Hello there! Long time no talk. I wanted to ensure I prioritized reflection throughout this week so I could provide more in-depth takeaways. Week three was the first week of STEM camp where there were two camps going on at the same time, which led to more responsibility for me in guiding the girls. I was assisting the Daisy and Brownie girls (ages 6-10) in a Dreamhouse Design themed camp, so the girls had the opportunity to create their own dollhouse. 

The girls were gifted a plain dollhouse and were able to paint and create anything they wanted for their dollhouse including using 3D-printed designs they were able to choose from. Due to the big age gap between girls, it was interesting to see how their creative ideas and execution differed from each other which helped me to determine how best I could aid them without overstepping. One of the younger girls may have needed help mixing paint to be the exact color they wanted whereas an older girl may have just wanted an extra hand to hold an item in place while they continued to construct it. 

This was the week where I started to figure out how best to command different girls’ attention by paying attention to what they respond to. I also learned that asking for help when an approach may not be working is always the best option. Some girls connect better with other adults and their character than others and that should be used as a strength.

My standout moment for this week was getting to see relationships build between the younger and older girls and the guidance that occurred. I went into the week nervous that there would be a divide and walked out experiencing the complete opposite. 

This week was very much girl-led, so there was a lot of adaptation that we had to do, but in the end, the girls had an amazing week and got to walk away with a creation fully their own. Looking forward to sharing about week four.

Best,

Madeleine Auch