To help reduce the digital gender divide in Europe, Arrow Electronics has partnered with the Forum Women and Girls in STEM di Girls Go Circular with the aim of supporting a Green Robot Challenge. The event, which took place in Brussels, attracted 270 school-age girls from all over Europe, for a total of 90 groups from 19 countries.
The Maltese team won the competition for developing an eco-friendly robot that removes carbon dioxide from the air using weathering, an effective way to reduce greenhouse gases and mitigate the impact of climate change. The winning team, selected by a combined vote of the public and jury, gained access to the FIRST Tech Challenge Benelux Scrimmage which will be held at the end of February.
“We believe these training opportunities play a critical role in generating new female STEM leaders in the communities we serve,” said Christina Frantz, director of corporate affairs at Arrow. “The Girls Go Circular initiative plays a leading role on this front and we are proud to support its work.”
Arrow helped connect Girls Go Circular with FIRST Robotics, an Arrow STEM partner, which hosts international engineering events that task teams with building and programming industrial-grade robots. The former students of FIRST programs have access to exclusive scholarships, internships and other opportunities that foster connections and open the door to a wide range of professions.
The Women and Girls in STEM Forum brought together more than 1,200 policymakers, industry leaders, students and educators to advance gender equality in STEM and information and communications technologies (ICT).
Arrow invests in programs globally that expand STEM education opportunities for girls, with an emphasis on instilling confidence and leadership skills. Promoted by the European Commission and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, Girls Go Circular has provided digital and entrepreneurship skills to almost 40,000 female students aged between 14 and 19 across Europe and aims to involve thousands more girls, encouraging them to undertake studies and careers in the STEM and ICT sectors.
