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Highlights from Girlstart’s Get a Clue Summer Camp

Someone has stolen the popsicles from Girlstart! Campers spent their week learning about how to analyze clues from the crime scene to eliminate suspects and reveal the identity of the Popsicle Thief.

Campers took a  very close look at fingerprints, hair, and blood under microscopes. By examining each piece of evidence, the campers were able to eliminate some of their suspects. They narrowed down their suspects even further by analyzing footprints, DNA left behind at the crime scene, and used other clues to solve the case!

The Popsicle Thief also left behind a coded note at the crime scene that helped guide the campers to the thief! Using their cryptography skills, the girls were able to decode the message. They also used chemistry to analyze the ink used to write the note, getting them closer to solving this mystery.

Having identified the Popsicle Thief, all that was left was to find the stolen popsicles! The girls used all of the skills they had learned during the week to follow a series of clues that led them straight to the hidden popsicles. The next day, all the campers celebrated their hard work with a popsicle party!

On Friday, the girls showcased all of the projects they had made during the week to their friends and family. Thank you to everyone who visited to support girls in STEM!

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Highlights from Girlstart’s Oakland Unity Middle School Summer Camp

Girlstart on Deck! Thank you to Oakland Unity Middle School for hosting Girlstart Summer Camp July 8-12! It was such a great opportunity to empower girls in STEM.

This week at camp, the campers explored the ocean from its surface to its sandy floor. They learned all about how to engineer equipment for the water while also taking care of the ocean and the creatures in it.

Campers engineered their own pulley systems for hoisting and lowering lifeboats off a ship, making sure that they would be completely safe in case of an emergency. The girls also learned about different kinds of propulsion and looked at how propellers can be used to push boats through the water. They also became aeronautical engineers to design model hang gliders!

While building things to go in the water is fun, we have to be careful to not damage the ocean environment and the creatures that live in it. The girls learned about ocean pollution and the danger it poses to organisms that live there. They then designed their own water filters to make water cleaner. Campers learned about plastic pollution and how to reduce their use by reusing materials. They made their own tote bags out of old Girlstart shirts!

Using virtual reality, the girls were able to explore coral reefs up close. Not only did they learn about the reefs, but virtual reality itself and what that technology can be used for. Finally, girls got to model and then 3D print their own cruise ships!

On Friday, the girls displayed all of their projects for family and friends to see. Thank you to everyone who visited to celebrate the girls’ hard work and empower them in pursuing STEM!

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Highlights from Girlstart’s St. Louis Summer Camp

Take it to the Streets! We had the special opportunity of being hosted by Adams Park Club for Girlstart Summer Camp July 8-12. It was so cool to empower girls interested in STEM for a whole week!

This past week, the campers became city planners and learned all about the ins and outs of what goes into a city – from engineering roads to designing greenspaces to learning about different energy solutions.

Starting with a small city, the campers first learned about the components of a city and what to consider when deciding where those go. Then, they expanded their cities with roadways and skyscrapers, exploring the engineering side of city planning.

Campers also explored how nature interacts with big cities. Making their own compost, building filtration systems, and designing greenspaces showed the campers how important it is to remember the environment!

Cities are always using new technology! The campers used their coding skills to program their own autonomous cars. Each camper personalized their own vehicle and then programmed it to navigate the city and even parallel park!

On Thursday, the campers presented all of their hard work to friends and families at the Showcase. We are so thankful for everyone who visited for supporting girls in STEM!

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Encouraging messages to Girlstart campers from our supporters!

Hey you! So happy that you are here because you’re about to learn and do amazing things this summer! Be proud of yourself and never be afraid to ask questions. And if you come up with a great idea, share it out loud! Sharing ideas with my friends has helped me the most in my STEM career.

The world needs more good scientists and engineers and there are a whole lot of cool, new things to be discovered and invented.

You are set for an AMAZING experience with Girlstart! Enjoy and always remember there is a place in our future for girls just like you! Set your sights high and go for it, Girl!!

You are amazing inside and out!

You are intelligent. You Matter! You can do anything you set your mind too. Trust yourself dear one.

I hope you will take advantage of this great opportunity for you, as a girl, to learn more about STEM. Be brave – don’t be afraid to try new things. Be strong – even when things are hard. Be curious – step outside of your comfort zone and explore all the possibilities. Girls can do anything they set their minds to!

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

Hi, Camper! The activities you do in Girlstart will strengthen your problem solving skills and encourage you to be brave, creative and curious as you grow up. Never give up!

