Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen launched Roominate seeking to change the gender gap in STEM. Their strategic view is that careers begin with the low educational value toys marketed togirls.The two met when both participated in Stanford’s Masters of Engineering program and were brought together by their shared childhood experience that lacked building toys oriented for girls. Now, Roominmate has launched a maker contest aimed at the whole family, not just the man in the garage or shed, not just for the adults of the house, but also encompassing children in a holistic opportunity to think, make and win.
It is exciting to write about this Instructables competition so recently after expressing my own views upon the gender gap in manufacturing in Making It Real: Girls & Manufacturing Summit. As a child I was always questioning the stereotypes that my grandparents were so fond of. I wonder whether my love of Star Trek is relevant here, specifically its vision of a future where job roles are not confined by gender, age or race. Who knows?
Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen formed the outline idea for Roominate and pursued their own research and development, their Kickstarter campaign was successfully funded at some three times their stated goal. The duo’s wired building systems achieved greater success and popularity, receivingvery strongreviews at Amazon.com.
With modular pieces, motors and circuits, Roominate allows for endless creations that introduce real engineering concepts. While fitting into thecategory of STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) toys for girls, Roominate takes an unusual approach towards open-ended play that research shows is a catalyst for the development of skills in these disciplines.
Alice Brooks, Co-Founder of Roominate said: “With this Instructables contest, we wanted to engage families in the fun that making things together can bring, especially as school breaks up for the summer. According to research, during the average summer break, learning loss for American students amounts to one month per year. Toys like Roominate keep kids’ brains engaged, developing their deductive reasoning and spatial skills through building and exploring circuits. Furthermore, studies show that getting parents and the family involved amplifies the positive effects linked to summer learning activities.”
The “Family Maker Contest” running today through June 9th, 2014 is focused on fun and easy family projects that inspire project-based learning and will award over USD$1,000 in prizes for the most impressive creations. Contest entry is simple; participants upload a picture of their project and how-to instructions on the contest page found here. And of course, if you have a 3D printer, it could come in handy.
The launch of the Instructables contest also kicksstarts Roominate’s presence at the 9th Annual Bay Area Maker Faire, which is to be held at the San Mateo Event Center, San Mateo, California, USA, May 17th – 18th.
