New STEM camp for girls in Detroit founded by medical student

As a young woman pursuing a career in a scientific field, Madeline Palmer already knew there was a shortage of girls interested in STEM topics and careers.

In 2013, she read about a study at the University of Wisconsin which tested third-grade students, boys and girls, on math skills, and then interviewed the students about their perceptions of their skill levels. There was no difference in ability between the boys and the girls, but the girls reported much lower confidence in their skills.

Palmer knew that initiatives to close the gender gap in STEM education and careers existed, but she felt there was a clear need for programs to address the gap at an earlier age.

So she did something about it. Palmer and a friend, Erika Brockberg, didn't aim low, either: They jumped right in and created a STEM--science, technology, engineering and math--day camp for young girls in Detroit.

"We wanted to encourage the campers to enjoy themselves and have fun as a way to build that confidence," Palmer says. 

Palmer is going into her second year of medical school at Central Michigan University's College of Medicine. She and Brockberg both are from the Detroit area and wanted to focus their efforts on encouraging Detroit girls to succeed in the sciences.

They worked with local businesses like Big Boy Restaurants, which is headquartered in Warren, to provide food and equipment for the camp, and got connected to teachers who referred possible students.

The free camp, called STEMpowered, held its first sessions this summer and brought together fourth- and fifth-graders from across the Detroit Public Schools system for a weeklong exploration of science. The results were encouraging, says Palmer.

"The campers were so exceptional, bright and curious and really wanted to be there," she says.

The campers spent time working on individual and group projects, and were mentored by college-aged Michigan women who are in science fields. The goal of the mentoring aspect of the camp was to provide strong female role models who were also scientists and come from some of the same places as the campers.

Palmer says the mentors, including herself, got as much out of the experience as the girls did.

"I remembered how exciting it is to learn how the world works," she says.

Each morning, the students would rotate through three stations, completing individual experiments, and later in the day would work with groups to finish big experiments. Palmer says the activities were designed to spark scientific curiosity and at the same time create ownership of the experiment and the results for each girl.

"It's really hard in the classroom for each kid to be able to do their own thing. We had enough staff there that they all got really personal attention," she says.

Some of the projects the girls designed and completed were to build a Rube Goldberg machine, to make a battery from a lemon which was able to light up a lightbulb, and to build a vehicle that could protect an egg from breaking during a fall.

At the end of the week, campers presented their results to an audience of family and friends.

All of the girls received full scholarships to the camp thanks to local business sponsors and private donations.

"We learned so much and it was so successful that we really all feel compelled to keep doing this," says Palmer.

She also is working on future events with the STEMpowered campers and mentors, to keep those relationships going year-round and create a STEMpowered community that girls can be a part of.

"One thing we learned is how important it is for these girls to continue to find enriching opportunities," she says.

STEMpowered will take place again next summer, with the help of ongoing fundraising and sponsorship. For more information on how to support the camp or nominate a student, visit STEMpowered online.

Kim Eggleston is a freelance writer and editor in Marquette, Michigan. You can find her on Twitter @magdalen13.