National Robotics Week is happening next month–and you’re invited!

Virtual and onsite events are happening in all fifty states. Free, downloadable resources are available. And if you’d like to host an event of your own–you certainly can!

And as iRobot STEM Program Manager Lisa Freed says, these events are for everyone.

In 2010. the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution, which officially designated the second full week of April National Robotics Week. National Robotics Week has a twofold mission: both to inspire students to pursue robotics and STEM-related careers, and to allow participants of all ages to celebrate the excitement of robotics.

In other words, everybody’s welcome. And getting involved, is all about what you love. As you’ll hear in our interview, robotics involves art, writing and numerous other skills, including public speaking.

Would you like another cool, robotic resource? iRobot, which is the founder and organizer of National Robotics Week, is the creator of the Root® Coding Robot. And they offer free coding lessons on their website–no purchase necessary!

On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover:

• Lisa’s experiences with National Robotics week, on staff with iRobot;
  

• Some of the events that will be happening, for National Robotics Week, 2022;
  

• How to celebrate robots, if you’re not a “technical” person;
  

• A closer look at one of the free (downloadable!) resources available for National Robotics Week;
  

• Some tips on photographing robots!;
  

• Where to start, if you’re creating an event for the first time, for National Robotics Week;
  

• How to participate, if you’re dealing with limited resources (and here’s a great nonprofit resource for educators, which Lisa mentioned and with which we weren’t familiar before: The Clubhouse Network!)
  

• One of Lisa’s favorite recent outreach experiences with middle-school students (which empowered them with skills beyond robotics!)
  

• A more results-oriented perspective on encouraging more girls and women to consider careers in STEM;
  

• How and why arts skills are essential, in robotics;
  

• And, how to request a virtual tour of the iRobot Museum–courtesy of Lisa and a robot!
  

National Robotics Week, 2022, happens April 2-10. You’re invited! Here’s the link, with lots of resources, including free downloadable templates and a list of events happening in all 50 states.