in computer science and robotics nationally through the SpelBots robotics and computing program and the creation of the National SPELBOTS Club for K-12 students. The SpelBots are a team of female, African American students who conduct robotics research, compete worldwide in robotics and computer science competitions, and conduct K-12 outreach. The long-range vision of this project is to leverage the SpelBots activities to provide career role models in cutting-edge computer science and robotics from underrepresented communities. This project will bring attitude-changing computer science and robotics showcase presentations to underrepresented students and their teachers, and in conjunction with these showcases, promote the formation and mentoring of robotics and computer science clubs among K-12 students using social media as well as local workshops. Further, it will recruit, mentor and train undergraduate African American women students in computer science and robotics research, outreach, and competition projects. In addition, this project will provide advising for these activities for students at local historically black colleges and universities. The goals are to (1) investigate the effectiveness of the showcase approach to exposing, exciting, recruiting, and mentoring underrepresented middle and high school students in computing, (2) study the impact of our recruitment and retention activities in computer science among African American women, specifically, and underrepresented students, generally, in order to disseminate best practices, and (3) increase the amount of autonomous humanoid and mobile robotics research performed by African American undergraduate women.