Camp REACH: an engineering summer camp for middle school girls

Summary form only as given. Studies indicate that a critical point in the pipeline of women into technological careers is the middle school years, when it is common for girls to lose interest in math and science. In order to address this problem within the Central Massachusetts region, WPI initiated in the summer of 1997 a two-week residential outreach program designed specifically for girls entering the seventh grade. The overall goal of "Camp REACH" is to generate or sustain adolescent girls' interest in engineering and technology and to enhance self-confidence and motivation toward education. The camp program is shaped by a philosophical approach that emphasizes the direct benefit engineers can have on society and the development of technological self-efficacy through successful hands-on tasks. Program activities include a "community service design project" for a customer in the Worcester community, hands-on experiential workshops, field trips, speakers, recreational activities, informational sessions for parents, and follow-up programs during the academic year. Girls interact with a spectrum of role models including women high school students, WPI students and faculty, middle school math and science teachers, and practicing engineers. In this talk, the authors discuss successes and lessons learned from the first camp offering, and formative and preliminary summative evaluation results are presented.