Robotic Opportunities for Rural Communities: Building a STEM Pipeline for K-12 Students

The Mechanical Engineering Department at New Mexico Tech hosts a robot combat competition annually, with attendance from K-12 schools across the state.The goal of the competition, as part of the mechanical engineering outreach program, is to build students' interest in engineering and robotics while developing a pathway to a career in STEM.As attendance for the competition increases each year, students and teachers get more involved with robotics while learning about engineering education and careers.Advanced engineering topics can be taught to all students of various backgrounds through the implementation of accessible and interactive teaching programs.This method of teaching ensures that students develop self-efficacy that provides them with the confidence to pursue a STEM career.At NMT, one of the main objectives is to provide experience with robotics in ways that interest students and foster a continued space to explore different STEM career pathways.Every year, students around New Mexico work with teachers to build combat robots for competitions hosted by NMT.Through the creation of specialized robot programs to construct, test, and compete with battle robots, engineering education becomes more interactive and fun, rather than daunting and out of reach.The more interactive our programs are, the greater they serve as opportunities for students deciding to pursue STEM, all while learning the necessary skills to do so.The skills learned in the program will be useful for students as they move to college and into the workforce.New Mexico has a challenge when dealing with STEM education and outreach because it is a largely rural state with many communities that are far from urban centers (that have more opportunities for those interested in engineering than their rural counterparts).Thus, education efforts must be designed in a way that is accessible in more isolated, rural communities, while also being affordable, thereby creating STEM opportunities for these communities.New Mexico Tech has created a curriculum for designing combat robots where students and teachers are given materials for learning robotics with the assistance of online guides and long-distance mentors who call and assist in robotics education.By creating a network of education resources, New Mexico Tech runs a program that involves and engages students from across the state at an advanced level.Programs like the one here at NMT can be made even more accessible by incorporating community into engineering education.NMT and other organizations around the state host and participate in community events, which expand the reach of the program.These events also function as a means to connect STEM teachers and students around the communities of New Mexico, building support for teachers and the outreach program.This gives K-12 students as well as their teachers and parents yet another opportunity to learn about STEM careers and education near them.Community involvement allows engineering education to be integrated successfully into schools across the state and generate excitement among students and teachers alike for participation in engineering programs.