The MassRobotics Jumpstart Fellowship Program was created in 2021 to supply various Massachusetts highschool women with alternatives to study technical abilities constructing a basis for a future STEM profession in robotics. College students additionally develop their skilled networks by direct engagement with business professionals. This system consists of three equally essential parts: Technical Expertise, Mentorship & Networking, and Internships.
The five-month program supplies curriculum to study technical abilities together with design, programming, fabrication, and electronics. The scholars are uncovered weekly to mentors {and professional} networking workshops and supplied summer season internships in native robotics and expertise firms to achieve real-world expertise.
Now in it’s fifth yr and being hosted in each Boston and Lowell for the twond time, now we have served practically 100 highschool women!
The general public college trip week (Feb 17-2) centered on robotics, manufacturing, and tech firm visits. We had been lucky to have so many wonderful firms provide to host and converse with our college students. The women discovered firsthand about what it was prefer to work at these firms and about their a number of profession paths.
Every distinctive go to in and across the Better Boston space showcased girls in technical careers, from leaders in Academia to leaders in business implementing international change.
Boston go to recap:
The Boston cohort started with a go to to WSP’s Boston workplace the place college students discovered about structural engineering in all the things from bridges and subways, to buildings and wind vitality. They had been capable of take a stroll through a faculty undertaking utilizing a VR headset. Because of WSP for hiring 2 Jumpstart interns a yr for the previous couple of years!
On the Analog Storage college students noticed the place pioneer breakthrough applied sciences are researched and constructed. That is the place engineers, information scientists, {hardware} and software program professionals create new applied sciences and options in a fast-moving, idea-driven startup environment. College students additionally discovered about profession paths from a panel of various staff.
Ava Robotics opened their doorways to share the internal workings of their telepresence robots. The Fellows had been capable of get an understanding of limitations and tradeoffs of {hardware} selections, whereas being true to their function. Ava offered a good way to kick off our week full of recent experiences. They’ve additionally participated within the Jumpstart intern program.
GreenSight has been an integral associate for Jumpstart and has continued to play a major function in initiating this system in addition to hiring 3-4 Jumpstart interns per yr. Fellows had been excited to have the possibility to expertise drones which can be huge and small, flying solo or with a swarm.
The scholars loved a go to to Locus Robotics, a contemporary warehouse automation firm, utilizing success robots to extend productiveness, order accuracy and warehouse security. College students noticed the robots being constructed and examined.
Harmonic Drive, a founding sponsor of MassRobotics, has been manufacturing high-precision gears and actuators for over 50 years. Their US headquarters in Beverly hosted the Jumpstart Boston cohort for a stroll through their manufacturing facility and college students discovered about all of the merchandise that Harmonic Drive helps, together with robots, satellites and even the area rovers.
Throughout a go to to AccuRounds, college students noticed a contract producer that machines and assembles precision turned parts. It was impactful for college kids to see the CNCs in use since they’re additionally studying the way to construct a product at MassRobotics utilizing the CNC!
Lowell go to recap:
Every impressionable go to in and across the Lowell space showcased fascinating expertise and supplied a view of assorted profession alternatives.
At New Stability, the manufacturing facility tour was eye-opening and college students noticed the introduction of robotics and automation into the traditionally guide course of.
College students visited ASMPT for lunch and dialogue about careers at this main international provider of {hardware} and software program options for the manufacture of semiconductors and electronics. Two Jumpstart college students may have the chance to intern at ASMPT this summer season!
At Desktop Steel, the fellows discovered about expertise round a number of kinds of additive manufacturing, from medals to plastics to enamel enamel!! The scholars noticed a number of prints at varied levels. Every fellow was handled to a 3D printed ring!
The MITRE Company hosted the fellows for lunch and afternoon excursions, together with their underwater check tank! They discovered about varied tasks and applications examined within the tank. Additionally they noticed a number of prototype labs, fabrication facility, and AR plane simulation.
Throughout a go to to Teledyne/FLIR, the fellows discovered concerning the development of a number of floor cell robots for protection and public security purposes. After discussions with a number of different feminine engineers, the scholars had enjoyable driving robots.
The Lowell cohort’s final go to for the week was on the Analog Gadgets headquarters in Wilmington. They obtained a tour of the ability and in addition to mentoring and recommendation from a number of girls at varied levels of their profession. ADI will probably be hiring 3 jumpstart fellows this summer season.
Boston and Lowell cohorts come collectively
Each Boston and Lowell cohorts merged for a session at Shell TechWorks, the place a panel {of professional} girls from Shell shared their ideas round what impressed them to work in sustainability, what a working day at Shell was like, their profession highs and lows, and recommendation and abilities wanted for fulfillment, The women then divided into smaller teams for a workshop celebrating Worldwide Ladies’s Day – Dialogue was centered on dedication for inclusion. The women had been then handled to skilled headshots.
The day ended with a dialogue across the professionals and cons of utilizing AI and ChatGPT with a workshop testing inputs and validating outputs of the open AI software program.
All through the visits, the scholars requested considerate questions and gained nice perception into future profession paths!! Thanks to our wonderful ecosystem for opening your doorways and sharing your applied sciences and operations with our Jumpstart Fellows.
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