School of Engineering summer camp wins first Tekne Award

Posted on by
Thomas Shepard gives a lecture to his freshman Introduction to Engineering class. While the School of Engineering recently won an award for its' work with younger women in the field, Shepard says his typical class ratio is 80-20 males. (Joey Anderson/TommieMedia)
Thomas Shepard gives a lecture to his freshman Introduction to Engineering class. While the School of Engineering recently won an award for its work with younger women in the field, Shepard says his typical class ratio is 80-20 males. (Joey Anderson/TommieMedia)

For the first time in its 14-year history, the St. Thomas School of Engineering’s Science, Technology and Engineering Preview Summer Camp for Girls won a Tekne Award.

STEPS offers one-week summer camp sessions for 6th and 7th grade girls on St. Thomas’ St. Paul campus. The Minnesota High Tech Association awards Tekne Awards annually to honor companies, technological breakthroughs and innovations that improve people’s lives and futures.

A "STEPS" white board sits outside an engineering classroom. The St. Thomas School of Engineering recently won a Tekne Award for its STEPS summer camp program. (Joey Anderson/Tommie Media)
A “STEPS” white board sits outside an engineering classroom. The St. Thomas School of Engineering recently won a Tekne Award for its STEPS summer camp program. (Joey Anderson/Tommie Media)

STEPS program director Kelly McLaughlin Brown said all the “hard work” they’ve put into the program over the last 14 years made an award of this caliber possible.

“STEPS is an amazing program that helps so many young women realize how empowered they can feel in science, math and engineering,” McLaughlin Brown said.

Through endorsements from parents, community STEM (science, technology, math and engineering) advocates, volunteers and nearly $2 million in corporate foundation support, these science and technology camps are put on at no cost to the girls.

The Tekne Awards recognized 15 Minnesota organizations this year. St. Thomas’ School of Engineering was given its Tekne for STEM education and digital learning.

Sophomore Danielle Tschida is a part of the Engineering Club and thinks St. Thomas is “great” at creating an inclusive environment, which translates into the summer camp.

“The Society of Women Engineers meets and it’s great to have that network of intelligent ladies to relate to,” Tschida said.

According to the Minnesota High Tech Association, STEPS is designed to spark girls’ interest in STEM careers at a critical stage in their development. More than 3,000 girls over the past 14 years have participated in STEPS with hands-on workshops covering electronics, physics, renewable energy, computer programming and manufacturing processes, while weaving in arts and creativity.

Tschida believes that early integration of science and engineering into kids’ lives is smart.

“I think it demonstrates that we are doing something right as a school,” Tschida said. “Showing support for girls and women to go into STEM—which was previously thought to be a predominantly male field—is a great way to change people’s minds and demonstrate the importance of having equal opportunity for young girls in these fields.”

McLaughlin Brown said receiving the award put the School of Engineering off to a good start this year.

“We are looking forward to another great year, and a huge milestone of it being our 15th year,” McLaughlin Brown said. “Winning the Tekne was a great way to kick it off.”

Joey Anderson can be reached at ande9008@stthomas.edu.