(379e) Girls Talk Math: Redesigning a Curriculum for High Schoolers on Renewable Energy and Recycling

Girls Talk Math (GTM) is a free two-week summer camp with the goal of building a welcoming environment for high school girls and non-binary students interested in STEM. Some of the topics students learn include knot theory, quantum mechanics, RSA encryption cryptography, network science, and renewable energy. The renewable energy curriculum was introduced in 2022 at two of the program locations: the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Results from post-camp surveys suggested the need for a curriculum update for 2023 to streamline content and include more hands-on activities and less reading. The curriculum has been expanded to include basic chemistry, polymer science, and plastics recycling. Additionally, the problem set has been reworked to be more interactive and relatable to students and their communities. Students also learn about renewable energy sources and build and program their own model windmill using LittleBits circuits and cardboard to power an LED light. In summer 2023, campers will complete post-camp surveys with curriculum-specific questions. By adding quantifiable and relatable examples of chemistry applied in their everyday lives, we hypothesize that students will be more likely to remain engaged with the material and retain the information presented.