In this paper, we describe our experiences with a weeklong summer program aimed at talented young women who have demonstrated interest and ability in STEM fields, including an interest in computer science. Because they have many talents and interests, this type of student often has difficulty deciding on a career objective. We hypothesized that an effective way to crystallize their interest in computing is to give these young women a broader view of what computing is and what a career in a computing field has to offer. The course we developed was based on a combination of project work developing mobile apps using the MIT App Inventor, a series of research presentations, presentations by local industry representatives, and interactions with successful female role models working in different segments of the computing industry. We achieved our goal of persuading highly accomplished high school girls to seriously consider a career in computing. We share our experiences and the reactions of the students. We conclude with suggestions for other ways these activities might be used to encourage young people, particularly young women, to consider computing careers.
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