Qubit by Qubit: Developing Female Interest in STEM Through Local Ecosystem Engagement

As of 2020, women earn 25% of the bachelor’s degrees in physics awarded to US undergraduate students. Though this represents the greatest percentage of female physics graduates recorded in modern times, it still only represents a few percentage points of growth in nearly twenty years. In other words, the question of how to close the gender gap in STEM by effectively engaging young women remains as pressing as ever. At Qubit by Qubit, a nonprofit initiative focused on making quantum education accessible and inclusive for students and educators, we have found one potential answer.

In this talk, we will use Qubit by Qubit’s 2022 in-person summer camp, Quantum Quest, as a case study on how to increase and nourish STEM interest among young women. This camp, hosted in partnership with the University of Arizona and Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona, was taught by women, for young women in the Tucson area. After participating in the week-long program, 85% of students reported that they want to continue learning quantum computing, and 90% said they would take another QISE course. Further, 80% of students agreed that through the camp they gained a community of peers interested in STEM. Grounded in this data, our talk will share lessons on how to effectively recruit young women into STEM, develop an inclusive curriculum, and encourage local community and ecosystem building.