Where can my daughter learn more about coding and game design? Are there good role models to help my girls pursue their love of computers and design in an environment that appeals to them? Can they play Roblox and Minecraft with other girls? The answer is emphatically, yes—right here at Connected Camps!
While Connected Camps offers both co-ed and girls programs, this blog will focus on the programs that are tailored just for girls. Click here to learn more about the girls-only Minecraft and Roblox camps.
Connected Camps was founded by moms who are self-proclaimed “girl geeks.” Many of our counselors and staff are young women who are pursuing college degrees in computer science, game design, or other majors that will leverage their technical skills. Our team is working together to provide a fun atmosphere of learning and play for girls who love to code, design, or just hang out and play online.
Counselor Richney said, “It’s valuable to have a safe space where anyone who identifies as a female can feel safe and not feel intimidated. I think it’s great for younger girls in STEM to see someone like them in STEM. For me personally, I mainly grew up seeing male faces in STEM and it wasn’t until much later that I was introduced to all the women who contributed to STEM research. I mainly teach the coding camps and courses, and all the girls I have taught felt more confident and comfortable and open to ask questions without feeling intimidated or feeling like they can’t do something.”
Parents and educators everywhere are waking up to the fact that girls benefit from participating in tech programs and seeing women as role models in technology. The Wall Street Journal says that young women who participated in ongoing afterschool and immersion programs through Girls Who Code were majoring in computer science at 15 times the average rate for women in college. Starting young in programs like ours at Connected Camps can set girls on a pathway to further involvement in computer science or other rewarding tech career options.
Parent feedback reinforces that girls in our programs are eager to continue learning. We received this review from Sharon about a Girls’ Engineering Camp: “My 8-year-old daughter had so much fun while learning new things in Minecraft. The class was well worth it. The teacher kept the girls engaged and was very encouraging throughout. She enjoyed it so much that she wants to take another class!”
We offer a variety of formats to fit your family’s busy schedule. Here’s an overview of the girls-only weeklong camps from Connected Camps; all take place in a live online environment under the mentorship of a skilled female counselor:
Camps run 90 minutes per day, 5 consecutive days in a week.
Girls Coding Camp in Minecraft: To fully understand the basics of programming, campers first observe Minecraft robots and examine the way they operate. Once they understand how the robots work, they code their own machines to solve different types of challenges. They will explore new concepts through group discussions during each session so they’re constantly learning and coding. These robots are also accessible after class, so campers can continue to use them when playing with friends.
Girls Game Design Camp in Minecraft: Mini-games are a fun and exciting part of the variety in video game adventures. Campers will learn what basic game mechanics are and how to create mini-games; the game design process and how to add variety to mini-games; how to balance games to make them fun and rewarding; how to use the basics of WorldEdit; and how to troubleshoot a game and use others’ feedback to improve their design.
Girls Engineering Camp in Minecraft: This is a camp for girls who want to incorporate a new aspect of play into their Minecraft experience while they practice their problem-solving skills. Similar to electricity, Minecraft’s Redstone is an amazing tool that acts as an interactive power source. In this course, campers learn how to adjust Redstone input and output signals to build simple mechanisms using levers, lights, and buttons. They’ll explore that power and build dynamic devices from automatic doors to fully-functioning rail systems.
Girls Survival Camp in Minecraft: This camp is perfect for girls with a constant thirst for adventure and unique Survival challenges. With a strong focus on team-building, campers will embark on a journey and discover quests that enable them to achieve higher ranks and unlock more content. They’ll experience story events filled with mobs and bosses for the team to conquer through careful planning, and they’ll learn the value of a supportive community and how to reflect and communicate effectively with each other.
Girls Coding Camp in Roblox: In this camp, your daughter will explore a basic programming language called Lua while they work within the 3D world of Roblox. After learning the fundamentals, they’ll use functions, loops, tables, and arrays to create interactive game objects. We’ll teach them how to troubleshoot their own code and fix it when something goes wrong. As your child codes and taps into their critical thinking skills, they’ll be able to see the results of their programming by watching their game transform.
All of these programs celebrate girls by encouraging individuality, collaboration, and creative problem solving. Our friendly atmosphere is the perfect antidote to the sometimes over-competitive and intimidating online social world. In our girls programs, all campers share something in common: being girls who love games and challenges and are ready for new friends and new adventures.
Counselor Richney summed it up this way: “While not true for every program I feel as though the atmosphere in the girls programs are usually less chaotic. Here is an example: on the last day of a recent Builder’s Club with boys and girls, the kids said: ‘LET’S BLOW THINGS UP WITH TNT AND MAKE THE SERVER CRASH!!!!’ But in Girl’s Builder’s Clubs on the last day, the campers wanted group photos and lots of screenshots and they shared stories of how much they will miss their builds and their pets.”
Our girls programs are inclusive learning environments where we welcome any child who identifies as female regardless of assignment at birth. Our programs for girls also welcome children who identify as non-binary or gender-nonconforming and want to be in a female-identified environment.
We’re excited to make space with more girls-only programs, since so many parents and campers have requested them. Programs are filling up fast, so check out the full line-up of girls (and co-ed) programs and sign up today!