For years, the C-STEM Center at UC Davis in California has run a number of popular STEM camps for girls – and now it is about to get one more. Dubbed “Ujima” — a Swahili word for “collective work and responsibility” — the free, hands-on camp will serve as a valuable resource for recruiting more Black girls into engineering and robotics at the high school and middle school level. It will also train African American girls to be leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

With a strong focus on engagement through mentorship, the Ujima GIRL or GIRL+ Camp will create a “mentoring pipeline” that aims to keep participants interested in STEM through college, C-STEM director Harry Cheng told UC Davis College of Engineering. Ujima GIRL Camp high school alumni can come back to the camp as assistant coaches, and college alumni can become coaches. Participants will be encouraged to start Ujima GIRL clubs in their own schools, where they can mentor other girls. 

“We want to give students a life-changing experience and inspire them to go into college, post-secondary studies and careers in STEM,” Cheng said. “This program will help them make a real-world connection with math, because we want to give them the tools to be successful in their academic programs and learn in the years ahead.”

Beginning in 2022, the program will host 48 Ujima GIRL and 48 GIRL+ camps across California with around 2,000 students. If the first three years are successful, the program may expand across the U.S. The initiative will be funded by a $2.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

Camp experiences unlock the fun in STEM and create opportunities for students to think like STEM professionals through real-life problem-solving exercises. Visit the IEEE Pre-University Volunteer STEM Portal to see more camp opportunities.