JLSA and Girl’s Inc. Make STEM Fun at Science Camp
The sign above the Science Camp classroom white board says it all: “You are Strong, Smart, Bold, & Capable of Anything and Everything.”
During this summer’s Girl’s Inc. Science Camp, this self-evident statement is taught daily to the 6- to 12-year-old girls through the efforts of the Junior League of San Antonio volunteers. The JLSA volunteers have walked alongside Girl’s Inc. of San Antonio during each summer’s “Science Camp” in the form of facilitators and teachers. The involvement of the volunteers supports these girls and encourages self-esteem, teamwork, and communication all while fostering a passion for Science and Technology through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) based lessons and experiments.
Typically, each week is centered around a theme including biology, ecology, chemistry, or engineering. The JLSA volunteers work with three age groups in the morning and three to four age groups in the afternoon. Every Wednesday the girls get to experience field trip days where they can learn in an outdoor setting, such as the San Antonio Zoo.
Girl’s Inc. inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Their website describes their mission and goals in the following statement: “In partnership with schools and at Girls Inc. centers, we focus on the development of the whole girl. She learns to value herself, take risks, and discover and develop her inherent strengths. The combination of long-lasting mentoring relationships, a pro-girl environment, and research-based programming equips girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers, and grow up healthy, educated, and independent.”
Summer Kotson, this year’s Science Camp Chair, recognizes the impact of the Junior League of San Antonio’s presence with these young women. She says, “The examples that we set as professional women, the life-long lessons that we teach, the relationships that we build—it all matters! We could be teaching a future president of the United States, researchers that save the environment, or doctors who cure diseases… WORLD CHANGERS! It is an honor to play a part in their success.”