Conference Session

Pre K-12 Track - Technical Session V

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Michael Frye, University of the Incarnate Word; Chaoyi Wang, University of the Incarnate Word; Sreerenjini C. Nair, University of the Incarnate Word; Yvonne Calvo Burns, Camp Program Coordinator

Tagged Topics

Pre K-12 Education

curriculum was introduced over the two-week camp culminating with a finalpresentation and skit. miniGEMS was the first free camp in San Antonio for middle school girlsthat had a special focus on autonomous ground, air, and underwater robots. miniGEMS campswas led by undergraduate and graduate students from various UIW STEAM programs includingEngineering and Biomedical Sciences. Middle school teachers were hired to participate in thecamp and they helped recruit the middle school students from their respective schools.miniGEMS high school student alumni came back as peer mentors for the camp. An End ofSummer Conference and Banquet was held for all campers, their parents, and teachers on August4. miniGEMS clubs are now being formed in some of the

Conference Session

Pre-K12 Track - Technical Session II

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Ardice Hartry, University of California, Berkeley; Maia Werner-Avidon, MWA Insights; Sherry Hsi, Concord Consortium; Ariel J. Ortiz, Lawrence Hall of Science; Kathryn Chong Quigley, Lawrence Hall of Science

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Pre K-12 Education

specialized interests (Itoet al., 2009), but it has expanded to be used as a way to describe informal learning experiencesthat seek to support these interactions.High-school aged youth can participate in the weekend program as long a single semester to aslong as four years. Each year, new teenagers are recruited to participate when other teensgraduate. Each cohort of 25 interns includes five returning interns who lead a group of five newinterns. At the start of a 10-week long session, youth in teams are presented with a designchallenge: to imagine then create an engaging and educational visitor experience. Interns work inteams to communicate their ideas effectively with one another as they exchange information andconcepts, and engage in peer-to-peer