Recruitment and retention of females in the STEM disciplines: The annual Girl Scout Day Camp at Baylor University

What would the demographics of typical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs in the United States look like if the ratio of females going into those fields approached the ratio of females showing an aptitude and an affinity for STEM fields prior to puberty? The School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) at Baylor University, in conjunction with the student sections of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), has designed an annual girl scout day camp for brownies (ages six, seven, and eight) and Junior (ages nine, ten, and eleven) girl scouts. This paper reviews the current research on the retention of females, especially in the elementary ages, in the STEM areas; document the design and development of the annual girl scout day camp, including the multi-year rotation of badges and activities offered; as well as the feedback from the local and area girl scout councils, troop leaders, and parents. In future years we hope to be able to determine whether involvement in this type of activity has any significant effect on the recruitment of females as they approach high school and college, or the retention of current ECS females.