MiniGEMS STEAM and Programming Camp for Middle School Girls

Abstract

Abstract This paper provides an overview of a STEAM Camp for middle school girls from Title I school districts and schools in San Antonio, TX. The paper will provide details on hosting a STEAM camp that is dedicated to recruiting from underserved and underrepresented communities. miniGEMS 2017 was a free two-week summer STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and Programming camp for middle school girls in grades 6 to 8 held at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) in San Antonio, Texas. miniGEMS 2017 was hosted by the Autonomous Vehicle Systems (AVS) Research and Education Laboratory. This is the third year that miniGEMS is being held at UIW. Four two-week miniGEMS camps were hosted at UIW for a total of eight weeks starting June 5 till August 4 this summer. The primary goal of the camp was to introduce more female students to the field of Engineering through robotic projects, computer programming, graphic design, and guest speakers. Project Based Learning curriculum was introduced over the two-week camp culminating with a final presentation and skit. miniGEMS was the first free camp in San Antonio for middle school girls that had a special focus on autonomous ground, air, and underwater robots. miniGEMS 2017 camps was led by undergraduate and graduate students from various UIW STEM programs including Engineering and Biomedical Sciences. Middle school teachers were hired to participate in the camp and they helped recruit the middle school students from their respective schools. miniGEMS high school student alumni came back as peer mentors for the camp. An End of Summer Conference and Banquet was held for all campers, their parents, and teachers on August 4. miniGEMS clubs are now being formed in some of the middle schools in San Antonio to continue some of the miniGEMS curriculum throughout the academic year.