The Girl Scouts Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Summer Camp, sponsored by Jefferson University, visited the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) for a tour of the facilities and a STEM poster competition Aug. 18, 2017.

NSWCPD and Jefferson University jointly developed the camp's rigorous STEM curriculum. During the camp's two-week session at Jefferson University several NSWCPD employees assisted as volunteers. The employees discussed their careers in STEM, judged competitions and debates, and mentored nearly 40 girls as they polished their poster presentations. NSWCPD and Jefferson University have partnered for seven years on this program.

The summer camp, led by camp director Dr. Fernando Tovia, finished strong by visiting NSWCPD, meeting engineering professionals on their home turf, and wowing the judges with their detail-oriented projects. The final poster session required students to create a company and product to demonstrate their real-world applications.

According to the National Science Foundation's 2017 Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering (WMPD) report, women and minorities are underrepresented in STEM. This is despite women reaching equivalence with and -- in the case of minority women -- exceeding men in attainment of degrees in these fields of study.

Tovia, an industrial engineer and an associate professor with Jefferson University echoed this information. Tovia said he champions programs like the Girl Scouts' STEM summer camp because they level the playing field for the future.

"It's important for girls because we only have 25 percent of them in STEM," Tovia said. "That number needs to increase because girls and women do a great job. It opens up our field to the growth we need and new possibilities."

Growth and new possibilities are what the campers found for themselves in STEM, especially because of the new judged poster session portion this year.

First place winners Jahnae Temple, a rising eighth grader with Grover Washington Jr. Middle School, and Amy Waita, a rising freshman with Abington Junior High School, created the mock company Solar Energy Industries for their project. Waita's partner, Rore Anderson, who couldn't make it for the presentation, assisted the group reversed engineering a solar energy tracker prototype.

Second place winners Madison Seeley, Joy Mwaria, Bobbie Kemoi, and Bashira Bint Abu Yahya created faux company MJB2, which is an acronym for the group members' first names. The girls presented a board covering desalination distribution. They dedicated their mock initiative to creating clean water solutions for Naval services.

Of her time with the summer camp, Waita said, "I've never had a certain thing I've wanted to do since I was a kid. This program is helping me choose what I want to do."

Waita's partner, Temple, said she not only loved the program but wants to return and spread the word.

"I've told my friends they should come with me next year," said Temple.

Elyse Merkel, a mechanical engineer with the Auxiliary Systems branch at NSWCPD, volunteered to organize the summer camp visit for a second year. Merkel said she did so because she believes in the program, and wants to be an example for girls embracing a future in STEM.

"They get to have real engineers and working professionals judge them," said Merkel of the judged poster session, a new section of the camp that began this year. "We can give the girls hands-on experience. We didn't just want to talk about our work, but show them people at work."

Keynote speaker, Marlene Smith, NSWCPD's activity command information officer, spoke to the girls about her journey as a STEM professional and her love for NSWCPD. "Working in the Navy, and especially at Philadelphia Division, we have always had the opportunity to get involved in a lot of different projects," said Smith. "If there are challenges that you want to take on and skills that you want to develop, this is really a fantastic place to work."

Smith closed out her remarks with a call for the girls to stay the course, even when pursuit of their dreams is difficult.

"I commend all of you for everything you're doing and for getting involved in STEM," said Smith. "I wish all of you a lot of luck moving forward with your education and in your careers."

The Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division provides the Navy's primary technical expertise for naval machinery research and development and in-service engineering, as well as machinery cybersecurity and lifecycle engineering.


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