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MY INVENTION STORY

Technical education is not accessible for everyone.

I'm the girl that makes robots, and I give them all away.

 

Growing up, I saw my little sister struggle to access technical educational
opportunities. She’d beg to learn about coding and robots, but the opportunities
that did exist were just way too inaccessible. Later on, I'd witness local
robotics teams and students struggle to purchase expensive educational
resources. I never saw myself represented in STEM careers and I never felt like
I belonged. It wasn't fair then, and it isn't fair now. Sadly, it is an all too
common experience for many youths. But why does this matter?



Technical education is crucial for Indigenous communities, it promotes
self-determination, empowers tech career opportunities, and overcomes systemic
barriers. Despite facing challenges like limited computer and internet access,
lack of role models, high dropout rates, and underrepresentation in STEM,
technical education can bridge the digital divide, enhance career prospects, and
assert control over technological development. It empowers Indigenous
communities by addressing disparities, amplifying voices, and fostering
inclusion in the tech world. We need to have our voices represented in STEM.



To bridge this educational gap, I created The STEAM Connection, a minority and
youth-led charity on a mission to make technical education accessible for youth
through the power of robotics. We have reached 800k+ children with technical
education with an emphasis on language revitalization. We focus on the future:
ushering in a new age of education via personal and wearable robotics, ethical
artificial intelligence systems, and augmented reality. Informed by the past and
present, The STEAM Connection utilizes traditional knowledge to uplift and
protect Indigenous communities.



My flagship invention for The STEAM Connection was Every Kid Gets a Robot or
EKGAR, an affordable and scalable educational robotics kit to increase technical
educational accessibility. I invented it when I was eighteen in 2019 as a recent
high school graduate. Educational robotics strengthen and support students'
skills in developing their knowledge through the creation, design, assembly, and
operation of robots. 



EKGAR is an app-controlled robot made from recycled plastic that costs $18.95
USD to make and goes to kids for free. EKGAR teaches technical skills in a
project-based way with a culturally competent curriculum featuring
representative characters. The robots come with a pre-programmed loop for
communities without stable Internet access. The core technology is an ESP-32
Development Board. I've manufactured and distributed 11k+ free kits and have
34k+ educators on our Make-A-Robot virtual learning platform with resources to
make your own robots.



Since then, I have worked alongside mentors to create the SkoBot, a robot
designed as a language preservation tool. Language is vital to preserving
Indigenous cultures and identities—but resources are dwindling and hard to
access. Indigenous languages are extinct in the United States, and estimates
suggest that only 20 Indigenous languages will remain by 2050. My own language,
Ojibwemowin, is considered an endangered language. Hundreds of Indigenous
languages are extinct in the United States, and estimates suggest that only 20
Indigenous languages will remain by 2050. So, we created a personalized,
wearable, and interactive Indigenous language revitalization robot that senses
motion and speaks our languages. Our students build the robots themselves. Built
to take tech learning out of the classroom, the robots were made to supplement
community language learning for free. It has been a success in enabling our
youth to bring the robots home to learn with their families and in creating
learning tools they resonate with.



For us. By us.

 

Learn More

My public inventions

WHAT I'VE CREATED

These are just a few of my creations. I also invent new things with my mentees
and students and for companies who are looking to use technology to create
positive change in the world.

EVERY KID GETS A ROBOT (EKGAR)

Increasing technical educational accessibility for youth with an affordable
robotics kit.







Every Kid Gets a Robot is an educational robotics kit that costs $18.95 USD to
manufacture and is sent to children for free. After I saw the rising need for
sustainable and accessible technical education within my own community, I
developed EKGAR. This is a forward-thinking educational solution that is a game
changer for many traditionally excluded populations. Since early 2019, tens of
thousands of bots have been put in kids hands.

Learn More

SKOBOTS

Learning our Indigenous languages.



A personalized, wearable, and interactive Indigenous language revitalization
robot that senses motion and speaks our languages. The students build the robots
themselves. Built to take tech learning out of the classroom, the robots were
made to supplement community language learning for free. It has been a success
in enabling our youth to bring the robots home to learn with their families and
in creating learning tools they resonate with.

Learn More

EKGAR: BIOBOTZ

The future of sustainable technology. 



The rebirth of EKGAR. To replace the bioplastic, I designed a biodegradable and
plant based paste that hardens and replaces the plastic altogether, easy for us
and our students to manufacture from anywhere. Our aim is to keep growing beyond
the need for plastic, and to allow kids to engage in important technical skills
in a project-based way all while conserving the Earth. 

 

This project is a winner of the Verizon x Clinton Foundation Social Innovation
Challenge.

Learn More

TWENTY

A free open-source learning solution for all youth.



I recently turned 20-years-old. I would normally be celebrating by putting on a
robotics event or volunteering to helps kids learn about STEAM. This year with
the pandemic, we decided to shake things up by releasing a new educational
robot. Twenty is an affordable, simple, and creative robotics kit that you can
assemble for free at home. This resource is open source and was created as a
gift to express our gratitude to our loyal supporters, our students, and our
communities.

Build It



My Nonprofit

Contact Me

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 COPYRIGHT © 2023 by Danielle Boyer and THE STEAM CONNECTION. All Rights
Reserved. 



For bookings and inquiries, email my team at The STEAM Connection at
media@steamconnection.org.

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