At Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science women make up approximately 30 percent of each year’s incoming class, 10 percent higher than the national average. But if America is to remain competitive in a global marketplace, more of the nation’s bright, young women need to choose science and engineering as a career.

Penn’s Girls in Engineering, Math and Science program, known as Penn GEMS, provides middle school girls with a fun introduction to the fields. Part of Penn’s Advancing Women in Engineering program, Penn GEMS teaches the next generation of college students how engineering is a part of everyday life, as well as how it can transform the world.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gqLxCLkvJs[/youtube]

During the Penn GEMS 2010 summer camp, 40 girls participated in hands-on laboratory instruction, robotics training and classes about renewable energy, computer science and biotechnology with enticing titles such as Glow in the Dark Science, It’s a Robot and Nanotech 101.