Washington, DC - Following the success of the first-ever WiSci (Women in Science) Girls STEAM Camp last year in Rwanda, this year’s WiSci Girls STEAM Camp will take place in Peru, July 23–August 7. The two-week program will help 100 girls—talented and driven high school students from Chile, Mexico, Peru, and the United States—learn science, technology, engineering, arts and design, and mathematics (STEAM) skills and encourage them to pursue careers in those fields.

As part of the Let Girls Learn initiative, the camp is a public-private partnership designed to expand STEAM education opportunities for adolescent girls. This year’s camp is also part of a broader U.S.-led initiative through the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum to enhance women’s participation and advancement in STEAM fields in the 21 APEC economies.

The program is led by industry experts and will be conducted in Spanish. Campers will learn about coding and app development, engineering and robotics, renewable energy, micro- and molecular biology, design, mapping, and sustainable development. Sessions will also focus on leadership development and teamwork, cultural exchange, educational excursions, and mentorship opportunities.

At the end of the camp, the girls will present project ideas and designs that use the skills and tools they gained to address a social or development challenge. Mentorship and professional development opportunities following the camp will encourage campers to continue to engage in STEAM fields.

The 2016 WiSci Girls STEAM Camp is organized by the U.S. Department of State, United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign, Google, and the Intel Corporation, with support from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany; CONCYTEC Peru; and Freeport-McMoRan. Additional programmatic support is being offered by Laboratoria, the American Society for Microbiology, OpenStreetMap, Technovation, and UNESCO.