Polished Pebbles partnered with IEEE to host a special hands-on workshop, “ Mommy, Me, and Technology” on Saturday, November 23rd. Polished Pebbles is a non-profit organization focused on the empowerment, mentorship and development of girls in the Greater Chicago Metropolitan area.

“ Every week when we get down to Polished Pebbles time, I start my climb to success in helping my girls shine. Any cracks and flaws can always be smoothed out. We polish one, let me help YOU out”. Those powerful words are part of the Polished Pebbles pledge that the girls and their mothers chanted proudly at the start of the event. The pledge was a perfect segue to Lauren White, Vice Chair of IEEE WIE Chicago, and Anna Greszta, Senior Electrical Engineer at Continental Automotive. They spoke about various engineering disciplines , their engineering journeys, and the technical concepts for the workshop activities.

Immediately after the presentation, the girls began the hands-on activities. The first activity provided the girls with exposure to Electrical Engineering, where the girls and their mothers created electrical circuits using electronic Snap Circuit kits. The girls designed flying saucers, spinning disks, and police sirens . Each girl had their own individual kit which empowered them to tinker with more challenging designs and work at their own pace. The girls helped one another and enjoyed showing their mothers their hard work and explaining what they learned. The second activity was focused on robotics. To simulate this, the girls created a robotic hand using cardstock paper, straws, and yarn. The girls were excited that they could take their robotic hands home with them. Kyra White, Anna Gretszta, and Lauren White helped the girls and their mothers throughout the activities as part of the IEEE WIE volunteer team.

The girls loved the workshop and even asked the Polished Pebble team if the IEEE WIE team could come back and host. It was a great way to begin a Saturday morning !