“Beautiful Patterns 2019” MIT and Tecnologico de Monterrey high-impact IT/K12-STEM transnational initiative for young women students

Abstract

Intended for Mexico, the “Beautiful Patterns” young-women STEM bootcamp was created in 2017 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, finding a strategic partner in the Tecnológico de Monterrey, a recognized Mexican university. The idea behind “Beautiful Patterns” is promoting the STEM majors as a future, promising and country-needed option for high school women students in economies like Mexico’s where only 17% of the graduated engineering population are women. In 2021, this bootcamp will become international, including instructors and participants from Canada and some Latin American, European and Asian countries. In 2019, after having taken part in this program, 89% of the student participants stated that they had a different perspective about engineering and information technologies recognizing women’s potential in STEM areas. The 2020 edition was canceled due to the pandemic of CoVid-19. In this paper we present all our results and conclusions of the 2019 implementation in Aguascalientes Campus of Tecnológico de Monterrey.