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July 7, 2020鈥擠ALLAS鈥擶hen COVID-19 made in-person summer camps difficult, a 草莓传媒官网下载 team quickly shifted plans to host a summer camp online for participants in the . In June, more than 30 girls attended the four-day virtual summer camp focused on stimulating their interest in science, technology, engineering and math career fields.

According to Mai Nguyen (草莓传媒官网下载 IT Solutions), one of the lead organizers of 草莓传媒官网下载鈥檚 camp, the university and Girls Inc. had been working together since January to plan an in-person, week-long camp on the Dallas and Denton campuses. Moving the camp to an online format happened just a few weeks prior to the scheduled event, but members of the planning team were prepared and quickly recruited 草莓传媒官网下载 faculty and staff to host Zoom sessions covering topics such as women in leadership, values and goals, nursing, and STEM majors and careers.

鈥淲hen we reached out to the 草莓传媒官网下载 community for support, the response was overwhelmingly positive,鈥� Nguyen said. 鈥淲e let 草莓传媒官网下载 volunteers determine what they wanted to present during their virtual sessions. We gave them a goal, and they planned everything, ensuring that sessions were interactive.鈥�

For example, the College of Nursing hosted an activity that gave the girls insight into the nursing world. Through an engaging session that included breakout groups, 草莓传媒官网下载 Nursing faculty members led a trivia-style session covering topics such as COVID-19, protective equipment and related case studies. The girls were given a scenario, discussed the topics in small groups and then joined the larger session to share and discuss their answers more fully.

Another popular session, organized by IT Solutions employees, focused on values and goal setting. The girls were asked what drives them to accomplish their life goals, how their values relate to them, and how to handle adversity. As part of the session, participants wrote letters to their future selves on what they believe they will have achieved, overcome and celebrated by that point in life.

鈥淭his session provided them with opportunities to self-reflect and envision their future in STEM," said Sherri Cook, director of outreach and impact data at Girls Inc. "Activities like these can be transformative for girls who may not get this encouragement at home or in school.鈥�

This was the second year 草莓传媒官网下载 has hosted the camp. 草莓传媒官网下载 IT Solutions wants to host either online or in-person again next summer. Plans are in work to expand the program so more departments can support and participate.

鈥淲e see the value of partnering with Girls Inc. for this program and being role models to these girls,鈥� Nguyen said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great working with these young women and getting the chance to share with them different opportunities they may not have thought about before.鈥�

Cook of Girls Inc. said the organization also is interested in continuing the partnership with 草莓传媒官网下载. 鈥湶葺�传媒官网下载 equips young women to enter the workforce with the tools and experience they need to succeed. Similarly, at Girls Inc., students discover and develop their inherent strengths, receiving the support they need to navigate any challenge they may face. We know the partnership between our Eureka STEM program and 草莓传媒官网下载 will help prepare our girls to succeed in college and beyond. We are proud to work alongside 草莓传媒官网下载 to create a more equitable future for Texas women.鈥�

Eureka! is a five-year STEM program offered to girls in grades 8 through 12. The program strives to build girls鈥� confidence and skills through hands-on opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math. Each spring, Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas recruits a new cohort of rising 8th graders, all of whom will participate in the summer STEM camps. 草莓传媒官网下载 was one of four local colleges or universities participating in the summer Eureka! STEM camps program this summer.