Posted on

SUMMER CAMP 2021 STEM CREW

Meet the Summer Camp STEM CREW who will be mentoring and teaching your Girlstart students this summer!

Sarah Elizabeth Olivera

What do you want camprs to take away/learn from you this summer?
That it’s ok to not know the answer to everything, asking for help should be welcomed and encouraged, and creativity counts for more thank you think!

What excites you most about working with Girlstart this summer?
I am excited to meet and work with all our campers and help get them excited about learning and taking creative approaches to problems!

Why did you want to work with Girlstart this summer or why is Girlstart important to you?
I firmly believe that everyone has a place in STEM, and want to be part of an organization whose mission it is to extend the opportunity to be exposed to STEM concepts in a comfortable and nurturing environment.

Haley Mitchell

What do you want camprs to take away/learn from you this summer?
I would love for our girls to leave camp with a sense of wonder that makes them excited to use the rest of their summer to continue exploring STEM!

What excites you most about working with Girlstart this summer?
Getting to work in the office! I miss it there!

Sarah Beamer

What do you want camprs to take away/learn from you this summer?
I want the campers to find something that excites them and to not be afraid to learn more. I want them to be optimistic about their futures, and to not be afraid to take a leap of faith for things that make them happy.

What excites you most about working with Girlstart this summer?
I was a first year STEM Crew last year when we taught camp from Zoom, and that was so rewarding because Girlstart was the highlight of many girls’ summers due to COVID. I wanted to be a returning STEM Crew this summer because I want to be able to experience Girlstart in-person, and give those girls the same excitement they had last summer. I can’t wait to inspire the girls who attend the in-person camp, and also the girls who choose to attend through Zoom.

Why did you want to work with Girlstart this summer or why is Girlstart important to you?
I was a Girlstart camper when I was a girl, and coming from a family where nobody was in STEM related career, it really sparked my interest in the STEM field. I can confidently say it was the first moment I decided I wanted to be a woman in STEM. Because I had such an impactful experience, I wanted to be the same inspiration to the next generation of girls.

Miriam Fisher

What do you want campers to take away/learn from you this summer?
I hope that the girls learn that there is so much creativity involved in science.

What excites you most about working with Girlstart this summer?
I am most excited to teach girls who are passionate and excited to learn even outside of the school year.

Why did you want to work with Girlstart this summer or why is Girlstart important to you?
Girlstart is important to me because I love what the organization stands for and would have loved to be in a program like it when I was younger.

Derrica McDowell

What do you want campers to take away/learn from you this summer?
I want campers to take away from this summer that it’s fun to be excited to learn and question all things STEM.

What excites you most about working with Girlstart this summer?
I am very excited to have the option for camp to be back in person! Also, Camp Hermione.

Why did you want to work with Girlstart this summer or why is Girlstart important to you?
I wanted to work with Girlstart this summer so I can learn and experience new things with the campers, volunteers, and other STEM Crew.

 

Caitlyn Shields

What do you want campers to take away/learn from you this summer?
I want campers to learn about all the different topics that are encompassed in STEM and I want them to take away the knowledge that there is nothing stopping them from going after their dreams!

What excites you most about working with Girlstart this summer?
I am most excited for the wonderful camp themes we have this year! They are all going to be so much fun and I can’t wait to experience all of the excitement with the campers.

Why did you want to work with Girlstart this summer or why is Girlstart important to you?
I wanted to work with Girlstart this summer because I’m really proud to be part of an organization that values STEM education and the education of young girls. I was so excited by the summer camp themes and the idea that I could be a part of such an enriching and fun camp experience!

 

 

 

Katia Elizabeth Davis

What do you want campers to take away/learn from you this summer?
I want campers to learn that learning can actually be a fun and very interactive time especially with all the experiments.

What excites you most about working with Girlstart this summer?
I am so excited to get to know all the girls throughout the summer and all excitement that shows up in the girls when we start an experiment.

Why did you want to work with Girlstart this summer or why is Girlstart important to you?
Girlstart is important to me because it allows girls to have role models that I never really had when I was young. I want to help invigorate girls to be excited in STEM subjects and believe that any dream they believe in can be achieved.

 

 

 

Danielle Dinderman

What do you want campers to take away/learn from you this summer?
I want campers to know that they have the power to accomplish anything they set their mind to!

What excites you most about working with Girlstart this summer?
Teaching is my life’s purpose and I’m excited to get to do it over the summer for the first time!

Why did you want to work with Girlstart this summer or why is Girlstart important to you?
Working with Girlstart is important to me because as a former Engineering major, I experienced the effects that discrimination in STEM can have. I decided to become a math and science teacher instead so I could empower students starting at a young age so they can be prepared to pursue STEM careers, and Girlstart gives me a space to do just that!

 

 

Karla Desatnik

What do you want campers to take away/learn from you this summer?
I would love for campers to appreciate the beauty in science and natural phenomena. As we learn about these, I want us to dive deep into concepts, but never forgetting to embrace our inner child when we see cool results. Finally, I want us to remember that we are products of the concepts we’ll explore and that everything that has ever been known exists because of simple scientific and mathematical facts.

What excites you most about working with Girlstart this summer?
I am excited to explore and discover thrilling science concepts with campers who are beginning to wonder about the complexities of natural life!

Why did you want to work with Girlstart this summer or why is Girlstart important to you?
I grew up doing science experiments and practicing math skills with my Dad and sister, so I can’t wait to continue this tradition as an adult with a new generation of explorers. I think an understanding of how physical things work is essential to be informed and humble, but also appreciative of natural life, so learning about this with young knowledge-seekers is a great way to continue this.

, , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted on

Meet the Summer Camp STEM CREW

It’s time for Summer Camp! The past two weeks our Summer Camp STEM CREW in Central Texas has been working hard to prepare all of the lessons and materials for the summer, as well as learning all about teamwork and leadership. Don’t worry, plenty of fun and silliness was had as well! At the end of the week, the STEM CREW did a mini-showcase to demonstrate all of their cool lessons and projects to the rest of the staff – it looks like this summer is going to be so amazing!

Watch this video to meet our Summer STEM CREW!

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted on

Travel Camp Update

Summer is our favorite time of year, because it means camp! Not only do we get to host seven weeks of STEM fun at the Girlstart STEM Center in Austin, Texas, but we also have nine weeks of travel camp at 21 different locations across the country.

Our travel camp is delivered by our amazing traveling STEM CREW (Creative, Resourceful, Empowered Women), composed of small teams of 27 fabulous female role models. Girlstart’s STEM CREW make STEM fun, meaningful, and relevant for our campers and empower them to be brave, creative, and curious! Each week, our Girlstart Galaxy Summer Camp is put on for new groups of campers in multiple locations—from Texas towns such as Houston, Mission, Kyle, McAllen, San Antonio, Irving, Dallas, Buda, Bryan, Garland, and Grand Prairie to the reaches of Elgin, IL, St. Louis, MO, Sunnyvale, CA, Boston, MA, and Bellevue, WA.

As Girlstart takes a tour through the U.S. this summer, our Girlstart campers are taking a trip out of this world to explore the wonders of space. Girls discover what it takes to design and launch a satellite, live and work on the International Space Station, develop a shock absorbing system to protect astronauts as they land on the moon, and more. Campers channel their inner botanist as they create a device to grow vegetables in space, engineer a tool to take samples on other planets, and how to call Earth in this out-of-this-world camp. Additionally, girls learn about Ozobots, small line-following robots, and how to program them with both visual color-coded commands and online coding. The girls create their own unique rover map for their Ozobot Evo “rover” to travel through, following commands as it collects moon rock samples on a foreign planet.

We still have three weeks of our Girlstart Galaxy camp left and we’re beyond grateful for our travel STEM CREW and the opportunity to bring fun science to new locations! Keep your eye on the sky—one day one of our campers might be there!

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted on

Meet the Girlstart STEM CREW

It’s officially summer at Girlstart! We are expecting over 400 girls to attend our summer camp in Austin over 7 weeks during summer break.

To create the best summer camp experience, we have ten summer STEM CREW working alongside campers this summer.

STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
CREW
(Creative, resourceful, empowered women)

“Girlstart empowers girls and I wanted to be a part of helping the girls grow intellectually and individually.”
– Morgan studies psychology at Southwestern University.
Favorite Quote: “Little girls with dreams become women with vision.” – Unknown

“I wanted to work for Girlstart because of the chance to get to meet new people.”
– Alyssa studies special education at University of Texas at Austin.
Favorite Quote: “Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.” – Jack Canfield

“I love getting the chance to spend the summer sharing my love of STEM with campers, and having lots of fun while doing it!”
– Hannah studies biology and environmental studies at Southwestern University.
Favorite Quote: “Don’t let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity.” – Mae Jemison

“I joined Girlstart this summer because STEM has had such a large impact on my life and increased my own confidence and I want to instill that same confidence in young girls.”
– Katie studies biology and business foundations at University of Texas at Austin.
Favorite Book: Tuesdays with Morrie

“I love Girlstart because of the all-female environment. I am constantly surrounded by intelligent and strong women who always inspire me.”
– Becca studies Math at University of Texas at Austin.
Favorite Book: Eleanor and Hick

“I think it is so important to empower girls and let them know at a young age that they can do anything they set their mind to, even science!”
– Claire studies neuroscience at University of Texas at Austin.
Favorite Quote: “Whatever you do, do it with passion.”

“My favorite part about working at Girlstart is getting to be a part of an inspiring and empowering community of women and girls where ideas are freely shared!”
– Bethany studies, medicine, health, and society at Vanderbilt University.
Favorite Quote: “Books! And cleverness! There are more important things — Friendship and bravery.” Hermione Granger

“Girlstart has empowered and inspired me in STEM and I cannot wait to continue this for girls this summer. We have creative lessons and fun activities to keep them laughing, thinking, and creating.”
– Helena graduated from University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Biology.
“Wherever you go, it is okay to break a few molds. It is okay for you to make them special order you something because it’s never been done. It’s okay for you to rock the boat, and every now and then you’re going to need to because…what starts here truly does change the world.” – Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, M.D.

“I love Girlstart because I really appreciate the all female staff that we have to lead all of our outreach programs. I especially love, as a college student, to spend time lifting up younger girls. Not only do we get to inspire young girls, but we also get a boost in energy and enthusiasm from the girls because they are always in such good spirits.”
– Ashley graduated from University of Texas at Austin with a degree in biochemistry and Teaching Certification.
Favorite Book: The Count of Monte Cristo

“I want to show girls new, fun, and creative ways to use technology. It’s such a privilege to work in such an empowering and positive learning space!”
– Erin studies communications at Trinity University.
Favorite Quote: “What you share with the world is what it keeps of you!” – Noah and the Whale

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,