Abstract:

Axt@Teen is a free program that trains students in STEM topics through summer camps and ongoing workshops. It was established in 2017 by CSOFTMTY (Consejo para el Desarrollo de la Industria de Software de Nuevo Leon). Its mission is to cultivate the technological and soft skills necessary to excel in the era of digital transformation, with a long-term objective of increasing enrollment in IT and Engineering disciplines.

Each year, the program accepts over 500 young individuals aged between 9 and 18 years from Nuevo Leon, Mexico, as well as other states within the country. Since 2021, Axt@Teen has expanded to include participants from various Latin American countries, such as Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, and the USA. The training takes place in an engaging and dynamic setting, facilitated by mentors and volunteers from universities and IT companies.

Axt@Teen strives to reduce educational inequality by providing equal access to a high-level educational program for underrepresented groups. The program includes workshops exclusively for girls and ensures a participation rate of over 60% from children in public schools.

Participants are requested to complete a pre-survey on the first day of classes and a post-survey at the end to measure the program's impact. Analysis of the student surveys conducted in 2022 provided interesting insights. Out of 671 children enrolled in the program, the gender composition was as follows: 45.75% girls and 53.2% boys, indicating a balanced representation. In terms of school type, 20.3% of students come from private institutions, 67.2% from public schools, and 12.5% receive homeschooling, indicating a focus on underrepresented groups. The majority of students fall within the 11 to 14 age range.

Through this analysis, it was discovered that the program effectively changes students' perceptions after participating in STEM workshops. Impactful variables range from improved understanding of basic concepts (11% improvement) to enhanced awareness of career pathways (51% improvement) and understanding of everyday situations in STEM professions (10% improvement).

The analysis and comparison among groups highlight the impact results, including positive and negative changes in student interest, as well as the possible reasons for these perception changes, such as virtual vs in-person implementations, preconceptions, and prior experience in STEM. This analysis aims to identify areas for improvement in future workshop implementations, such as prioritizing in-person sessions when possible, increasing the number of instructors per group, creating more girls-only groups, identifying participants' prior competencies, and providing support for course selection based on these competencies.

Keywords:

STEM, Gender equality, teen students Information technology, summer camps, inclusion.