The OUTcOME:
We hit a lot of bumps in the road this year, as we do like every year. But thanks to past experiences and a dedicated crew, we were able to navigate through them and adapt to the changes. The outcome resulted in a more intimate camp due to venue and size cap that allowed the girls to become better connected to their mentors and peers. From having to DIY our own t-shirts to rearranging the schedule, we had our fair share of obstacles. However, this built resiliency, perseverance, and out of the box problem solving in both our members and the campers.
With a 5 week camp, consisting of 6 sessions, we taught a very career skill heavy STEM curriculum that positively impacted the participants. The girls that attended our camp walked out with not only skills in computing like block coding, CAD, and basic robotic knowledge, but also creativity and self expression. They learned how to work together and improvise around conflicts. This allowed them to learn how to use each other as resources and promoted self-teaching, a valuable life skill in todays's job market. By allowing them to show off and engage with each other's works, this helped build empowerment in themselves and self confidence. We recognized that this interaction supported their social-emotional learning, something we have integral to the learning curve due to the pandemic.
With a 5 week camp, consisting of 6 sessions, we taught a very career skill heavy STEM curriculum that positively impacted the participants. The girls that attended our camp walked out with not only skills in computing like block coding, CAD, and basic robotic knowledge, but also creativity and self expression. They learned how to work together and improvise around conflicts. This allowed them to learn how to use each other as resources and promoted self-teaching, a valuable life skill in todays's job market. By allowing them to show off and engage with each other's works, this helped build empowerment in themselves and self confidence. We recognized that this interaction supported their social-emotional learning, something we have integral to the learning curve due to the pandemic.
Impact:
Budget:
Our ReflectionS:
After the pandemic, having an innovation camp and returning to the normal of having our annual camp back in person was quite daunting to be honest. We put in countless hours and work despite having academically challenging schedules so that it all came together. Our project grew a lot from Day 1 of planning to even the last session. We had a lot of adjustments to make throughout the camp but as fellow programmers know, you can't expect to get it perfect in one go. It takes time, patience, and fine tuning. Though the camp wasn't quite as big as previous years, I'm quite proud of us. We were able to take very technical subjects from high school material we learned ourselves and adapt it to fit a kid-friendly curriculum. We definitely hit some pot holes but I think we maneuvered around them very well. When our custom T-shirt order fell through, we took it into our own hands and DIY-ed some fantastic looking shirts. We also made really awesome swag bags that fit into our ocean pollution theme and into our career theme with sustainable and reusable swag. But, I think the best part of the camp was when I saw the girls teaching each other how to use the programs we taught them instead of running to us. A couple times I would see a hand shoot up in need of assistance but before I could make it to help the girls, another camper had already jumped in to see if they could help. A lot of them didn't even know each other and were in different grades but that didn't stop them from being a cohesive group.
- Hailey Tamara, 2022 GWC president
During the pandemic we faced the enormous challenge of keeping our Girls Who Code group together and enthusiastic. Upon returning, we were excited to get back together, share what we learned during the pandemic and plan our Software Sisters Innovation Camp. Meeting in person had it's own challenges. Now with school open, many students, enthusiastic about getting back to school and extracurriculars, were challenged with having extra time. Our persistent GWC president, Hailey Tamara, visited me daily before school, planning, strategizing and creating a new curriculum based on engineering and 3D modeling. This enthusiasm grew new members and brought back old members. Our weekly meetings were run efficiently and professionally. The Software Sisters Innovation Camp was ready for it's next season. We found a new location, new students, a new curriculum. We recruited from the elementary schools in our school district. Although our group was a little smaller this year, it was manageable. I saw these girls, masked and ready to interact with LCHS GWC members, their "teachers" and "guides".
Over the course of six weeks, they ate lots of pizza, consumed chips and drank every Capri Sun they could find, while problem-solving through SCRATCH code, researching the diminishing coral reefs and moving objects in 3D space like mini engineers. At the end of the evening, it was hard to tear them away from their activities. We were happy to see them interacting, sharing ideas and innovating at an advanced level. Keeping in mind the social emotional climate of our campers, we opted for a low-impact conversation about our activities. We were happy to give them swag bags that echoed some of the practices and beliefs we held to during the camp. Many parents want to know if we can do this during the summer because their children had such a good time.
LCHS GWC hit a few challenges, but pivoted quickly and found solutions.
- Gayle Nicholls-Ali, GWC advisor