JCHAI
Dawgma partners with JCHAI, Judith Creed Horizon’s for Achieving Independence, and organization that provides vocational services for adults with disabilities. Dawgma has established a strong connection with JCHAI clients through fun, accessible STEM lessons and challenges, ranging from Vex IQ robots construction to building structures with spaghetti. Dawgma has collaborated with JCHAI for 9 years, even holding sessions over Zoom during the pandemic. JCHAI clients attended the Springside Chestnut Hill competition with us as well!
FLL(FIRST LEGO League)
Dawgma aims to be a leader in our school district’s community through our interaction with FIRST LEGOLeague teams. Since the pandemic Dawgma has been working to bring back FLL in our school district. In 2022 we mentored FLL teams at two elementary schools in our community, Merion and Cynwyd Elementary School, maintaining a 2:1 ratio with the students. In 2023 we expanded to assist 10 teams in our district’s middle and elementary schools annually. Further, since 2007, Dawgma members have volunteered at the district’s FLL Challenge Expo, filling volunteer roles from referee to DJ. Although the event was paused due to the pandemic, we supported reviving it in 2023 and are excited to continue our tradition of volunteering at the FLL Expo this year.
Girls STEM Night
In an effort to introduce girls into the STEM community (including FIRST and our team), Dawgma held a booth during LMSD’s Girls+ Stem Night. With Mountain Goat (our outreach oriented robot), Dawgma volunteers allowed members to explore the world of Robotics.
LMSD Girls+ Stem Night is designed to expose younger girls and gender diverse students to various STEM-related careers and fields in hopes that it will spark an interest to pursue science, technology, engineering and math inside and outside of the classroom.
Wellness Day at LMHS
Dawgma helped run activities for Wellness Day at our school. Wellness day is a chance for high school students to broaden their horizons and try new things. Dawgma, along with our school’s TSA chapter ran activities hosting an interactive STEM challenge. Students were also able to try to drive mountain goat(Outreach robot).
