Overview
Established in 2012, Harpeth Hall's STEM Summer Institute is a two-week, research-based summer experience where rising 6th through 12th grade girls step into the role of STEM innovators. Participants work together to tackle real-world challenges using the engineering design process, from researching problems and visiting local labs to building and testing prototype solutions. As they learn, participants engage with women in STEM, deepen technical skills, and present their projects to STEM professionals at the end of the program.
Program dates for Summer 2026 are June 1 – June 11. Applications will be accepted beginning January 2026. The deadline to apply is April 15, 2026.
STEM Summer Institute brings together girls from schools all over the Nashville area who apply to participate in a true integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
In 2025, students learned the basics of architectural design to create blueprints and 3-D models as they reimagined existing spaces in the Nashville area to meet local community needs. Donning Harpeth Hall hard hats, STEM students proposed and designed new building layouts from the ground up.
In previous sessions, campers have created prototypes to help people with disabilities, structures to mitigate flooding in Middle Tennessee, devices to increase the efficiency of small-scale farmers, and hand-washing stations for people with limited access to water.
