Equity in Action: CompuGirls Arizona and Baltimore Cybersecurity Camp Summer 2022

By Dr. Tara Nkrumah

As an African American woman and scientist, traditional school systems in the United States often demanded that my parents find supplemental ways to nurture my interest, talent, and curiosity in STEM-related fields. My fondest memories were attending the STEM summer programs for African American learners. These STEM camps were characterized by rigorous, creative and culturally relevant instruction (student-centered lessons that explicated the “so what” of the curriculum) to expose us to the possibilities awaiting those who dreamed of growing up to be that technologist, engineer, mathematician, or scientist such as myself. Remembering the impact of a one week or sometimes four week-long camp still today as a professor working with culturally and linguistically diverse learners informs my commitment to support their interests, talents, and curiosity in STEM.

By having summer STEM camps that affirm the STEM identity of the youth of color who started out lacking equitable outcomes like I did, we change the narrative from fixing them to fixing the system. CompuGirls Arizona and Baltimore, a social justice initiative, combines the decades of research of Dr. Kimberly Scott’s culturally responsive computing framework and my research on equitable teaching practices through culturally relevant pedagogy. Framing the challenges for diverse learners (i.e. African American, Hispanic, Native American) in STEM education as a result of inequitable structures, CompuGirls camp seeks to equip the teachers and learners with skills to advance equity in STEM education for all.