Of course Jenn, we should do a swap and see each other in our schools.  We are not too far from each other.

Thanks for the kind words.

Thanks Arthur.  Throughout the work that we do there are frequent mentions and examples provided about the importance of a diverse workforce/team on their projects.  Over the years the success of these teams/projects has helped emphasize that.  Before selecting partners each project, there is a discussion about diverse skillsets, viewpoints, backgrounds and importantly assessing if a candidate possesses the four letter word "work" ethic :) A good life lesson as well for kids to realize that as they get out in the world that these qualities matter.  So far the successes and opening of eyes has been the encouraging part for all....choose people that help you do well no matter if they are "different" than you...in fact better that they are!  Glad you liked the music as well :)

Hi Stephen.  Thanks so much for your post.  We did in fact implement an all girls robotics team for a season.  This was based on a genuine discussion with some of our students who wanted some space.  My attitude was that whatever it took to get kids involved was ok with me. In time things naturally blended.  Our female CS teacher also runs a Girls Who Code program and those students also expressed a desire to have some space of their own...but they have begun to run events with our general coding club.  Again, whatever it took to get the ball rolling.  We have gotten to the point where it is not so much girl boy etc...but programmer, engineer.

Hi Elegan.  Yes many, I have been told it was wrong to have a girls robotics team for a season, told it was wrong to have a girls STEM day.  I took the hits as I had a vision for what it could be.  I had also done this in a previous district and had seen similar growth so we rolled :). My advice is sometimes doing the right thing for kids is not always popular or easy but if you have the kids as the focus and a long term goal stick to it.

Hi Doug: It really began with recruiting.  I recruited the few female students I had in class to participate in after school activites and to also help facilitate some special events to recruit others.  Also we had a few boys who helped get things started.  They were students that had given up on the program previously because kids were not getting along and not making any progress.  Pretty soon the boys and girls combined efforts to help me run events, recruit, start up a robotics team.  It was a team efffort.

Hi Diana:  Thanks so much. Yes we are on it.  Our department and programs are wide open to any student that would like to engage.  We have a number of special education students in the courses and clubs.  With the topics and things we work on it creates a high level of engagement in which students of many backgrounds and abilities are successful.  I also stay two hours almost everyday after school throughout the year in order to offer our students a workspace to scaffold, extend or extra time on task in order to grow and be successful.

Hi Kirstin, nice to see you again for sure.  For us finding topics/curriculum of interest to all was the key.  Obviously not every student is always going to be super thrilled with a unit, but overall a course should hook everyone to a fairly high level.  Glad you are doing something similar down your way, keep up the strong work!

Hi Doug...thanks so much.  A lot of work but worth it.  Yes our high school students mentor younger students throughout the district.  It is beginning to be even more fun because the kids we have now were mentored...and now they are the big shots!

Thank you Rebecca...sure thing you can reach me at dscott@hopkinton.k12.ma.us