STEM Camp for Teenage Girls

  • P Project/Program

? Activity Status: Unknown

Key Information

The Visiola Foundation’s STEM Camp is an exciting week-long residence program designed to pique the interest of women in the STEM fields from an early age. The Visiola Foundation is committed to nurturing, mentoring, and educating high-potential girls and young women in the STEM fields to build a pipeline of leaders and innovators who will help to transform African countries. Although there is a rise in the percentage of women enrolling in tertiary education, the gender divide remains wide and is further amplified in the STEM fields. The decision to abandon the study of STEM subjects is often made by the secondary school phase. The Visiola Foundation seeks to address this issue head on, by attracting teenage girls into the STEM world during this critical formative stage of their lives. During the camp, students learn valuable skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork as they are taught to view the world through the lens of STEM subjects. They essentially receive added tools with which to succeed in their future careers. The aim of the program is to encourage more women to pursue STEM careers by gaining their interest early, building their confidence, and facilitating their success. The summer camp comprises engaging classroom coursework, practical team activities, stimulating games, and a group project. Students learn basic concepts in computer programming, science, math, and engineering, all while having fun!


Lead Implementing Organization(s)

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Government Affiliation

Non-governmental program

Years

Not applicable or unknown

Partner(s)

Not applicable or unknown

Ministry Affiliation

Unknown

Funder(s)

Not applicable or unknown

COVID-19 Response

Unknown

Geographic Scope

Global / regional

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Attainment

  • Secondary completion

Other skills

  • Social and emotional learning
  • Vocational training

Skills

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • STEM

Cross-cutting areas

  • Digital literacy
  • Economic/livelihoods (including savings/financial inclusion, etc.)
  • Empowerment
  • Gender equality
  • Mentorship
  • Social and gender norms and beliefs

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Girls (both in school and out of school), Youth

Age

13 - 19

School Enrolment Status

Some in school

School Level

  • Lower secondary
  • Upper secondary

Other populations reached

Not applicable or unknown

Participants include

Not applicable or unknown

Program Approaches Back to Top

Educational Technology

  • Digital skills/literacy (including coding)

Mentoring/psychosocial support

  • Adult (non-teacher) mentors
  • Peer mentors

Tutoring/strengthening academic skills

  • Literacy - in the classroom
  • Numeracy - in the classroom
  • STEM - in the classroom
  • STEM - outside the classroom

Women's empowerment programs

  • Leadership training

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Improved academic skills (literacy and numeracy)
  • Improved critical thinking
  • Improved social and emotional learning/skills and mindsets
  • Increased grade attainment
  • Increased school completion (general)
  • Increased test scores

Cross-cutting goals

  • Changed social norms
  • Increased agency and empowerment
  • Increased employment/job-related skills
  • More equitable gender attitudes and norms
  • Reduced poverty/increase household well-being