- Melle Odee found robotics after becoming a single mom to two toddlers whilst pregnant.
- She was looking for an activity to entertain her son beyond television.
Fifteen years ago, I found myself a single mom of three kids. Like most moms, I was desperate for a moment to myself to get things done. I shamelessly tried screen time and any other distraction techniques for my son, who was 3 at the time, but nothing worked. After tears and tantrums, I knew I had to find something that could channel his bountiful energy in a productive way.
That's when my family discovered robotics. My son was hooked immediately — I started telling people there were Legos in his blood. But he wasn't the only one. I soon found myself leading robotics teams for my community, which eventually led to my starting a nonprofit and creating a robotics program.
Here's what I've learned along the way about inclusivity and helping all kids engage with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, programming.
Robotics creates community
Part of the minority experience is feeling as though you don't belong. There are lots of reasons a kid might feel left out, from the color of their skin to their energy levels. For kids like my son, robotics means inclusion. This was an activity that fit him, rather than asking him to change himself to fit it.
The same was true for me. I don't know if I would have fought so hard for robotics programming if I wasn't determined to push against stereotypes about Black single mothers. Raising a Black boy, I was determined to give him access to something that would help him thrive.
Robotics was the answer — not only for him but also for our whole family.
Robotics is about much more than science
My son took to robotics like a fish to water, and his younger sister doesn't remember life before robotics. My older daughter, however, was a tougher sell. She was more interested in building elaborate worlds for her dolls.
That made me realize that STEM learning can be delivered in a way that appeals to a child's interests, no matter what those interests are.
Honestly, robotics isn't the right name for the activity because it encompasses so much more. There's language arts, public speaking, and design, just to name a few.
Soon, my daughter was building robots that fit into the imaginative worlds she created for her dolls. And I realized that we do kids a disservice when we put them in boxes as STEM kids or language-arts kids. Really, they're just kids, who are hungry for learning experiences that interest them.
The engineer's process is a life tool
As my team progressed into a higher-level competition, the kids were required to keep an engineer's notebook that outlined their process. That changed everything. I realized that the notes kids were scribbling in their notebooks could help them with all sorts of life problems.
The engineer's process goes something like this: First, you ask questions about what's working well and what's a problem. Next, you brainstorm solutions: What could make this better? Then, you plan how to get to that solution. That's followed by building and testing, and then the whole cycle repeats.
I've watched children blossom as they get the confidence boost of building a solution that works. They're able to talk about their innovation and problem-solving, and they adjust when needed.
If there's anything the world needs, it's more creative thinkers and more empowered, proactive problem-solvers. Robotics can help kids become that, one question at a time.
Melle Odee is the director of operations and curriculum development for the nonprofit organization Community & Home Education.