CLEVELAND — A group of young women is making history in Cleveland, representing girl power and the future of industry here in Northeast Ohio.
News 5 anchor Katie Ussin got a chance to meet with Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s all-new, all-girls robotics team. It’s the third all-girls team in the state and the first to service public schools in Northeast Ohio. Right now, women represent only about one-third of STEM careers. Chelsey Kohn, who oversees the robotics program, said this is how we change that.
“This is like girls front and center,” she told Katie. They’re the sub-team captains, team captains, and they’re loving it.”
The team is sponsored by Sherwin-Williams, which provides both funding and mentors. Kohn also said the team wouldn’t be here without the support from the Great Lakes Science Center, which built space for Cleveland’s first robotics competition teams to practice and build.
“We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for our partners and our sponsors,” Kohn said.
It’s been a long road to this point. CMSD and Cleveland State University have spent the past decade working to make IT careers more accessible and equitable for all students in Cleveland. CSU President Laura Bloomberg told Katie, “Our partnership around computer sciences is vital to the future of the city and region.”
It appears to be working. The schools said 10 years ago, three CMSD high schools offered computer science. Today, it’s offered at 17 schools. Last year, 142 CMSD students had IT internships. This year, that number is expected to reach 200. Eighty-four CMSD educators have also received computer science training from CSU.
CMSD students were recently able to demonstrate their skills in robotics, coding, app development, video game design and more at the university. Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted was there and said this kind of training is essential for making our workforce a Midwest leader in tech.
"It’s important because if you don’t have computer science talent, you can’t have a thriving economy. The businesses that are here and that you want to grow and recruit here need that talent,” Husted said.
Kohn said the work they’re doing at CMSD is important for students, their families, and the city of Cleveland.
“At the end of the day it’s just giving students access to this type of career,” she said.
Eighteen-year-old Jayleesa Jones is on the all-girls robotics team; she told Katie it’s been exciting for her and her family. Now she’ll have her chance to shine, alongside more than a dozen other young women on the team.
“I want to tell people that anyone can do anything they want,” she said. “If you have a love for it, robotics, technology, there’s a space for you.”
Right now, CMSD’s all-girls team is still recruiting. They’ll compete in the Buckeye Regional March 20-23 at the Wolstein Center. Entry is free if you want to cheer on all six of the district’s teams.
