The Girls STEM Academy Summer Program will be held July 6-29 in the John A. Peoples Science Building at Jackson State University. It will introduce teenagers to science, technology, engineering and mathematics and include short courses on robotics as well as programming and designing automated vehicles.

The academy is managed by the College of Science, Engineering and Technology. Although registration is now closed, participation is free to girls in Grades 9-12 who have a general interest in science and have maintained a GPA of 2.5-3.0. The goal of the program is to increase their knowledge and skills and inspire their interest in research and innovation.

Participating students are from the following secondary institutions: Brandon High School, Clinton High School, Jim Hill High School, Madison Central High School, Northwest Rankin High School, Provine High School, Ridgeland High School, St. Joseph High School and Terry High School.

Dr. Martha N. Tchounwou, director of Student Support Services, said this is the fourth year of the Girls STEM Academy Summer Program. She hails the program for its ability to motivate teenage girls to embrace and pursue careers in STEM fields.

Tchounwou said, “Each year we aim to find ways to ignite interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and to engage program participants in experiential learning. The success of the program speaks for itself because most of our former students have enrolled in various colleges and universities, where they are taking rigorous STEM courses. Their academic experiences will enable them to acquire the necessary skills to compete for future jobs in wide-open fields.”

She added, “We’ve emphasized to them that there is such a tremendous need for young, talented, diverse leaders in STEM. Our academy answers that call by helping to introduce them to future careers that are lucrative and rewarding because their ideas could foster global innovation.”

The girls will take short courses in the following areas:

Biology

Chemistry

Math

Laboratory safety

Networking and integration skills

Robotics and basic programming

ACT preparation

Career sorting

Girls Time

Public speaking

Throughout the summer, invited guest speakers will address STEM careers and teach the teenagers how to responsibly use and maximize social media, along with other topics.

Participating students will supply their own lunches; however, meals will be provided to those who may need them.

For more information, contact Tchounwou (601-979-1604) or her assistant, Muna Abdelrahim, program data coordinator analyst (601-979-0783).