STEM Minute | Chem Girls spark interest in science for middle schoolers

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — A new camp is helping girls realize the opportunities available to them through science.

A partnership between Millikin University and the Children's Museum of Central Illinois is merging the campers' interests with science concepts.

One goal of the camp is to remove the barriers in place for middle school aged girls. Leaders like Anne Rodriguez, an Associate Professor of Chemistry and Physics at Millikin University, and Jamie Fawley, the Director of Education and Outreach at the Children's Museum of Central Illinois, are trying to ignite a spark in girls and keep them interested in science.

Fawley said, "We thought starting the program here would introduce science in a more playful and welcoming way so that there wasn't that intimidation factor for it."

The theme for the series of day camps is food chemistry. The activities combine some of the campers' favorite foods with different scientific elements, making it easier for the campers to apply the concepts to their everyday lives.

"We've done a wide variety of projects," said Rodriguez. "Everything from bubble milk tea — making the sodium alginate, calcium chloride beads into milk tea — to cooking eggs, and then we are going to end with candy chemistry."

The instructors hope to make learning fun while helping the students develop a passion for learning.

"Science is doable and that most people can be involved in science. There aren't the imaginary barriers that they may see, right. They may not see someone like them in science yet, but they can change that by just staying in science."

The camps are fully funded by the Women's Philanthropy Circle in Decatur, making it possible to open the door to the young girls to explore future opportunities in STEM.

"We have a great demand for people in STEM and we don't have enough going into the STEM discipline, so the more people that we invite in and keep in the pipeline, the more likely we are to have a great future in STEM and new discoveries happen all the time because of young people in STEM."

The new day camps are so popular that all the sessions are currently full and there is a waiting list, but instructors hope to be able to host more camps like this in the future.