NSF Awards: 1659774
The RI Summer Scholars program and the Robotics Institute Community are committed to providing opportunities for undergraduate students and K12 students & teachers to explore robotics.
Broadening Participation: At this CMU REU Robotics Site, we aim to foster a diverse and inclusive working and learning environment where all students are actively welcomed, included, and supported. We work to create an atmosphere where students can explore and develop their identities as scientists, leaders, and engaged community members sharing their passion for robotics. Together, we develop opportunities for undergraduate researchers to also share their knowledge and experiences with teachers and students present service and engagement as core to our identity as roboticists. Intentional workshops and ongoing conversations with educators exploring the opportunity, access, and the importance of actively broadening participation enhance this experience.
Connect with us via riss.ri.cmu.edu by signing up to the RISS website to access free resources and learn about future opportunities. Two new resources launching in June:
- Explore the Robotics Resource Website for Educators: Linked via riss.ri.cmu.edu
- Attend the RoboLaunch Seminar & Workshop Series for Undergraduate Students & Anyone Interested in Exploring Robotics
Equity & Opportunity: The RISS student development models support scholars from pre-program through a summer immersion and beyond. 80% of program alumni attend graduate school. Scholars have received millions of dollars in scholarship support. Learn about our efforts in increasing student participation in research and pathways to graduate school in robotics here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LVMfOqGWmR8pufdFxtfNJ2TfytwOeKgg/view?usp=sharing
Acknowledgments – These are supported by an engaged and aligned community of partners.
- RI Summer Scholars Program: Dr. John M. Dolan (Director) & Rachel Burcin (Co-Director)
- RISS RoboLaunch Leads: Rachel Burcin, Nikhil Keetha Varma, & Dr. John M. Dolan
- CMU Robotics Institute Robotics Educator Resource Website Team: Willa Potosnak, Jasmine Jerry, Kaleb Ben Naveed, Conner Pulling, Arnab Dey, Oliver Kroemer, Tushar Kusner, Manash Pratim Das, and additional members across the RI community (Project Co-PIs: Maxim Likhachev & Rachel Burcin)
- Video Design, Planning, and Creation Efforts Included: Zeve Olbum, Ria Chadha, Rachel Burcin, John M. Dolan, Willa Potosnak, Jasmine Jerry
- Video Production Lead: Zeve Olbum
Rachel Burcin
Global Programs Manager & Co-Director RISS
Greetings! Welcome to day one of the 2022 STEM for All Video Showcase. Our team from Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute looks forward to connecting!
Christine Royce
Professor
Robotics is definitely an interest area for students today. The three ways that are described for making connections to robotics through Carnegie Mellon provide lots of pathways for engaging students, allowing teachers to collaborate, and bringing STEM topics to life. The materials on the website provide great opportunities for outreach and dissemination. The website sounds very intuitive for use. Thanks for making resources like this available to many teachers!
Rachel Burcin
Global Programs Manager & Co-Director RISS
Christine – so very nice to e-meet you! Robotics can be visually exciting and another way to engage students in a variety of STEM programs and explorations – especially for teachers of mathematics, CS, and tech.
Christine Royce
Professor
Nice to e-meet you as well! It's great that mathematics is one of the focus areas. I often find that math teachers may be challenged on how to integrate math into STEM for authentic reasons.
Rachel Burcin
Global Programs Manager & Co-Director RISS
Hi Christine - Math teachers have such an amazing key to learning essential skills to pursue STEM careers. We have created a series of videos around math and robotics. I would be interested in hearing about some of the barriers and opportunities.
Nancy Hopkins-Evans
Senior Director
I like how robotics was used as an invitation to learning and exploration for K12 students, undergraduate and graduate students and all of this information can be accessed via the CMU website. I am wondering given the institutional commitment and expertise in robotics if there are opportunities for university faculty and undergraduate students to interact directly with local K12 schools. As a teacher, I would love to take my students to see a robotics lab in person, a virtual experience or for university faculty or students to visit a school and talk about their research. Those types of interactions spark interest and serve as inspiration.
Rachel Burcin
Global Programs Manager & Co-Director RISS
Hello Nancy - so very good to e-meet you! Within the RISS program, we create opportunities for the students to share what they have learned with members of the community - teachers and students. The scholars and team will be hosting a series of online talks and workshops for undergraduate students interested in learning about robotics. This spring participated in Saturday programming in the city. This fall, we'll be sharing resources at the educator summits in rural areas.
Anna Suarez
President
The Robotics Resource website seems like a tremendous resource for middle and high school teachers. How are you disseminating information about the website to educators? Beyond the website, what are your goals in working/supporting K12 educators in teaching robotics? How extensively are these resources used by teachers and how are you tracking increase in their content knowledge and classroom impact?
Rachel Burcin
Global Programs Manager & Co-Director RISS
Hello Anna - Our focus is on curating and creating robotics content. Education partners lead design and assessment. We joined with the PA Department of Education and the Pennsylvania PBS's WQED to create a TV program that provides math instruction.