JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Nearly 100 girls from the Lowcountry attended a two-day Girls Day Out summer camp event hosted by SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic in collaboration with Office of Naval Research, College of Charleston, Trident Technical College, Advance Cyber Forensic Education Consortium, NUCOR Steel Berkeley, Bosch, Naval Health Clinic Charleston, and Paul Mitchell the School Charleston. The camp was held on July 29 - 30, 2016 at the College of Charleston.
The camp is designed to educate and attract rising 8th and 9th grade girls to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers while developing the total girl.
For inspiration, a special session introduced the girls to professional women who develop and program computer software. "Girls need to know that women do excel in STEM. This event answered any fears that they girls may have," said Anishi Scott, Camp Leader.
To get the full effect of manufacturing work-life, attendees toured the Bosch Charleston Plant. Bosch supports production of passenger car diesel and gasoline fuel injectors, next generation anti-lock brake and electronic stability control systems for the North American automotive market.
"If you're interested in a STEM-related career, you need to start early, thinking about what classes to take in high school, what major to pursue in college, how you're going to pay for college, or what kind of colleges to attend. So I commend you and your parents for exploring all these opportunities at this early age" said Captain Scott Heller, commanding officer, SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic.
To emphasize the importance of taking the correct courses in high school, the College of Charleston hosted a session for parents to learn about various STEM degrees and college admission. To fully immerse the girls in the program, participants stayed overnight on the College of Charleston campus.
The girls also learned valuable interpersonal skills techniques, proper etiquette and how to dress for success.
A job expo was hosted by local businesses and colleges. The expo introduced girls to the realities of the job search and assisted them in better understanding of what it takes to get a job. It allowed the girls to collect informational materials and ask questions. It also provided insight to each girl's comfort level, confidence and self-awareness.
The "Girls Day Out" team connected girls with women working in the STEM-related careers with the hope that it will make a positive impact on their lives.