Engaging youth in STEM
The role of STEM in discovery, progress and tackling some of the world’s wicked problems has never been more critical. We need the inquisitive young minds of today to have opportunities to explore Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
The College of Engineering and Physical Sciences runs many outreach programs to do just that. From one day workshops to summer camps and participation in big events like College Royal. CEPS engages youth of all ages and runs special programming to focus on girls and young women. Studies suggest that among high school graduates women are 29.8% less likely than men to enrol in postsecondary STEM programs shortly after graduation. This needs to change so we can ensure all perspectives contribute to our growing body of knowledge.
To help celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science, 29 girl guides and pathfinders came to campus where they designed a spoon catapult, made slime and lava lamps, and competed in a NASA inspired rover coms race. One attendee shared, "I really enjoyed the programming challenges. The rover exercise was really fun too! The leaders were friendly, encouraging and passionate and the guest speakers were inspiring." On Feb 18, we saw the 8th annual Go CODE Girl day, where 66 participants tried their hands at Coding in Scratch, UX experience and unplugged coding challenges.
Next up will be our award winning summer camps run through Creative Encounters. You may have seen their display at College Royal where 255 egg contraptions tried to survive the Egg Drop. While only 85 eggs lived to tell another day, close to 1000 attendees learned about these amazing camps.
For 28 years, Creative Encounters has provided a unique STEM experience for the Guelph community. This summer 11 themed camps for grades 2 – 10 will be run including: Nano Science, Cooking with Chemistry, Wilderness Warriors, Game Design and PAGES (Promoting Awareness of Girls in Engineering and Science). There is even a new camp for grades 9 and 10, where they will assist in running programs and earn their 40 volunteer hours for high school.
We hope the scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians of tomorrow can learn and discover STEM at the U of G.