When I told people I was going to Orange County this summer for Duke Engage, the responses I got were filled with confusion. Nobody understood why there was a program in what most consider to be a very wealthy, affluent area of California. After my first week at Girls Inc. and after hearing from Duke alumni involved with other nonprofits, the reason for this program became very clear. Orange County is a beautiful place that many wealthy people call home. But it is also an area with a lot of poverty, and what Girls Inc. and the other nonprofits do is incredibly important for the community. At Girls Inc. we will be teaching STEM and working with other facilitators on lessons covering a wide variety of topics. This camp targets girls from all over the area, and aims to introduce them to all aspects of STEM, important topics regarding health, college, and advocacy, and to help create friendships. This past week at training we have learned how to teach this to the girls, how to get them interested and invested, and how to make it fun. Wanting to make science fun for girls is why I applied for this program, and I am really excited to see it all play out.
