A local Islamic center in Dallas and a young Muslim robotics team have joined hands to host the first regional national youth robotics competition in North Texas to encourage STEM achievements among young Muslim students.
The team, called the Marvels of MAS, is based at the Dallas chapter of the Muslim American Society (MAS).
“The goal is to engage our Muslim youth in technology from a young age and ensure that they understand that Islam is a religion that encourages them to explore and excel in the different aspects in this life,” Dr. Mohamed Ebeida, a research scientist at Sandia National Laboratories who coaches the Marvels of MAS, said, Wisconsin Muslim Journal reported.
The event, held during this weekend, was part of a national competition held by FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), a robotics competition where middle and high school students compete head-to-head by creating and programming their own robots.
The MAS Islamic Center of Dallas is believed to be the first mosque to take part in the competition.
“This league] is hosted by the Muslim community with a combined effort between MAS and EPIC,” Dr. Ebeida, who works for Sandia National Laboratories, a science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, said.
“This is the first time our Muslim community invited non-Muslim teams aged 12 to 18 to compete inside our Islamic Centers. Events like this promote inclusion and diversity, break stereotypes and create great connections between Muslims and non-Muslims.”
Exciting Experience
Participants in the program were impressed by the experience.
“This program has allowed my team and I to have a glimpse into all the innovative aspects of the future such as programming with artificial intelligence, 3D-modeling custom parts and even marketing to professional companies in the field of technology and medicine,” Eisha Alam, 15, one of the Team Captains of the Marvels, said.
Many Muslim students have been participating in similar STEM events recently.
In August 2018, Zaina Siyed, a 15-year-old schoolgirl from Chino Hills, California created a free science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program for Muslim girls aged between 10 and 14.
SOURCE: https://aboutislam.net/muslim-issues/n-america/muslims-host-dallas-first-national-robotics-competition/
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