The Brite Summer Experience

An online, interdisciplinary science, technology, engineering and mathematics program for girls ages 13 to 16 designed to foster STEM identity, spark curiosity and creativity, and build a community.

In Collaboration With:

Experience Brite Summer

To experience a day in Brite for yourself, explore the activities below.

Code, Create, Collaborate

This week features role models and activities that introduce girls to careers in computer science.

Role Model of the Day

Dr. Siobahn Day Grady Computer Scientist

Siobahn is the first woman computer science Ph.D. graduate from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State Univeristy (2018). She is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of Information Science/Systems in the School of LIbrary and Information sciences at North Carolina Central University.

View Recording

Today’s Schedule

Briten Up
Technology Scavenger Hunt

Get ready to search around your room for different types of technologies! You will have 5 minutes to search the space you are in to find a gadget, gizmo, or tech tool that fits into each category listed below. Happy hunting!

  • A technology that let’s you communicate
  • A technology that let’s you create
  • A technology you can’t live without
Briten Up
Prepare for Role Model Talk

Watch this video to learn more about Dr. Siobahn Day Grady

Dr. Siobahn Day Grady
Dr. Siobahn Day Grady
View Recording
Briten Up
Coding a Binary Bracelet

For this activity, gather the following supplies from the Brite supplies list.

You will be stringing together a series of bits to spell out your name using beads on a bracelet! Follow the step-by-step instructions here. You can also find a full binary alphabet key (including both uppercase and lowercase letters) here.

Want to personalize your project or expand on your project? Instead of spelling your name, you can try:

  • Your initials
  • The name of your hero
  • A special word
  • An empowering word
  • Something else - you decide!

Don’t have the physical supplies to code a bracelet? Try this digital activity from Code.org instead

Briten Up
Closing Discussion

Reflect on highlights from the day:

  • What was your favorite part of today’s role model talk?
  • What is something new you learned?
  • Did you encounter any challenges today? How did you overcome these challenges?

Brite Supplies

Pencils

Paper

Three color of seed beads

Magnetic clasp

String

Key

Briten Up: Icebreaker Activity

Brite Prep: Preparing for session with role model

Brite Talk: Session with role model

Brite Your Way: Hands on projects

Brite Wrap Up: Closing Discussion

Brite Ideas

Brite Ideas are activities you can do on your own time outside of the planned Brite week, or even after the Brite Program is complete!

Here are some ways you can continue exploring the topics from this week:
Briten Up

Continue learning to code by exploring these websites:

  • Hour of Code: Find many more activities just like the Dance Party Hour of Code project you did at the beginning of this week! Filter by your grade level, technology, and more here: Hour of Code
  • Scratch: Use the free Scratch application to code stories, games, and animations that you can share with people around the world: Scratch Website
  • Microsoft MakeCode: MakeCode is a free online learn-to-code platform where anyone can build games, code devices, and mod Minecraft: Microsoft MakeCode

Frequently Asked Questions

The Brite Program is closed to self-identifying girls ages 13-16 from pre-selected informal STEM programs. Please fill out the interest form to learn about future opportunities.

These three topics were selected because the greatest gender disparities in the STEM workforce and higher education occur in the disciplines of computer sciences, engineering, and physical sciences. For more information see a summary of key statistics in the State of Girls and Women in STEM report provided by the National Girls Collaborative Project.

The Central Program Goals are to:

  • Foster STEM identity: sense of belonging and success in STEM
  • Build a community of girl learners and a support network among them
  • Spark curiosity and creativity
  • Brite is a 3 year research to practice grant funded by the National Science Foundation. Led by Florida State University, with the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP), and Smart Girls HQ as key partners. The project team will examine the STEM identity development of girls via the implementation of an online learning community that brings together girls from across the U.S. Dr. Roxanne Hughes will lead a research team that includes Dr. Qian Zhang, to study the impact of three core approaches: 1) community building, 2) hands-on activities, and 3) learning with women role models on girls’ STEM identities.


    Abi Olukeye, Founder, Smart Girls HQ, will lead the design and technical implementation of the online community. NGCP will manage program design and implementation, including recruitment of role models and participants, and training of educators. NGCP will manage program design and implementation, including recruitment of role models and participants, and training of educators.


    400 self-identifying girls, ages 13-16, from ten sites, will participate in the Brite Online Learning Community and 20 educators will receive training in the three core approaches. Participating girls will gain exposure to diverse STEM careers and role models, equipping girls with access to resources and a support network to make decisions about STEM and their futures.


    Overall, the product of this work will include research-based, tested Brite Practices, equipping researchers and practitioners with a transformative toolkit for fostering girls’ interest, identification, and long-term participation in STEM. The Brite Practices will be disseminated across the United States through NGCP’s network which supports and facilitates collaboration between more than 42,500 organizations serving over 20.2 million girls.

    Brite is funded by the National Science Foundation. NSF #2215138.

    Stay Connected

    The Brite Program is only available to self-identifying girls ages 13-16 from pre-selected informal STEM programs. If you want to learn more about future offerings enter your email below to stay updated.