A Boys & Girls Clubs of America teen leader reviews the manual while a peer mentor demonstrates how to rewire the electric car that will be given to a toddler with mobility challenges.
“Through the generous support of the PPG Foundation, we’re launching a nationwide expansion of the X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program across Boys & Girls Clubs to bring STEM programming to youth who can explore these disciplines,” said Elisa Avila, Executive Director of X-Bots Robotics Inc.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (PRWEB)
July 27, 2022
During Boys & Girls Clubs of America‘s National Keystone Conference on July 24 in Anaheim, California, the X-Bots Robotics Inc. trained 100 Keystone Club teen leaders on its X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program presented by PPG to impact toddlers with mobility challenges.
The X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program is a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program that partners youth in a Robotics team with participating teens from Boys & Girls Clubs, challenging them to work together to build specially designed physical therapy cars for toddlers with cerebral disorders affecting their body mobility. Together, X-Bots Robotics, the PPG Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of America are facilitating an opportunity for hands-on STEM learning for teen participants to put their skills to work to serve families with toddlers who have mobility challenges. The training, held at the National Keystone Conference, will empower Keystone’s teen leaders to return to their hometown communities and Boys & Girls Clubs and encourage local leaders to offer this mobility program.
“The STEM education program gives young people an opportunity to explore possible careers in fields they would not have otherwise learned about,” said Oscar Hernandez, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Whittier. “We want kids and teens to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens and this partnership enables them to plan for the future while giving back and serving others.”
As Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premiere teen character and leadership program, Keystone brings together young people between the ages of 14-18 to focus on service and leadership through involvement in Keystone Club. This unique leadership development experience provides opportunities for teens to participate in activities in four key focus areas: community service, academic success, career preparation and teen outreach. With the guidance of an adult advisor, Keystone Clubs aim to have a positive impact on members, the Club and community. This year, 1,000 teens gathered in Anaheim to empower one another and their local community.
“Through the generous support of the PPG Foundation, we’re launching a nationwide expansion of the X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program across Boys & Girls Clubs to bring STEM programming to youth who can explore these disciplines,” said Elisa Avila, Executive Director of X-Bots Robotics Inc. “We’re glad that together with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, we can offer this hands-on technical engineering programming that not only develops youths’ leadership skills and inspires them to pursue a career in STEM, but also serves their communities.”
The training prepares youth leaders to become peer mentors at their local Clubs, encouraging kids to apply practical solutions and share immersive lessons in engineering all while having fun. As participating Keystone Conference leaders, all youth have demonstrated exemplary leadership in academic success, career preparation, community service and teen outreach, making them well-positioned to bring back this community service to their Clubs as this training workshop is the first step to national expansion.
National Keystone Conference community service brought by X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program presented by PPG reached an estimated 160 youth (combined X-Bots Robotics teams and Boys & Girls Clubs youth leaders), and youth modified 21 cars for toddlers with mobility challenges. Five additional cars reconfigured in training workshops leading up to the conference were given to physical therapists and occupational therapists, who volunteered, for use at their clinics. There were more than 100 volunteers at the workshop.
The PPG Foundation is supporting X-Bots Robotics in its expanded program of STEM educational opportunities to impact a greater number of students, toddlers, and their families. As a global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, and specialty materials, PPG recognizes the importance of immersing young people in STEM concepts that are linked to real-world solutions and innovations, such as robotics and mobility technology that may one day redefine solutions for our global society.
“At PPG, we know that education sits at the helm of the innovation that will shape our world for generations to come. Through this partnership, our aim is to open future opportunities to both the students who will find and explore their passions in STEM fields and families who will benefit from the new mobility cars,” said Malesia Dunn, Executive Director, PPG Foundation and Corporate Global Social Responsibility. “In all that we do, we aim to protect and beautify the world. The X-Bots Robotics program reinforces this by fueling future inventors with inspiration and the joy of experimentation and discovery while experiencing the immediate impacts both community service and STEM concepts make in the lives of others.”
The X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program has focused on applying GoBabyGo!, an open-source movement focused on real-time, real-world solutions for mobility, to provide STEM education and leadership opportunities for middle school and high school students. The program is a unique combination of peer-to-peer learning paired with a half-day hands-on workshop that draws in the families and toddlers who benefit from the finished product.
Founded in August 2015, X-Bots Robotics Inc. aims to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders by developing a passion for STEM careers at a young age. The nonprofit organization provides students with a unique opportunity to engage in hands-on technical engineering training that develops their leadership skills to inspire others through outreach efforts. To learn more about the X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program, visit https://www.xbotsrobotics.com/gobabygo.
# # #
Photo caption: A Boys & Girls Clubs of America teen leader reviews the manual while a peer mentor demonstrates how to rewire the electric car that will be given to a toddler with mobility challenges. The X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program, presented by PPG training workshop was held at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Keystone Conference in Anaheim, CA on Sunday, July 24.
Photo credit: Kimberly Guzman
Top Row: Boys & Girls Clubs of America Senior Executive Teresa Walch with X-Bots Robotics Inc. Executive Director Elisa Avila, BGC of Whittier CEO Oscar Hernandez, and their Director of Programs and Youth Development Frances Contreras pose with teen leaders who completed the reconfiguration of an electric car for a toddler with mobility challenges. The training workshop was offered by X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program, presented by PPG at the BGCA’s National Keystone Conference held on Sunday, July 24.
Photo credit: Kimberly Guzman
Additional photos are available. Please contact Marisol Barrios Perez.
About X-Bots Robotics Inc.
Founded in August 2015, X-Bots Robotics Inc. aims to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders by developing a passion for STEM careers at a young age. We provide students with a unique opportunity to engage in hands-on technical engineering training that develops their leadership skills to inspire others through outreach efforts. Our X-Bots Robotics team members train high school club members from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whittier | Pico Rivera to help them build characteristics to be great leaders in the future while simultaneously expanding their knowledge of STEM careers. X-Bots has now moved into the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whittier | Pico Rivera facilities and they have become our strategic partner. We’ve expanded our reach by networking with other Robotics teams to work in collaboration with Boys & Girls Clubs in other cities, including high school students with an interest in STEM. Learn more at http://www.xbotsrobotics.com.
About PPG Foundation
PPG’s global community engagement efforts and the PPG Foundation aim to bring color and brightness to PPG communities around the world. We invested $13.3 million in 2021, supporting hundreds of organizations across more than 40 countries. By investing in educational opportunities, we help grow today’s skilled workforce and develop tomorrow’s innovators in fields related to coatings and manufacturing. Plus, we empower PPG employees to multiply their impact for causes that are important to them by supporting their volunteer efforts and charitable giving. Learn more at https://communities.ppg.com/.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (http://www.BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. More than 4,900 Clubs serve over 4.3 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.