Empowering Girls: STEAM Through game & creativity

Niñas Hacia el Espacio is a two-day bootcamp designed for girls aged 7 to 9 to spark their interest in STEAM fields through engaging activities. The program addresses the gender gap in STEAM by offering early empowerment opportunities, especially for girls from socioeconomically vulnerable backgrounds, such as those that live in the rural and coastal regions of Costa Rica. It aims to counteract disparities rooted in early socialization practices that contribute to women's underrepresentation in STEAM fields.

Ideas en Acción is working to expand this initiative across Costa Rica. By August 2024, the program will have been implemented in 6 of the country's 7 provinces; with plans to cover the remaining province, Puntarenas, by December 2024. During this year, we have conducted 4 editions, with the support of sponsorships and donations, as well as alliances with organizations that promote community based activities focused on adressing equity; bringing the program to the provinces of Guanacaste (January 2024), Heredia (February 2024), Cartago (March 2024) and Limón (July 2024), and covering the participation costs for over 100 girls to enhance accessibility to such initiatives.

In the 7 editions conducted, 531 girls have applied, out of which 199 have successfully completed the bootcamp, and 100% recommend the program. There is also a comprehensive approach to supporting the girls' network, by the participation of their caregivers in an induction session about women in STEAM. Overall, there is an increase in interest and confidence among the girls in pursuing STEAM careers. Caregivers also express their support for their girls' involvement in these activities and acknowledge the importance of giving them the opportunities and resources to freely choose who they want to be. 

Still, there remains an urgent need to intensify these initiatives to achieve gender equality. Therefore, there is a significant opportunity to empower this age group, as it is between the ages of 5 and 10 when interest and motivation in these areas begin to develop. It becomes essential to provide spaces where girls can develop essential abilities such as critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, communication, reasoning and analytical skills, concentration, and problem-solving skills. Throughout this program, our intention is to offer young girls additional support to recognize their abilities and empower themselves through various areas of Science and Technology, key aspects for their socioeconomic development and contributing to their quality of life in the future.

Finally, it is also important to consider the program’s intersectional approach. The program aims to offer participation opportunities to girls from communities facing psychosocial and socioeconomic risks, taking into account the growing violence affecting the country. Thus, the program seeks to promote diversity within the inclusion of women in STEAM by considering girls of different ethnicities and races, socioeconomic statuses, with or without disabilities, and other factors that socially determine individuals' opportunities for social mobility. A valuable example of this is the edition held in Limón, where the majority of the country’s Afro-descendant population originates, as it was noted by that most initiatives are concentrated solely in the Greater Metropolitan Area, and which hinders access to growth opportunities for these communities.