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Science | Technology | Engineering | Mathematics
We know that girls often hit barriers in STEM disciplines due to a gender gap and societal expectations. However, in an all-girls learning environment, there are no stereotypes about what girls like or where they can excel. We believe that all girls benefit from a solid foundation in math, science and engineering. Our curriculum also includes computer science, computational thinking.
Research Shows...
Research by the National Coalition of Girls' Schools shows that all-girls learning environments champion the educational needs of girls as a group currently underrepresented in STEM majors and careers.
- Graduates of girls’ schools are six times more likely to consider majoring in math, science, and technology and three times more likely to consider engineering compared to girls who attended coed schools.
- Compared to coed peers, girls’ school grads are 3 times more likely to consider engineering careers.
STEM at Bryn Mawr
Our program encourages girls to explore their interests and passions, whether directly in STEM fields or by using technology to engage in real-world problem solving on campus, in the community and around the world. When you combine strong mentors, reduced gender stereotyping in curriculum and classroom, and abundant learning opportunities, the results are clear.
Celebrated
Award winning Upper School Robotics and Chemathon Teams.
Semi-finalist
A group of students was one of 26 teams in the United States to reach the semi-finalist round of Technovation; a competition to develop technology entrepreneurs and leaders.
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30 students have earned a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania through our Social Innovators Program.
Honored
Our Programs & Activities
STEM Career Fair
This free event is designed to provide high school girls with the opportunity to meet and learn from successful women in a wide variety of STEM careers. Students will have the opportunity to speak with representatives from more than 30 STEM-related companies and organizations representing a range of career options.
Summer Camps
Come spend a week exploring a STEM path that will teach you new skills and excite your imagination. The Bryn Mawr STEM summer camps give participants real-world experience in science, technology, engineering and mathematics through fun, hands-on activities, inspiring campers to continue their pursuit of STEM. Our curriculum is developed by talented STEM teachers and the camps require no prior experience. Get ahead in STEM education while having a blast!
Internships
Bryn Mawr is committed to encouraging and promoting STEM education. Along with rigorous coursework, students interested in exploring STEM fields have the opportunity to participate in real world, hands-on, experiential learning outside of the classroom.
Bryn Mawr has relationships with a number of local businesses and universities, including researchers at The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and The Johns Hopkins University, which allow students to work in summer internships at these companies and organizations. These internships pair students with STEM professionals for a 4–8 week internship commitment. Students learn basic techniques and work closely within a team to explore and answer questions. Students interested in these opportunities must complete an application that includes an essay, and be approved by the mathematics, science and/or technology departments.
Mentor Program
One of the most critical factors in an individual’s success is having a strong mentor, and this is especially true for girls exploring STEM fields. A dearth of female role models in STEM, coupled with gender stereotyping, often leads girls to focus on other career paths. Bryn Mawr's STEM Mentor Program seeks to change that.
Middle School–Upper School Mentoring
Middle School students interested in STEM are paired with an Upper School student who shares their passion for STEM. The program allows our students to nourish each other's curiosity while providing tangible female role models for our Middle School students and creating ample opportunities for collaboration between the two divisions.
Alumnae Mentoring
Middle School–Upper School Mentoring
Middle School students interested in STEM are paired with an Upper School student who shares their passion for STEM. The program allows our students to nourish each other's curiosity while providing tangible female role models for our Middle School students and creating ample opportunities for collaboration between the two divisions.
Alumnae Mentoring
The STEM Alumnae Mentorship Program pairs current Upper School students with alumnae who work in a STEM career field. Girls learn from an adult with whom they have a shared school experience, and explore their interests in ways that are not possible within the regular curriculum. While our students gain invaluable insight from this program, the mentors are also beneficiaries. They are challenged by their new, honest allies, and tell us that they often end up feeling more energized and passionate about the work they do.
If you are a student or alumna interested in participating in the program, please contact Deanna Boyd.
If you are a student or alumna interested in participating in the program, please contact Deanna Boyd.
Innovation Spaces
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Lower School - Creation Station
The Lower School Creation Station is the home of our Lower School Computer Science program. All Lower school students, beginning in Pre-Kindergarten, have Computer Science classes in the Creation Station several times per week, where they begin to learn how to solve problems using the design thinking process. All students learn the fundamental concepts of 3-D printing, programming, robotics (national Robotics competitions begin in 3rd grade), digital fabrication, and engineering in order to create solutions to problems that impact others. As an example, 4th-grade students were recently challenged to develop a solution to a problem that they experienced daily. Together, the class decided they were tired of pencils frequently falling to the floor when desks were moved or bumped. The grade's answer is the Desky— a 3-D printed clip-on device that precisely fits onto their Bryn Mawr desk while securing three pencils and an eraser. Students painstakingly tested prototype after prototype before finding the perfect width for the clip, height of the pencil stopper, and the correct opening size for the eraser holder. -
Middle School - MakerSpace
The Middle School Makerspace is the home of our Middle School Computer Science program. All Middle school students take several Computer Science classes per week that build upon the skills taught in the Lower School. Middle School students will further refine their 3-D printing skills, learn to program in Python, deeply explore digital fabrication with the dedicated laser cutter, and hone their design thinking skills using the Human Centered Design approach to address complex issues facing the world. In addition to the required Computer Science courses, eight grade students can also take two electives that focus on Robotics and iPhone App development and participate in after school Robotics and fabrication programs. -
Upper School - Innovation Lab
Building on the skills learned in the Lower and Middle Schools and the rich offering of Computer Science courses in the Upper School, our students design and build all things imaginable in our Upper School Innovation Lab. In our over 4,000 square foot lab, students have access to a number of fabrication tools, including laser cutters, vacuum formers, 3-D printers, circuit cutters, lathe's, a CNC machine, and many, many other tools. Classes are designed to safely familiarize our students to the tools available so they can leverage the lab in all areas of their studies. If you are in the lab you will see students designing, and making stained glass inspired windows in their Geometry class, Viking inspired boats for their History class, or developing a product that addresses a need to social issues. This year over 260 Upper School students are taking at least one Computer Science course at Bryn Mawr.Additionally, the Innovation Lab is the home of our Computer Science and Entrepreneurship programs, which offers students the ability to explore different areas within the field. All ninth-grade students take an Introduction to Computer Science course and have eight different electives available for further study.
Current Upper School Elective Classes Include:- Robotics
- Entrepreneurship
- Innovation and Industrial Design
- Programming iPhone Apps (Honors)
- AP Computer Science
- Advanced Topics in Computer Science (Honors)
- Statistics and Data Science
- Graphic Design I and II
