WIIKWEMKOONG—When it comes to science and technology the Anishinaabekwe students of Wikwemikong High School are helping to lead the way in FIRST. A group of young women from the school’s FIRST Robotics team travelled to King City’s Kingbridge Centre at the end of May for the Girl’s In First conference where they met the Ontario Minister of Education and business leaders.
Wikwemikong High School FIRST Robotics team safety captain and outreach coordinator Eileen Letander-Trudeau joined the Honorable Mitzie Hunter, Ontario Minister of Education and business leaders in a panel discussion on women in leadership.
The Wikwemikong FIRST Robotics delegation consisted of Ms. Letandar-Trudeau, mentor Chris Mara, Patrina Pitawanakwat, Mikaila Dokum, Trinity Jacko, Mary Pangowish and Julianna Peltier.
Ms. Letander-Trudeau was still pumped from the experience when contacted by The Expositor noting that the experience was “pretty exciting.” Ms. Letander-Trudeau said that, when it comes to the STEM field subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics, she “really enjoys all of it.”
Her passion for STEM developed when she entered high school, said Ms. Letander-Trudeau. “We really didn’t have a lot of it in grade school, it wasn’t until I started high school that we really began to get into it,” she recalled.
The Wiikwemkoong team was one of only two from the North and the only one coming from a First Nation school. “The other teams were from places like Toronto and Windsor,” said Ms. Letander-Trudeau, which gave the team members an opportunity to network with students coming from urban schools. “They divided us up into teams for group activities,” she said. The groups worked on the issues facing women in the STEM fields and how to encourage more young women to enter those fields with the fastest growing opportunities in the 21st Century.
Ms. Letander-Trudeau was on a panel that included Minister Hunter and Bruce Witmaker of RBC Wealth Management along with two of the first alumni of the FIRST Robotics competitions.
“I never really saw myself as a leader,” said Ms. Letander-Trudeau, but that perception obviously wasn’t shared by others. Today, she finds herself taking on a role on the highest levels in the province. She now sits on the Girls in STEM executive council. “I will be giving them my ideas on how to get more girls involved.”
Wikwemikong High School’s FIRST Robotics team is a bit of an anomaly on the provincial stage, noted team mentor and Wikwemikong science teacher Chris Mara. “On other teams you might see one or two female students,” he explained. “On our team the female members have always been in leadership roles.”
Mr. Mara recounted one of the recent competitions that the FIRST Robotics team entered where an issue developed with their robot. “There was a team surrounding the robot working on it, determining what the issue was and finding a way to remedy it and they were all young women, working it out themselves. You just don’t see that happen with other teams. I think we represent something that is unique to the FIRST Robotics competition.”
The Wikwemikong High School FIRST Robotics team has always enjoyed a strong participation level from both male and female students.
Ms. Letander-Trudeau has some advice for those young women who may be looking to the STEM field. “Don’t give up on it,” she said. “You can do it. A lot of people might try to tell you that you can’t because you are a girl. Don’t buy into that thinking, because you will find out when you try that you are as good as anyone else if you put the work into it.”
Asked if there were any significant differences between the urban teams that the Wiikwemkoong contingent met at the Kingsbridge Centre and theirs, Ms. Letander-Trudeau noted the main difference comes down to access to sponsorships.
“We have to do a lot more fundraising,” she said. “There is a lot of travel that we have to do to just reach the competitions. Putting together a state-of-the-art robotic competitor also calls for a lot of support from business and corporate sponsors and finding those sponsors is a greater challenge in the North.
There may be challenges, but the Wikwemikong High School students, both male and female, have risen to meet them and prevailed. Those interested in sponsoring the team and its efforts are encouraged to contact Chris Mara at the Wikwemikong High School.
