Design Connect Create is a non-profit organization that offers summer physics camps to high school women at no charge for those that demonstrate financial need. The camps have the following objectives: - to increase young women’s academic performance in STEM courses - to increase the number of women pursing a STEM major in college - to increase young women’s passion for the challenges and rewards of a STEM career In addition to teaching physics and math concepts, the 2-week summer camp develops a growth mindset to help prepare them for the challenge of STEM courses, exposes them to role models and career opportunities, cultivates a “can do” attitude and sense of belonging and emphasizes the social relevance of physics, engineering and math. Design Connect Create vision is to reach gender parity for those entering STEM degree plans in college. In a study of the DISD graduating class of 2006, 93% of camp participants enrolled in college compared to 77% of the control group. 61% of camp participants earned a 4-year college degree vs 24% of the control group. Of those that earned a college degree, camp participants were 2.6x more likely to earn a STEM degree (45% vs 17%) and 4.7x more likely to earn an engineering or science degree (28% vs 6%)