Children's universities are programs through which universities open their campuses to various audiences to strengthen the relationship between academia and society.  In 2005, the EAFIT University (Medellín) began the first of these programs in Colombia. Since then it has been promoting the public engagement with science and technology on children, youth, scientific mediators and teachers. These programs aim to contribute with the training of active subjects, in the construction of knowledge and social transformation. Therefore, this paper proposes a reflective analysis of two evaluations carried out at the EAFIT Children's University between 2018 and 2020. This paper proves the challenges that men and women, who participated in the program, have to face to access to higher education and to improve their academic performance. Likewise, the data on girls and young people are specifically highlighted, since this program is emerging as a successful case to be replicated in other cities of the region, on the involvement of girls and young people in scientific production, especially in choosing STEM careers (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).