Is STEM for girls?
Women now make up about half of the overall workforce but represent only 25% of the science and engineering jobs in the US public and private sectors. Given the number of high-quality, well-paying jobs (women in STEM jobs earn 33 percent more than comparable women in non-STEM jobs) in the STEM fields, there are great opportunities for women in STEM jobs.
There are many possible factors contributing to the imbalance of men/women in STEM jobs but regardless of the reasons there is a need to encourage and support women in STEM. To address this issue, many STEM initiatives, programs and websites are available to assist girls and women in their pursuit of educational and career opportunities in STEM.
We have built the below list of STEM for girls – STEM activities and educational websites geared towards girls and women that we believe will be a great resource for you. We welcome your feedback so send us your comments!
STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
STEM for Girls is one part of a series of comprehensive STEM activities and resources that are broken down into the categories shown below.
♦STEM Activities and Learning Websites ♦Games and Apps ♦Camps and After School Programs ♦Contests ♦Grants and Awards ♦Career Resources ♦Initiatives
STEM Activities and Educational Websites
CanTEEN Career Exploration
- Content: gaming and online activities
The site is designed to inspire girls to envision themselves in STEM careers.
Engineer Girl!
- Content: interviews, quizzes, fun facts, profiles, engineering contests, clubs, STEM for girls programs, scholarships.
The site was launched in 2001 with the mission to bring national attention to the bright opportunities of engineering careers for girls. It targets middle school girls.
Engineer Your Life
- Content: great tips for college prep, info on engineering programs, helpful job tools, etc.
This guide to engineering inspires high school girls to pursue engineering careers.
Girls Communicating Career Connections (GC3)
- Content: videos, games, and fun activities about interesting STEM careers
The GC3 project helps middle school aged girls create videos about math and science careers.
Girl Scouts STEM Program
- Content: experiments, leadership journeys, STEM proficiency badges, introductions to female scientists and STEM careers
MIT Women’s Initiatives
Content: STEM presentations, STEM resources
MIT WI sends presenters to middle and high school to inspire girls pursuing STEM careers.
PBS SciGirls
- Content: STEM videos
Each episode follows a different group of middle school girls showing how exciting designing and building STEM projects can be.
Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Next
- Content: info on outreach events (camps, competitions, etc.), scholarships for engineering school, tips on applying for scholarships and internships, quarterly webinars, and more
Women@NASA
- Content: video interviews and biographies of NASA female employees, as well as information on careers, events and outreach programs
Women@Energy
- Content: profiles and video interviews of inspirational women in STEM careers at the Department of Energy.
G2O: Generating Girls Opportunities
- Content: STEM projects and activities, videos, STEM career profiling, and other STEM resources
G2O is an initiative of The Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF) designed to engage girls, parents, and teachers in expanding girls’ educational opportunities.
STEM Camps and After School Programs
Alexa Cafe
- Grades: 5-10 girls
- Curriculum: Programming, Game design, Film making, Video Production. Web Design, Electrical Engineering and more.
- Programs: summer day camp, summer residential camp
- Locations: nationwide
Hosted by iD Tech, the all-girls summer camps features personalized instruction and a maximum of just 8 students per instructor, with an emphasis on entrepreneurship, leadership, brand identity, and philanthropy.
ASU Fulton Summer Academy
- Grades: 4-12
- Curriculum: Engineering, Robotics, Game design, App design, Computer science, Technology, Space science
- Programs: summer day camp, summer residential camp
- Locations: Arizona State University, AZ
There are here are more than 20 camps offered covering broad STEM fields. Some are geared to girls. Scholarships are available.
Black Girls Code
- Grades: 2-12 girls
- Curriculum: Computer programming, Robotics
- Programs: workshop, after school program
- Locations: nationwide
Through community outreach programs, Black Girls Code introduces underprivileged girls to computer programming and LEGO Robotics. They offer a limited number of financial need-based scholarships.
Camp Reach
- Grades: 7 girls
- Curriculum: Engineering
- Programs: residential summer camp
- Locations: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, MA
This two-week hands-on summer camp emphasizes the social context of engineering design. Girls work in teams with a community “customer” to create a plan for solving a real problem.
Design-Connect-Create! Physics Camps for Young Women
- Grades: 9-11 girls
- Curriculum: Physics, Engineering
- Programs: summer camp
- Locations: Dallas, TX
DigiGirlz High Tech Camp
- Grades: 9-12 girls
- Curriculum: High Tech
- Programs: summer camp
- Locations: worldwide
It is a career-based camp offered by Microsoft. Campers will listen to tech speakers, take tours, network and go to workshops to get hands-on experience.
E2@UMD
- Grades: 11-12 girls
- Curriculum: Engineering
- Programs: residential summer camp
- Locations: University of Maryland, MD
While living on campus, girls explore the world of engineering through hands-on activities, laboratory experiments, informative workshops, team challenges and seminars with professional engineers. Merit-based scholarships are available.
Girls’ Adventures in Mathematics, Engineering, and Science (G.A.M.E.S.)
