8th Grade Participant Designs ‘Ms. Helping Handy,’ All-in-One Cleaning Robot

As part of their Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) curriculum, our 8th graders were challenged to design a robot that would make life easier and then think of a way to market their robot to consumers, using a $200,000 budget for supplies, marketing and employees to bring their product to market. At the end of program, participants voted on the best concept, choosing Bailey’s Ms. Helping Handy as the winning design. Here’s a snippet of Bailey’s pitch:

“My machine is called Ms. Helping Handy and she’s a robot who helps you with housework and cleaning. Helping handy is at a low price of $160 which is super affordable for every household. Ms. Helping Handy can wash dishes, mop, sweep, vacuum, dust, fold, iron, etc. She has a touch screen in her stomach which has all of her controls. She also comes in a variety of colors and is super cute and compact!” 

Research shows that as girls enter middle school, their interest in STEAM drastically declines in comparison to boys, and girls are subsequently vastly under-represented in STEAM careers. Only 35% of those receiving bachelor’s degrees in STEAM fields are women, and of the 35%, only 3% are African American and Latina. Girls Inc. provides a continuum of engaging and inspiring curricula to actualize girls’ abilities and ambitions in STEAM, empowering them to become the next generation of innovators.

This project allowed the girls to tap into their creative sides, put on their engineering caps and flex their mathematics skills!

Bailey, 8th grader