2026 TryEngineering STEM Grant Proposal (Draft)

Joint Initiative: IEEE Pikes Peak Section × IEEE Denver Section

Women in Engineering • mBot2 Robotics • Underserved Communities • AI-Assisted STEM

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PROJECT TITLE

WIE mBot2 Robotics Pathway: Empowering Girls, Families, and Underserved Communities Through AI-Assisted Engineering

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SECTION 1 — NEED STATEMENT

Colorado’s Front Range region has growing engineering and technology sectors, yet many girls and underserved students—particularly Filipino-American families, homeschool learners, and Title I school populations—lack access to robotics, AI tools, and sustained STEM mentorship. Girls often face additional barriers: limited representation, few female mentors, and lack of opportunities to lead in technical environments.

The IEEE Pikes Peak Section and IEEE Denver Section have jointly identified a shared challenge:

Girls in underserved and non-traditional learning environments lack consistent access to engineering tools, mentorship, and community support networks.

This gap persists due to:

• High cost of robotics equipment

• Lack of local engineering volunteers

• Transportation and scheduling barriers

• Limited exposure to women engineers

• Absence of culturally relevant or family-based STEM programming

Both Sections have deep ties with:

• FACSC (Filipino-American Community of Southern Colorado)

• homeschool networks across El Paso, Pueblo, and Denver Counties

• local WIE chapters

• university engineering programs

These communities are rich in potential yet underserved in hands-on STEM.

Joint Vision:

Bring high-quality robotics and AI learning directly to girls and families through:

• mBot2 robotics kits

• STEAM-TEAMS DOCK portable STEM labs

• AI-assisted multimedia content

• WIE mentors and university volunteers

• multi-generational family engagement

Because individuals bring their own networks, this model grows organically through family, cultural, homeschool, and WIE community relationships.

This program aligns directly with the IEEE WIE mission and the TryEngineering commitment to equity, inclusion, and sustainable pre-university STEM pathways.

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SECTION 2 — PROGRAM OBJECTIVES (WIE-FOCUSED)

Objective 1 — Increase Girls’ Participation in Engineering

• Achieve 60% female participation across all cohorts.

• Serve girls ages 8–16 through hands-on robotics and AI modules.

Objective 2 — Build Multi-Generational Female Mentorship

• Engage 50+ women mentors (mothers, WIE members, university women in engineering).

• Facilitate mother–daughter and sister–mentor learning teams.

Objective 3 — Develop Technical Skillsets Using mBot2 Robotics

• 100% of students complete 3 core robotics challenges.

• 70% complete advanced AI/Python challenges.

Objective 4 — Strengthen Leadership & Entrepreneurial Mindset

• Integrate PyramidX-OS + KEEN 6Cs + Animal Pyramid virtues.

• At least 20 girls present final robot-based innovation pitches.

Objective 5 — Expand STEM Access Through Network Multiplication

• Achieve 30% enrollment growth through community referrals.

• Reach 10+ new families via network-based scaling.

Objective 6 — Build a Sustainable WIE Robotics Pathway

• Produce a WIE mBot2 Robotics Toolkit and share with at least 3 Region 5 Sections.

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SECTION 3 — ACTIVITIES & TIMELINE (6–10 Weeks)

Week 1 — WIE Kickoff & Family STEM Night

• mBot2 unboxing, community-building, mother–daughter pairs

• FACSC cultural welcome: Bayanihan & Women in Leadership

• Introduction to female role models in engineering

Week 2 — Build, Code, Lead

• Girls lead robot assembly and block coding

• Older girls mentor younger ones (“Sister-Mentor Teams”)

• Virtue: Alertness (Meerkat)

Week 3 — Systems Thinking & Community Design

• Apply sensors, navigation, and real-world robotics tasks

• Homeschool teams design projects for their communities

• Virtue: Friendship (Dolphin)

Week 4 — AI & Python for Girls

• Girls transition from block coding to Python

• AI challenge: gesture, obstacle detection, or autonomous behaviors

• Virtue: Poise (Deer)

Week 5 — Entrepreneurship & Leadership

• Girls develop robot-based solutions to real community problems

• Mothers and WIE mentors support pitch development

• Virtue: Confidence (Cougar)

Week 6 — WIE STEM Celebration & Showcase Day

• Cross-section event: Pikes Peak × Denver

• Girls present final projects to WIE, LMAG, YP, parents, and elders

• Virtue: Competitive Greatness (Mountain Climber)

Optional Weeks 7–10 — Mentor Certification & Regional Replication

• Train girls to become junior mentors

• Produce AI-assisted multimedia tutorials

• Share toolkit with other Region 5 WIE groups

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SECTION 4 — IMPACT & EVALUATION PLAN

Evaluation Tools

• Pre/post surveys measuring confidence, identity, awareness of women in engineering

• Skills assessments via robotics challenges

• Mentor logs & reflection journals

• Attendance and retention tracking

• Showcase Day judging rubric

• Artifact analysis (videos, code, project notebooks)

Expected Outcomes

• 60%+ female participation

• 80% increased engineering confidence

• 100% completion of core robotics tasks

• 30% program growth through community referrals

• Activation of 50+ female mentors

• Toolkit adoption by 3+ WIE Region 5 Sections

Long-Term Impact

• Strengthened WIE ecosystem across Colorado

• New annual robotics pathway for underserved families

• Sustainable, multi-generational mentorship pipeline

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SECTION 5 — SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

1. AI-Assisted Multimedia Scaling

Your existing AI-assisted STEM ecosystem will:

• generate tutorial videos

• create lesson visualizations

• document student achievements

• provide asynchronous learning

• reduce mentor training time

These assets can be posted on:

• IEEE Section websites

• WIE pages

• homeschool networks

• FACSC Facebook groups

• YouTube & LinkedIn

This ensures multi-year impact at minimal cost.

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2. Hardware & Curriculum Reuse

• mBot2 robots are reusable for 3–5 years

• STEAM-TEAMS DOCK crates allow repeat cycles

• Curriculum is portable and modifiable

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3. Mentorship Pipeline Sustainability

Through the LMAG → YP → University → K–12 model:

• Today’s students become tomorrow’s mentors

• Mothers become assistant instructors

• WIE volunteers rotate leadership roles

• FACSC and homeschool networks sustain the cycle

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4. Regional Replication

The project will be replicated across:

• Denver

• Colorado Springs

• Pueblo

• Region 5 WIE chapters

Toolkit deliverables:

• AI-assisted STEM modules

• mBot2 challenge sheets

• Mentor orientation video

• Family engagement guide

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SECTION 6 — BUDGET (Draft Example)

(Exact numbers adjusted to funding level: Introductory, Share, Inspire)

Can be scaled down to meet $500, $1,000, or $2,000 thresholds.

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SECTION 7 — IEEE COLLABORATORS

Primary Lead:

IEEE Pikes Peak Section (Education Activities / WIE / STEAM-TEAMS)

Co-Lead:

IEEE Denver Section (Women in Engineering)

Additional Partners:

• FACSC (Filipino-American Community of Southern Colorado)

• Homeschool co-ops across El Paso & Douglas Counties

• University IEEE Student Branches (UCCS, CSU Pueblo, MSU Denver)

• LMAG & YP mentors across both Sections