2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Abstract
In this paper on innovative practices, we explore the development and outcomes of Girls Summer Engineering and Technology (GirlSET), a STEM summer camp, first launched in 2017. The women faculty in engineering and computer science noticed underrepresentation of female students in technology-based fields. To break down the barriers, GirlSET was designed as a female-centered summer camp, created by women for women. The initiative aims to introduce and inspire young girls aged 14-17 to engineering and computer science, with the goal of fostering a positive mindset towards STEM careers. Originally conducted in person, GirlSET adapted to an online format during the COVID-19 pandemic and returned to an in-person experience in 2024. The camp has successfully run for eight years, engaging young girls through targeted activities and mentorship. In this paper, we report on the insights gained from implementing GirlSET and the impact it has had on participants’ perceptions of STEM fields, equipping them with techniques to drive innovation and make a difference in society. We provide detailed examples of activities designed to spark interest in various engineering disciplines and discuss the outcomes observed over multiple camp sessions. These sessions include hands-on challenging interactive in-lab activities in nine different areas of engineering, presentation sessions from the final year engineering and computer science students working on their capstone projects, interactive sessions with female role models in the industry, and panel discussions with women-in-engineering students. Introducing girls to different engineering disciplines and how engineering can be used to address daily life problems engages their different mindsets in the problem-solving process of developing better solutions. The GirlSET summer camp offers a roadmap for other institutions seeking to implement similar initiatives to increase female enrollment in STEM. We aim to contribute to the broader conversation on diversity in engineering education and inspire more universities to support the next generation of women in STEM.
Keywords: engineering education, STEM summer camp, women in engineering, diversity in STEM, gender equality in STEM