Keep up the good work! Women change the world!! Don’t let anyone tell you who to be or what to do, you got this!

Hello Girlstart Camper! I’m so happy that you can attend camp at GirlStart. I wish there had been something similar when I was a girl. I have had jobs in both medical and engineering industries, I loved both. Discover, research, learn, create, and solve problems in your camps. Those are skills you will keep for life! But mostly, have fun! 🙂

Hi there! I wish I could join you at STEM camp because it sounds like you’re in for a treat. Luckily, as a geologist, my job is almost as fun as your summer camp most days! I never knew what I wanted to be, but always loved science experiments and activities. I hope you have loads of fun, make great friends and learn tons in camp and years to come!

Some STEM classes will be more difficult than others. Don’t give up. It is okay to ask for help. It is worth it in the end! There are so many interesting jobs that you can do with a degree in engineering. Your work can change the world.

You will be amazed at what you are capable of! Stay strong, ask for help when you need it, help others when you can, and remember that a brighter future depends upon kids like you being the best they can be. Have an amazing summer!!!

I hope you enjoy the summer camp experience. Ask tons of questions and be curious! But above all, have FUN! I know you are a strong, brave little girl who one day can change the world.

You will change the world and make it a better place!

The world is waiting for you to change it. Stay positive, focus, and diligent. Have a great summer.

Girlstart Camp will open your eyes to see so many things in the world around you! Enjoy learning new skills, meeting new people and finding out the power that you have inside yourself to do exciting things. Be brave, be good and be smart because you are already all of those that inside yourself!

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere. (Carl Sagan) Keep dreaming!

Don’t be afraid to ask “why?” and other questions. Curiosity and healthy skepticism is such a good way to not just learn but better understand 🙂 Proud of you!

It’s pretty cool that you’re at a camp for STEM. There are SO many paths in STEM that can make a positive impact on the world. What’s cool about science, tech, engineering, or math? What do you know needs to improve in the world? You have a chance to take what you love about STEM and find ways to solve the world’s biggest problems! You can do it!

You are much smarter and stronger than you think.

Keep up your hard work. Science, technology, and engineering are so important to our society. You will make a large impact to our world and help improve the lives of people. What you are doing and what you will do will help connect people to life changing ideas and products.

Hi, camper!! I am so excited that you get to spend your week exploring some of the possibilities that exist within STEM. You’re never too young to start figuring out your passions. If you dream big and always keep learning, I know you’ll do amazing things!

You are capable of doing anything you put your mind to, I promise this! pursuing STEM may seem tough and scary at first, but us girls are stronger and smarter than any obstacles that are put in front of us.

Science, technology, engineering and math are important subjects for everyone. Even us girls. You can do it and you can be anything you want to be. President of the US or a medical doctor providing health and care to the city you live in. Stand tall and remain positive.

You are the key to the future. You are a leader. You are smart, brave, and beautiful. You will change the world.

You are such a brave and strong girl for going to STEM Camp. Be Curious, Be Adventurous, Be Awesome! Learn a lot and have fun doing it!

Rules to live by (STEM related and beyond): Be curious, ask tons of dumb questions until you understand, and never say “no” to a promising opportunity. Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 16, and some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Stick with STEM, follow your dreams, and never stop innovating! The world needs more girls like you that will drive change and make this planet a better place for all of us to live!

Hello! Becoming an engineer has been an amazing journey that I didn’t even know could exist! I get to test rocket engines that will fly astronauts which is a unique job that engineering provided me. STEM opens up the world, and gives you a whole new appreciation for life. I’m proud of you for involving yourself in camps like Girlstart!

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields offer endless possibilities to tackle the world’s most challenging and exciting projects. Have fun exploring, learning, taking risks, *failing*! That last part may seem weird or hard to hear, but failure is the BEST way to learn and will eventually lead you to great success!

I challenge you to constantly learn new things. Push boundaries. Pursue passions. You won’t be perfect, so don’t fear making mistakes – failure is key to the learning process! A strong mind with the will to never give up will make you a force to be reckoned with. You have the opportunity to make the world a better place – you go girl!

You are LIMITLESS! Never give up. Fall seven times and stand up eight. Never doubt that you are worthy and deserving. This world needs you to never give up, dream big and make this world a better place.

You are changing the world! Keep it up, we need more girls in STEM!! Whenever it seems tough, keep going. Think of an airplane; it needs the most resistance right before it takes off into the sky, right? So whenever things feel like you want to give up, don’t! You can do anything!

You’re smart and good at solving problems!

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