Re-assessing the Effects of Summer Camp on STEM Enrollments Using an Innovative Survey Strategy

Abstract

The Engineers of Tomorrow (EoT) program at West Virginia University (WVU), a National Science Foundation (NSF) supported STEP 1 project*, works to increase high school students' knowledge of and motivation toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational and career paths. Summer camps are offered in many NSF STEP 1 projects, but difficulties keeping track of summer camp participants in college or major are known. At WVU, it was recognized when EoT summer campers later enrolled in engineering, but we had no good way of tracking those students who enrolled in non-engineering STEM fields or in STEM fields at other universities. In this survey research, EoT summer camp alumni (2007-2011) were contacted via social media and e-mail using a personal invitation to participate in the survey. The invitation to participate came from an undergraduate engineering student camp counselor who was familiar to the campers, and this method is consonant with a research model we have established over the past 3 years. The invitation asked about how camp impacted their pursuit of postsecondary education and enrollment in STEM educational paths. Findings from this survey then were used to better understand the effect that summer camp has had on recruitment into all STEM fields. Survey data suggest that the number of students who enroll in STEM-related postsecondary education after attending EoT summer camp is higher than originally estimated. Three innovative methods were used to locate and survey summer camper alumni so we could estimate the larger impact, if any, of summer camp on engineering and STEM enrollments, and while we were moderately successful using these social media techniques, some unanticipated problems did arise using social media and these are discussed.

Initiation of Summer Camp Program as Outreach and Recruiting Tool

“…No formal assessment of the program was done during the first offering, but a follow-up survey was conduced approximately one year after the camp. The questions and methodology was based loosely on the follow-up survey of campers reported by Gary Winn at West Virginia University 4 . Survey invitations were sent electronically to email addresses provided to campers, the survey way hosted on the same online site used for camp applications, and participation was incentivized with a drawing for an iTunes gift card.…”