Women's Longitudinal Career Trajectories Following Their Participation in a 3-Year Computing Camp

Abstract

CompSciConnect (CSC) is a three-year summer computing camp for middle school students that aims to address underrepresentation in STEM, retain marginalized groups in these fields, and offer support towards more impressionable students. This study aims to investigate the impact that informal programs like CSC have on young women over the course of the camp and in the long run. Case studies using students' pre-, post-, and longitudinal-survey data indicate that computing camps impact students' confidence and perception of themselves in computing. Follow-up and future additional survey data are needed to determine the extent to which informal computing programs are effective in retaining women in STEM.