The Fighting Gophers
FIRST Robotics Team 6327
Diversity Plan
2019-2020
Our Definition of Diversity
Economically distressed areas in our community do not have the ability to provide students access to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics programming on par with economically advantaged areas. Many of these communities are divided by ethnic and racial lines. Underfunded school districts in our community leave many students in a desert of technology, having not even the funds to maintain a school building or provide textbooks. Our goal as a community team is to centralize resources to material, mentors, and funding to provide all students an opportunity to access STEM programming without regard to school district, financial ability, race, ethnic background, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or zip code.
Our Plan
Vision
Our vision is to have an inclusive community FIRST team that has a diverse range of team members and mentors from all economic backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities, religions, and ethnic identities.
Overall Goals for the Year
For the 2019-2020 FIRST year our goal is to increase and diversify our team members and mentors by 50%.
Objectives
- To increase the number of team members and mentors by 50% by the end of the competition season.
- Garner new sponsors to share our vision and aid us in financially creating an organization that is sustainable without fees to team members.
- Increase support from local and state government to promote and fund the program
Strategies
- Develop new contacts in local economically distressed school districts to encourage students to try the team.
- Develop new contacts with community leaders in underserved areas to promote and help fund a financially sustainable team with potential for growth.
- Continue and increase outreach efforts in racially diverse areas to gain exposure.
- Develop a plan to reach students in the LGBTQ+ community
- Develop a plan to reach mentors within diverse communities in our area.
Indicators
- Continue to track quantity of people reached and percentage of students converted to team members.
- Share successes with local community leaders, government officials, school district staff, and the local media.
Summary
Our unique position as a partner with an all girls team allows us to focus on diversity and equality of access to STEM and FIRST programming within economically distressed communities and focus on increasing access to those who are underserved within those communities. Our local area leaves tens of thousands of students without access to essential educational opportunities. STEM educational opportunities provide students with vital skills needed in today’s global workforce. Our goal is to make these opportunities available to all students in our local area.