Girls4STEM summer camp seeks to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) engagement with 12-year-old female students through diverse STEM related activities. The summer camp aims to eliminate gender disparity in STEM education and is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), Targets 4.3 and 4.5. SDG 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
The summer camp also serves to promote crucial 21st century skills of critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity. During the summer camp, the girls will work collaboratively in small groups under 1the guidance of STEM professional acting as mentors. In some activities the students are challenged to be creative and use critical thinking to solve problem-solving investigations. The students learn to communicate with their group colleagues through active listening and conveying their thoughts in diverse ways. The students also learn to present their work in a formal manner at the end of the summer camp.
Girls4STEM Summer Camp 2023
The Girls4STEM Summer Camp, organised by the Directorate for STEM and VET Programmes, Science Centre, Pembroke together with the University of Malta, between 28th August and 1st September 2023, sought to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) engagement, among female students aged 11-12 years. This event, organised by MEYR together with the University of Malta, aimed to eliminate gender disparity in STEM education and is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 4, that seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. During the summer camp, the girls worked collaboratively in small groups under the guidance of mentors on several varied and hands-on STEM activities.
The aims of Girls4STEM Summer Camp were:
- to expose students to the diversity of STEM subjects and careers by bridging the gap between school and industry;
- to allow students to investigate science through a hands-on approach;
- to enhance 21st Century skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity;
- to address issues related to gender-imbalance and gender-stereotyping in STEM careers.
Monday’s and Tuesday’s workshops were facilitated by female STEM professionals, who served as role models for the students. These included, Ms Emira Lamlum, who led a workshop on electromagnetism. Here students handled different magnets and experienced phenomena related to magnetic fields. This was followed by a session called ‘Health Care Professionals and the role of the Radiographer in the community’, led by Ms Maria Mangion, where students examined radiographs for diagnostic purposes.
On Tuesday, Ms Roslyn Debattista, from the Diagnostic Science Laboratories at Heritage Malta, discussed case studies in the form of X-Ray images about the science of investigating and preserving Malta’s national cultural heritage. This was followed by a session facilitated by Ms Audrey Caruana from Malta Enterprise, that focused on the concept of problem-solving, finding solutions and the benefits that such solutions brings to the market. The students were engaged in discussions that followed videos from the popular TV show Shark Tank, where female entrepreneurs are seen presenting their start-up idea based on their scientific research.
Presentation of Entrepreneurship Workshop
On the day, students participated in yet another workshop, this time about coding. This was facilitated by Girls4STEM mentors, following training they received from Headstart Technology. The students were allowed to freely explore the world of programming, using Micro-bit, literally a pocket-sized computer that introduces students to the way software and hardware work together. The girls were given a Micro-bit each, so that they could continue tinkering with coding at home!
Coding workshop
The summer camp was held on the University of Malta campus. However, on Wednesday, the participants had a special event at ESPLORA in Kalkara. Here the girls participated in the two workshops, ‘NASA’s Moon Survival Challenge’ and ‘Catch Them Young’ and watched the ‘Body Wonders Science Show’.
ESPLORA workshop – Body Wonders Science Show
ESPLORA workshop – NASA Moon Survival Challenge
Up next was fieldwork at Wied Ghollieqa that took place on Thursday. This was led by Nature Trust’s Ms Tamsin Caruana and Ms Annick Bonello, who also closed the day with two workshops about Wied Ghollieqa as a nature reserve and the work of Nature Trust as an environmental NGO. Students, with the assistance of their mentors investigated various themes such as littering, native species, alien invasive species, noise and air pollution, as well as soil analysis. Data collection and analysis of their observations was then presented by the students on Friday.
Fieldwork at Wied Għollieqa
The girls were kept quite busy until Friday morning when they spent time preparing their presentations which they then presented to the audience during the Celebration Closing Ceremony.
Preparing for the final presentation
Closing event of Girls4STEM Summer Camp
Video message by Dr Celine Merheb (RASIT) during the closing event of the Girls4STEM Summer camp
Students presenting their work
Audience following final presentations
Gallery for
Summer Camp 2023 edition
Girls4STEM Summer Camp 2023 was a pilot project for the EU- funded project (Horizon Europe) - STEAM Learning Ecologies. SLE focus on developing engaging open schooling-enabled science learning paths for all in the learning continuums of formal and informal learning environments.