GiRGirls in Robotics

Girls in Robotics is a NJ 501 c(3) non-profit organization

About Girls in Robotics

Overview

Girls in Robotics (GiR) is an US based organisation formed in 2018 that is committed to empowering women, young girls and young children in underserved regions in STEM through robotics. GiR team members are passionate about robots and GiR leaders along with their competitive team participates in global robotics competition FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC). GiR team members have advanced to USA National Championship of World Robot Olympiad for two consecutive years and their current FTC robotics team has advanced into the state championship in its third consecutive seasons. In 2023-24, the team won 16 awards throughout the season and was ranked #1 in New Jersey for most of the year.
Although we were formed in 2018, GiR was officially registered as a 501 c(3) non-profit organisation in 2021. We are sponsored by 16 companies including Briston Myers Squibb, Boeing, Musk Foundation, Gene Haas Foundation, Comcast, Philips, BAE Systems, and TE Connectivity. We run multiple initiatives such as below:
  • Hands-on FTC Robotics Workshop (Middle & high school students)
  • Intro to STEM and Robotics (Elementary & middle school age children)
  • Hands-on LEGO Spike Prime - Design, Build and Programming Workshops (Elementary school children)
  • STEM Careers for Girls
  • Preparing for a STEM Career (High school girls)

Mission of GiR through its outreach programs like above is to conduct workshops, mentor and guide girls towards STEM career. As of 2025, we primarily use FTC based robot kits (goBilda and REV) for our middle and high school aged children. In the US, we also use LEGO Spike Prime kits to teach build and programming of robots for elementary age groups. Our measure of success is to see increasing number of children participate and grow their STEM knowledge by eventually competing at highest levels of above tournaments.
In the summer of 2024, GiR completed its 3rd Annual India STEM Empowerment Through Robotics Workshops. Over last 4 years, we have empowered over 2100 students in STEM through hands-on workshops and demonstrations.



Founding Members

Nidhi Mandrekar and Shruti Mandrekar
GiR Founders - Nidhi and Shruti

  • Nidhi Mandrekar (GiR Founder and Workshop Instructor): Nidhi is a high school senior. She enjoys baking, reading, and painting. Nidhi enjoys robotics having participated in FLL and WRO and loved the experience she had. Nidhi cherished being able to be a part of a community that embraces her love for robots. Nidhi has always loved robotics and STEM and one day hopes to be a Robotic Engineer at Space-X or NASA. As co-founder of GiR, she aspires to impart the STEM and robotics knowledge to girls locally as well as children internationally who do not otherwise have the exposure to STEM.
  • Shruti (GiR Founder and Workshop Instructor): Shruti is a sophomore at Princeton University pursuing BSE in Computer Science in the College of Engineering. Besides robotics, she is passionate about tennis, singing, and playing the piano. Over the years, she has been participating in different robotics competitions in which she has developed a strong fascination for robotics. As co-founder of "Girls in Robotics" she leads collaboration efforts with external organizations, domestic & international schools and local communities to plan and conduct STEM empowerment workshops through robotics. She is also one of the GiR educators teaching basics of robotics and sessions empowering young girls in STEM.

GiR Ambassadors at World STEM & Robotics Olympiad
[L to R] Devyani, Nidhi and Siddhi

GiR Ambassadors

  • Siddhi Pednekar (GiR Ambassador): Siddhi is a grade 10 student and GiR Ambassador since 2024 where she co-led the workshop and also represented GiR at World Robot STEM Olympiad with Nidhi and Devyani. She has been instrumental in forming robotics club in her school and continuing GiR mission in the region.
  • Devyani Harji (GiR Ambassador): Devyani is a grade 10 student at NEHS School in Keri and GiR Ambassador since 2024 where she co-led the workshop and also represented GiR at World Robot STEM Olympiad with Nidhi and Siddhi. She has been recognized for leading workshops and mentoring peering at her school and region to promote robotics education through GiR initiatives.
  • GiR Ambassadors: GiR has 9 ambassadors throughout the world who are typically girls in high school who have participated in previous GiR workshops and taken the lead roles for their local schools and regions to champion STEM empowerment efforts.