SMSE hosts Virtual Research Camp for high school girls
GEMS program continues during pandemic
SAN ANTONIO – The School of Mathematics, Science and Engineering hosted a Virtual Research Camp for high school girls during the month of July as part of the UIW GEMS Program (Girls in Engineering, Math and Science).
The summer program for grade school girls is usually held on campus but was moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The virtual program was developed by Stephanie Weiss-Lopez, coordinator of the Autonomous Vehicle Systems Lab (AVS), and Calista Burns, camp counselor and research coordinator.
Partnering with Girls Inc. and Family Services, the Virtual Research Camp aimed to engage with a growing number of young women who want to enter STEM fields, most notably engineering. The four-week camp included women guest speakers in STEM fields from local companies like H-E-B, Valero and the Intercultural Development Research Association.
Camp organizers encouraged students to explore STEM fields in a supervised, hands-on research environment. Students showcased their hard work during online presentations at the conclusion of the camp.
Read more about previous GEMS and miniGEMS camps.
