The U.S. Embassy in Estonia and the Secretary’s Office of Global Partnerships are joining with Girl Up, an initiative of the United Nations Foundation, and U.S. Embassies in Latvia, Poland, and Georgia to host a Women in Science (WiSci) STEAM Camp for Girls in Tallinn from July 14 to 27, 2019. Held at the Tallinn University of Applied Sciences, this program is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of State, Girl Up, Intel, Google, and NASA to give 100 girls from five countries the opportunity to learn tech skills directly from industry experts, promote gender equality and female mentorship, while also building friendships across borders. Local partners include the Tallinn City Government, Telia, the Nordic Council of Ministers, and Vaimo. The two-week camp is free for all participants in order to offer girls direction for a future in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Design, and Mathematics (STEAM) fields.
This iteration of the program will also include representatives from the U.S. Armed Forces, with support from the U.S. NGO Spirit of America. Female service members will act as role models to the campers, discussing how they apply STEAM in serving their country, and lead the girls on an excursion to Tartu.
The academic curriculum of the camp explores topics such as drone technology, earth science, robotics and coding, while also covering important themes such as self-confidence, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Instruction days also include individual and group mentorship with women from a variety of STEAM paths, sharing their experiences, lessons learned, and best advice forward.
WiSci STEAM Camps are a safe, supportive, and girl-centered environment that encourages participants to take risks and build resilience through determination, developing young women’s confidence to take charge in their education and careers. Campers graduate connected with the U.S. Department of State’s extensive alumni network, as well as with a wide array of personal contacts from around the globe. In the past, the camps have been hosted in Rwanda, Namibia, Malawi, Georgia, and Peru, making this its first program in the European Union.
For more information on WiSci STEAM Camp for Girls, visit the WiSci STEAM Camps page on the Girl Up website or the Department of State’s WiSci page, follow #WiSci2019 and #WiSciEstonia on social media, or contact Julia Smart.
