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Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has been the foundation for many years for teaching critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The U.S. Department of Education website includes information about the importance of STEM in an increasingly complex world and the importance of all youth to have problem solving skills. Many researchers and practitioners propose moving from using the acronym STEM to science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). The difference in STEM and STEAM is the inclusion of arts of any kind, aligning artistic creativity with STEM learning. Zimmerman and Sprung concluded that motivation and self-confidence in computing for females is increased when they can learn CS in the context of a content area, they are already comfortable with [1]. Recognizing this cross-disciplinary connection approach, Mississippi State University researchers in 2014 integrated a physical art component module that enabled girls to design robots using crafting material, with positive results. In 2019, the team piloted a 4-day camp that integrated learning dance moves with algorithmic thinking and computer programming. This paper will discuss the results of that camp that was offered in a very small rural town in a southern state in the United States, and how the arts component influenced the learners’ perception of computing. 

Responsive to broadening participation challenges, Mississippi State University (MSU) established the Bulldog Bytes Outreach Program in 2013 with a residential summer camp for middle school girls funded through the National Center for Women in Information Technology (NCWIT). Since then the program has grown to provide co-curricular activities to K12 students throughout the state. Following a pilot offering of an elementary camp in 2016, the Bulldog Bytes program delivered two of these camps in small towns during 2017, supporting a strategy of engaging under-resourced students with computing in their home communities. This paper will detail our project-based approach to learning and share experiences from the elementary camps. 

With the disparity in the percentage of persons with disabilities who complete an undergraduate education and persist on a STEM career pathway compared to those without a disability, there is much work to be done to create equitable and inclusive academic and work environments. Disability inclusion practices promote innovation and provide an accessible space where all abilities are embraced. This paper will provide an overview of inclusion programs that enable students with disabilities to thrive, with particular emphasis on the STEM pathway. It will provide anecdotal stories of students and early college graduates who have benefited from intervention programs. Recommendations for universities and companies on how they may engage and enable persons with disabilities to persist on STEM pathways will be presented 

Responsive to broadening participation challenges, Mississippi State University (MSU) established the Bulldog Bytes Outreach Program in 2013 with a residential summer camp for middle school girls funded through the National Center for Women in Information Technology (NCWIT). Since then the program has grown to provide co-curricular activities to K12 students throughout the state. Following a pilot offering of an elementary camp in 2016, the Bulldog Bytes program delivered two of these camps in small towns during 2017, supporting a strategy of engaging under-resourced students with computing in their home communities. This paper will detail our project-based approach to learning and share experiences from the elementary camps. 

Vemitra White, Sarah Lee, Litany Lineberry, Danielle Grimes, Jessica Ivy