Written by Lily Prath

That’s a wrap on 2023 Girlstart Summer Camp!

This summer, over 800 4th-8th grade girls were introduced to the wonderful world of STEM, with 37 camps taking place across 22 locations and six states. From exploring the depths of the oceans to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, this summer we offered a total of five unique camp themes; Keep Girlstart Weird, Girlstart Galaxy, Under the Sea, Scrub In, and Pet Vet.

As Girlstart’s Summer Communications Intern in Austin, I had a front row seat to most of these camps!

Campers started each morning with intention as they mapped out the day and practiced various social and emotional skills, including bravery, empathy, perseverance, and kindness. They got to know their fellow campers and our STEM CREW program leaders, who guided them through exciting and challenging activities related to the camp theme. Participants also heard from amazing women in STEM guest speakers who shared about their current career and how they got there. Each week ended with campers setting goals for themselves as they work toward their future career!

Here are some highlights from each camp:

The first Central Texas camp theme was Keep Girlstart Weird. In this Austin-inspired camp, participants explored the things that make Austin unique—including its music scene—as they engineered an outdoor music stage. Campers even designed a conductive piano by learning about coding and engineering. To celebrate the amazing food we have in Austin, participants designed a functional solar-powered mini food truck! The Austin adventure continued with campers programming robots to race along a track to win a Formula 1 race. At the end of the week, Keep Austin Beautiful visited and taught the girls about keeping their city clean and safe.

In Girlstart Galaxy, participants explored the International Space Station through an interactive Virtual Reality landscape. They also got to engineer and build devices to help spacecraft launch and land. To learn about what it takes to operate the space station, the campers experimented with collecting planetary core samples and cultivating crops in containers meant to sustain their growth. Campers also heard from a Mars geochemist from NASA, who drove in from Houston just to speak with them.

---

“Summer 2023 was truly one to remember, and I’m so grateful to all of Girlstart’s wonderful counselors, parents, and campers for making this a summer full of STEM fun!” – Hannah Winkler, Girlstart’s Strategic Projects Manager

Leaving the solar system for the depths of our seas and oceans, Under the Sea was all about marine biology! Starting in shallow waters, participants created a model tide pool and explored how gravity affects Earth’s ocean. Next they learned about endangered sea turtles and designed a cage to protect tiny turtle hatchlings. Other activities included engineering an ocean-cleaning robot, creating a dolphin prosthetic, and coding a game centered around marine life. A major highlight was hearing directly from women currently aboard the Nautilus vessel in the Pacific Ocean, who are conducting explorations of the sea floor.

---

Doctor’s orders: At our last camp in Central Texas, participants had the chance to “Scrub In” for a week of fun activities highlighting medical careers. They practiced suturing cuts on stuffed animals and diagnosing bacteria cultures. They investigated the heart and the complex blood it pumps, creating a model of both. Exploring both anatomy and engineering, girls created and played an operation-style board game, created a functional, life-size prosthetic device for a leg, and made a scalable 3D cell on Tinkercad.

---

Our camps in Texas, California, Massachusetts, Missouri, Washington, and Wisconsin focused on veterinary science. Pet Vet campers channeled their inner veterinarian as they sutured a ‘hurt’ stuffed animal, 3D modeled a unique animal shelter, and learned to code a robotic pet’s journey to the vet’s office using ozobots. From investigating cat genetics to examining fish tank environments to building a prosthetic limb for an injured pet, girls explored helping furry friends big and small. They also discovered different careers and learned about amazing women in STEM who have paved the way, such as Rosa Smith Eigenmann, the first woman ichthyologist (marine biologist who studies fish) in the U.S.

---

This is just some of the feedback we received from our campers and their parents:

“Girlstart Summer Camp has inspired me to want to do STEM when I grow up.” – Alana, 6th Grader

“At Girlstart I learned that even though I am a girl, I can get any job that I set my mind to.” – Molly, 5th Grader

“Girlstart began the week immediately following summer school and, hands down, the Girlstart program was 100 times better than the classes our school district offers. My daughter was so excited to share and demonstrate what she learned each day when she came home. Having an all-girls environment was powerful too.” – Girlstart Parent

We appreciate everyone who brought camp to life so vibrantly, especially our incredible guest speakers, STEM CREW camp counselors, program staff, and funders. See you next summer!

About the author: We want to say a special thank you to our Summer Communications Intern Lily Prath, who wrote this blog post and captured photos and videos at our Central Texas camps. She enjoyed getting to engage with the girls each week, and looks forward to attending ASU this fall!