2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Summer is an ideal time to expose students to experiences that increase their knowledge about future career choices and awareness. Unfortunately, many students across the country lack the resources and opportunities to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) career. In terms of STEM proficiency, the US lags behind other high-performing countries. Among forty-six participating education systems, the US ranked fifteenth for fourth graders and eleventh for eighth-graders. Further, a STEM-focused workforce is imperative for the nation. Therefore, there is a growing focus on STEM camps at the national and regional levels within the US. This study investigated the implementation characteristics of summer camps in the areas of modality, duration, and measured impacts conducted within the US. The research used three-staged research which included sample selection, parameter development, and descriptive statistical analysis. Sample selection was dictated by factors such as the ASEE article and publication date. Parameter development included the identification of twelve parameters purposively developed by researchers. The parameters included "population, race, gender, age, targeted population, framework, theories used, context, learning outcome, delivery method, effect, and duration." This study focuses on the "framework, theories used, context, learning outcome, delivery method, effect, and duration." The preliminary analysis of the compiled data indicates that most camps didn't have a framework. Most of the summer camp activities revolved around Robotics and focused on providing students with exposure to different engineering disciplines. Understanding the used framework and applied knowledge is imperative as it helps to better design and conduct future summer camps that help achieve the identified goals.