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 Inspiring middle-school girls to make a difference in the world through math, science and technology has been behind IBM's commitment for conducting anual EX.I.T.E. (EXploring Interests in Technology and Engineering) Camps.
Last year, more than 1,600 girls, ages 11-13, took part in a variety of engineering and science-related projects at the week-long EX.I.T.E. Camps across the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. The program is now in its tenth year.
A survey of teenaged girls in the United States, conducted by the Committee of 200 and Simmons College School of Management, found that only 7% of girls intend to work in science, engineering and technology, while 58% plan to work in other professions, including law, medicine and business.
“With roughly 500,000 IT jobs going unfilled in the U.S. alone, it is critical that we take steps early on to inspire girls and instill them with the confidence to pursue technical careers,” said Katherine Hegmann, IBM Executive Staff, Integration Executive India. “At the EX.I.T.E. Camps, we engage the girls in engineering and science-related activities and provide them with role models. There’s no question that today’s girls are brimming with talent, creativity and imagination. Our goal is to show them that they can use math, science and technology to become innovators now and hopefully later, in industry-related careers.”
As part of the program, EX.I.T.E. campers worked in teams with IBM employee volunteers to study the technology built into such popular games as Microsoft’s Xbox, Sony Playstation and Nintendo Wii, and worked in teams to design their own games. Campers visited virtual worlds, where they had the chance to dream up ideas and bring them to life. They also learned firsthand how science, math and technology are being used to help save the earth’s resources.
Typically, approximately 2,000 IBM volunteers, women and men, participated in the EX.I.T.E. Camps, developing, coordinating and overseeing the projects. The volunteers also introduced the campers to a variety of IBM technologies, including TryScience.org, an award-winning website designed to make learning more fun for kids, and the 3D Multiplayer Virtual Game, Power Up.
EX.I.T.E. Camp participants are nominated by counselors and teachers at middle schools that have an established relationship with IBM through community outreach programs such as Reinventing Education and MentorPlace, a global program where students receive online academic assistance and career counseling by IBM volunteers. Once the EX.I.T.E. Camps conclude, the girls participate in MentorPlace by being paired with IBM employees who mentor them during the school year and encourage their ongoing interest in math, science and engineering.
Since its inception in 1999, 85% of the more than 7,000 girls who have participated in an EX.I.T.E. Camp indicated that they would consider pursuing an engineering or technical-related degree when they go to college. A camper attending last year’s program in Beijing was moved to write: “I will remember these five days for the rest of my life.”
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