By Angela Zhu
Summer is finally here! Many students would love to make good use of this great time: learning something new, practicing certain skills, and making new friends. Another excellent way to achieve your summer goals is to participate in summer camps!
There are countless summer camps available to students with an interest in STEM, but today we’ll be highlighting unique camps designated for students of colour. These programs promote equality in STEM education by offering a unique academic opportunity to students from underrepresented groups.
So, if you identify as a student of colour, this article is for you! Below is a list of potential summer camps that you can apply for in order to work with and learn from like-minded individuals in science, technology and engineering.
Canada
University of Toronto
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ENGage High School Saturdays
- Campus & Department: St. George – Faculty of Engineering & Applied Science
- Age Group: Grade 10 – 11
- Residence component: No
- Financial assistance/Scholarship: Yes
- This mentorship program is designed for Black high school students interested in STEM. As a community-building program, it not only offers academic experiences in science and engineering, but also opportunities for students to gain and develop valuable life skills. Through hands-on projects and leadership workshops, students can enhance their self-confidence and knowledge in STEM, preparing to become future leaders.
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Blueprint
- Campus & Department: St. George – Faculty of Engineering & Applied Science
- Age Group: Grade 10 – 11
- Residence component: Information is renewed every summer
- Financial assistance/Scholarship: N/A (Free Program)
- This academic enrichment program is designed for motivated Black high school students who are interested in pursuing a career in STEM. Running from July to August, the program includes courses featuring inspiring seminars, lectures, research discussions and field trips. During the last week of the program, students get to explore the engineering design process and create hands-on projects to solve real-world problems.
SHAD Canada
- Campus & Department: Click here to see all campuses available
- Age Group: Grade 10 – 11
- Residence component: Information is renewed every summer
- Financial assistance/Scholarship: Yes
- SHAD is a month-long program for grades 10 and 11s to experience university-level STEAM courses and entrepreneurship content. Students engage in design collaborations, hands-on learning and campus visiting. They will be able to work with like-minded peers and Gen-Z changemakers.
- SHAD proudly celebrates diversity, welcoming students of colour and Indigenous students.
McGill Pick Your Path for Black Youth
- Campus & Department: Online or McGill main campus, MCGILL’S COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM AT ENROLMENT SERVICES
- Age Group: Grade 10 – 11 (secondaire 4 ou 5)
- Residence component: No
- Financial assistance/Scholarship: N/A (Free Program)
- PYP is a great mentoring experience offered to Black students to help them pick their educational path. At the start of the program, they are paired with a mentor who is a current Black McGill student or alumnus with similar interests.
- Throughout the program, students attend seminars and workshops hosted by professionals from McGill and its Black Student Community. They will also complete a final project that aims to provide them with insight on their educational path.
BrainSTEM Alliance
- Campus & Department: In-person at the University of Waterloo or online
- Age Group: Grade 4 – 12
- Residence component: Depending on the COVID-19 situation this year
- Financial assistance/Scholarship: Yes
- This camp was created by the University of Waterloo’s engineering outreach team, aiming to allow Black students to explore different careers in STEM. Students participate in hands-on labs, coding challenges and lab tours.
- Students are separated into cohorts based on their ages.
United States
Black Girls Code Summer Camp
- Campus & Department: Various city locations
- Age Group: 11 to 14 years
- Residence component: Possible
- Financial assistance/Scholarship: Yes (rolling basis)
- This day camp provides 10 days of hands-on experience for Black girls to learn computer science and coding principles. No prior coding experience is required.
National Society of Black Engineers Summer Engineering Experience for Kids:
- Campus & Department: Various city locations
- Age Group: Grade 3 – 12
- Residence component: Possible
- Financial assistance/Scholarship: N/A (Free Program)
- SEEK is a three-week program that is designed to foster an interest in STEM among black children. This program also pairs students up with NSBE collegiate members as mentors and mentees.
University of Dayton Minority Engineering and Technology Enrichment Camp for Young Men:
- Campus & Department: University of Dayton in Ohio
- Age Group: Grade 12
- Residence component: Yes
- Financial assistance/Scholarship: Yes
- Black students who self-identify as male and in-coming seniors are invited to participate in this program that offers hands-on experiments, career exploration & networking, and campus visits.
- Applicants must be U.S. citizens and have GPAs higher than 3.0.
We have only listed some available summer camps in this article, but there are many more for you to explore! For a start, visit the websites of your dream universities and see if they offer any other options!
References
- Nouser, Mariam. “Stem Camp for Black Youth Debuts This Summer.” Therecord.com, 21 June 2022, https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2022/06/21/created-by-the-university-of-waterloos-engineering-outreach-team-in-partnership-with-two-local-organizations-the-camp-allows-black-youth-to-explore-careers-in-stem-via-mentorship-and-activities.html.
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’][/author_image] [author_info]Angela is a Grade 11 student at The Study in Westmount, Quebec. She loves Engineering, Math and Biology, and is fascinated by how these subjects can be connected together. She like exploring and learning new STEM concepts, and reading the latest STEM news! In her spare time, I enjoy playing tennis, skiing, reading and watching anime.[/author_info] [/author]