- Grades: 9-12 girls
- Curriculum: Aerospace Engineering, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
- Programs: residential summer camp
- Locations: University of Illinois, IL
Girls Inc Long Island
- Grades: 9-12 girls
- Curriculum: Coding, Robotics , Sports
- Programs: summer camp
- Locations: Long Island, New York
Girls Reaching to Achieve in Sports & Physics (GRASP)
- Grades: 6-8 girls
- Curriculum: Physics
- Programs: summer camp
- Locations: Ohio State University, OH
Girlstart
- Grades: K-10 girls
- Curriculum: STEM for girls
- Programs: summer camp, Saturday STEM workshops, Science Extravaganzas
- Locations: Austin, TX
Made by Girls
- Grades: 3-12 girls
- Curriculum: Programming, Game design, App design, Web Design,
- Programs: summer camp
- Locations: 10 states and over 20 campuses in the US, Canada
Hosted by Digital Media Academy, classes are led by female mentors dedicated to serving as role models and building a supportive community for girl learners.
MIT Women’s Technology Program (WTP)
- Grades: 11 girls
- Curriculum: Electrical Engineering, Computer science, Mechanical Engineering
- Programs: 4-week summer residential camp
- Locations: Cambridge, MA
WTP is claimed to be an intense academic experience rather than a “summer camp”. Every year, 60 girls will be admitted from about 400 applicants nationwide.
MIT Minority Introduction to Engineering, Entrepreneurship and Science (MITES)
- Grades: 11
- Curriculum: Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Entrepreneurship, Writing and Design
- Programs: 6-week summer residential camp
- Locations: Cambridge, MA
This rigorous program is free.
Physics Wonder Girls at Indiana Wesleyan University
- Grades: 6-8 girls
- Curriculum: Physics
- Programs: summer camp
- Locations: Indiana Wesleyan University
Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, it’s a free summer camp.
Purdue University School of Engineering and Technology Summer Camps
- Grades: 9-12
- Curriculum: Technology, Engineering, Math
- Programs: residential summer camp
Preparing Outstanding Women for Engineering Roles (POWER) and Women in Information Technology(winIT) are residential camps for high school girls. Some scholarships are available.
Purdue Polytechnic Institute Summer Camps
- Grades: 6-12
- Curriculum: Technology, Engineering, Math
- Programs: summer camp
There are various of free and low cost day or residential summer camps. DO iT! Camp, TAGS Camp, TEAM Camp, WOWiT Camp are designed for girls.
Rochester Institute of Technology RIT K-12 Academy
- Grades: 1-12
- Curriculum: STEM for girls, Robotics, Visual arts, Sports and more
- Programs: summer camp
- Locations: Rochester, NY
Various summer camps target different age/gender groups, including Kids on Campus, CBET Bioscience Camps, Everyday Engineering Summer Camp (girls only), RoboCamp, Lil Kids on Campus, Smash Experience for Girls, etc.
Students with Potential and Interest, Considering Engineering (S.P.I.C.E.)
- Grades: 9-10 girls
- Curriculum: Engineering
- Programs: residential summer camp
- Locations: University of Maryland, MD
The Smith Summer Science and Engineering Program (SSEP)
- Grades: 9-12 girls
- Curriculum: Science, Engineering
- Programs: four-week residential summer camp
- Locations: Smith College, MA
Established in 1990, approximately 100 girls attend SSEP each year. Since its inception, nearly 1,800 high school students have participated, representing 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 53 other countries. More than half of these students have been awarded need-based financial aid.
Syracuse University Project ENGAGE
- Grades: 7-8 girls
- Curriculum: Bioengineering, Alternative Energy
- Programs: summer residential camp
- Locations: Syracuse, NY
The program is highly selective with limited participation.
Union College EDGE
- Grades: 10-11 girls
- Curriculum: Robotics, Bioengineering, Communications
- Programs: two-week summer residential camp
- Locations: Schenectady, NY
University of Arkansas Engineering Girl Camp
- Grades: 8-9
- Curriculum: Engineering
- Programs: summer camp
University of Evansville OPTIONS for High School Girls
- Grades: 9-11 girls
- Curriculum: Engineering, Computer science
- Programs: summer residential camp
- Locations: Evansville, IN
Participants receive UE college scholarships totaling $5,000.
Women in Natural Science (WINS)
- Grades: 8 girls
- Curriculum: Natural Science
- Programs: free after-school and summer camp
- Locations: Drexel University, PE
Women in Engineering at the University of Arizona
- Grades: 8 – 12 girls
- Curriculum: Engineering
- Programs: Mentorship, Fellowship, Professional Development, Outreach
- Locations: University of Arizona, AZ
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Summer STEM Camps
- Grades: 4-12
- Curriculum: STEM for girls, Robotics
- Programs: summer residential camp, summer day camp,
- Locations: Worcester, MA
Residential camps are for grades 7-12 and include Camp Reach (for girls), Frontiers, Launch, Leadership Academy for Young Women. There are nine STEM and robotics day camps.
