Advancing Women in Automation Robotics Engineering (AWARE) Camp

The Advancing Women in Automation, Robotics, and Engineering (AWARE) Summer Camp targeted girls ages 10 to 14 (5th through 8th graders). For one week, these girls went to this campus to learn about automation, robotics, and engineering through a variety of group discussions, teachings, industry speakers, hands-on laboratory activities, and competitions. Camp participants took field trips to regional industries and a local university, emphasizing the cooperative roles for industry and education in advancing the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Previous research showed a need to start recruiting women at an early age to enter into a typically male-dominated, non-traditional career. A marketing campaign, in collaboration with regional school systems, was launched in order to increase female participation in these fields. A mentoring program developed during summer camp continued throughout the school year among participants and mentors. The project enhanced the partnerships among regional educational institutions and industry. It improved diversity in STEM-related fields by promoting and advancing the interests of girls and women in robotics, automation, and engineering. The results of the summer camp, as well as the results from the marketing campaign, were disseminated via workshops, conferences, publications, and websites to other community colleges, high schools, and middle schools.