Jumpstart 2024 Cohort Celebration – MassRobotics

We celebrated our Jumpstart Fellows accomplishment  with households, mentors and sponsors on Might 11^th, 2024 at MassRobotics headquarters in Boston. 

The Jumpstart Fellowship Program was based with the objective to develop a extra numerous robotics and tech pipeline, extra particularly, this system focuses on highschool females. Throughout a five-month Saturday curriculum the fellows be taught all features of engineering that drive the robotics discipline together with CAD (SolidWorks), Programming, Simulation, Fabrication and use of prototyping gear.  A big a part of this system additionally explores comfortable expertise, use of LinkedIn, resumes, and publicity to females in tech in any respect levels of their careers who present weekly mentorship and recommendation.  When college students full this portion of curriculum they’ve constructed a robust community of females within the robotics and tech industries.

Based in 2021, the annual program has been funded via grants acquired from La Fondation Dassault Systèmes, and The Cummings Basis.

Now in its 4^th yr, this system has expanded this yr to incorporate a bunch of scholars from the Lowell space, because of the help of Massachusetts Expertise Collaborative and the UMass Lowell NERVE Middle.  Extra help got here from Natalie Brown and the Analog Units Basis.

Saturday’s occasion was a celebration of the scholars’ achievements all through the 5-month program.  Thanks got to program coordinators and the numerous mentors who offered technical experience  and recommendation throughout this system.  Particular shout outs to Rachael Naoum – CSWE, from SolidWorks who has been offering curriculum and help for 4 years, Betsy Jasper who labored with the scholars on a number of weekends sharing her experience in CNC and machining, and to Roman Lilligren, who has additionally been our hand-tools and workshop knowledgeable.  Different consultants who offered curriculum in the course of the classes included Wealthy Breault, Michelle Stanfield, Gwenda Legislation, Kristen J. Bates and Janelle Clark.  Many others from trade additionally offered mentorship throughout our Saturday classes.

Consultant college students from every cohort shared their reflections of this system – what they discovered and what they took away from the expertise:

“I’m happy to be one of many first ladies of the Lowell Cohort. It was good to know that I’m not the one inexperienced individual there, nor was I the one one nervous. I really feel fortunate to expertise this time with Alethea and Joyce as all of us discovered the way to work the cohort collectively. It was just a little tough at instances, however with mentors like them, we had been capable of get via these adversities. 

I’m fortunate to have the chance to be one of many ladies within the first ever Lowell Cohort of the MassRobotics Jumpstart fellowship. This expertise wouldn’t have been doable or pretty much as good with out Alethea and Joyce. This fellowship is wonderful because it broadened my private expertise, in addition to others within the cohort. There may be simply a lot to be taught right here, not simply within the STEM, but additionally in life. I’m glad to know that this program is on the market to us, ladies, and I look ahead to see it develop sooner or later.

 

I’ve discovered a lot from this program, however an important lesson that I’ve discovered needs to be relating to communication and taking on area. Earlier than this program, I hardly spoke out about something, principally as a result of I felt like I had no likelihood to take action. Nonetheless, seeing the completely different girls from completely different industries like meteorology and manufacturing, I really feel extra assured in myself to speak. Even now, I really feel just a little shy, however I’m making an attempt my greatest to step out of my consolation zone so I may be like them and perhaps at some point be somebody’s position mannequin like they’re to me. With help from Joyce and particularly Alethea, I’m able to issues like this, and it wouldn’t have been doable with out the usage of the fireplace chats we might have with our visitors and mentors.

For the previous few weeks, now we have been engaged on our remaining tasks on the Lowell Cohort. We’ve spent per week engaged on planning our tasks, wanting on the potential supplies and concepts that we wish to create. We used the completely different sources and CAD software program like SOLIDWORKS to digitally fabricate our work. A pair weeks in the past we had the chance to go to the FabLab middle at Dassault Methods and even use the completely different machines just like the 3D printers to deliver our work to life. This has been an important studying expertise for all of us as we lastly had the possibility to place our expertise to the take a look at and proudly say that we’ve created one thing.

This program is a tremendous alternative for all of us and I wish to thank not simply the mentors and employees, but additionally our sponsors. None of this could have been doable with out the help of anybody right here.” – Alexis, Cohort 4, Lowell

“We now have had the privilege of studying from wonderful mentors and consultants, donating their time, as people who’re invested in our success and fostering our futures in STEM. Along with myriad of technical expertise now we have discovered, JumpStart is targeted on creating us as an entire individual. This program has ready us to work together with professionals, ask questions, and the way to carry ourselves via to the futures we wish to lead.

My favourite a part of Jumpstart, is attending to know and develop with these superior fellow ladies. Collaborating with different females and drawback fixing in an area that’s meant for our success. It is a neighborhood constructed in contrast to some other I’ve skilled. It’s completely different from our male dominated STEM lessons or only a common program centered on studying the way to solder, we’re studying the way to work with each other to chase our STEM desires. That’s what makes jumpstart so particular, due to the mentors and sources, Jumpstart doesn’t simply educate however it’s constructing the leaders of tomorrow.” – Rabecca, Cohort 4, Boston

“For the final 5 months, I’ve spent my Saturday’s at MassRobotics with all these fantastic ladies! I’m so grateful for the chance to discover the robotics/engineering trade whereas studying about SolidWorks, CAD, soldering, and lots of extra hand instruments for engineering.

I wish to thank Kevin Smith, Joyce Sidopoulos, Alethea Campbell, Ed.M., and all the feminine mentors which have made this enjoyable & academic.

I’m wanting ahead to persevering with to construct the relationships and the abilities that I’ve gained via this internship. Thanks MassRobotics! “- Emily, Cohort 4, Boston

After every Fellow was awarded a medal and their stipends (Supported by MassTech Collaborative), all shared a celebratory cake. 

What’s subsequent for the Fellows?  In June the Fellows will start their summer season internships.  We’ll host a reunion in August the place the scholars will share their experiences with one another and supply updates on future plans.

Thanks once more to our mentors for spending a Saturday or extra with us.  The impression of mentors is a big a part of this program and actually helps the scholars develop.  Thanks additionally to the numerous industries  who opened their doorways for discipline journeys – first-hand expertise seeing operations is eye-opening and supplies a brand new look into profession alternatives : Amazon Success Applied sciences & Robotics, Brooks Automation, GreenSight, Ava Robotics, New Steadiness, MITRE, Teledyne FLIR. Desktop Metallic, Shell Techworks, OMRON Group, Cirtronics Company, Lightspeed MFG, Segue Manufacturing Providers | ElectroMech, Cable & Harness, PCBA | Made-in-USA & China Options, MIT Media Lab, UMass Lowell NERVE Middle, EXPLO, Sea Machines Robotics, Odeh Engineers, Fabwright Origins, LLC, SOLIDWORKS.

Be taught extra about MassRobotics STEM right here.