Women from the SpelBots — an all-girl, all-African-American robotics team — work with Howard University Middle School students on National Lab Day. The team from Spelman College in Atlanta came to raise awareness about math and science education. Mari Fagel/MNS
Washington — President Barack Obama has said it’s his priority to bring American students to the top of the pack in science and math achievement. However, African-American students, and girls in particular, are still falling behind. According to the U.S. Department of Education, African American students are five times less likely to be college-ready in science and math than white students upon completion of high school.
Yet an all-girl, all-African-American robotics team from Spelman College in Atlanta is breaking that stereotype. The SpelBots have competed in robotics championships around the world and they’re proving that African-American women can also become computer scientists.
The team visited Howard University Middle School of Math and Science in Washington as part of the first-ever National Lab Day two weeks ago. The nation-wide event was created to raise awareness about the importance of math and science education. The team met with the school’s brand-new all-girls robotics team to teach them a few tricks and inspire them to follow in their footsteps.