What is it and Who Is it for?

• A weeklong "Camp" for seventh grade girls
• The focus is on science and technology
• Located on prestigious campus, e.g. Stanford, Mills
• Opportunity to meet girls from other towns
• Minimal cost to participants

Tech Trek Camp

Over 500 girls enjoyed the experience of "camp," without really "camping." "You can do anything!" "Be all you can be!" echoes from the moment a student is identified by a teacher at her school through the selection process, to finally going home after an exhilarating (but exhausting) week at a Tech Trek Camp.

The theme throughout the camps is the fun it is to share the experience on a college campus, living in a dorm with other girls with similar interests. Each of the camps is individually administered, but much is the same for all camps:

Core classes in subjects such as Bacteriology, Biology, Geology, Engineering (bridge building), Marine Biology, Orienteering (math), Solar Energy, Physics (roller coasters, hot air balloons), Forensics, Chemistry (manufacturing make-up!), Math and Geometry, Computers (film editing) and Space Science (all camps)

Field trip activities: Challenger Learning Centers to fly a simulated Mission to Mars (Fresno and Mills); Marine Biology boat trip (UC-San Diego and Stanford); visits to Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Whittier), Super Computer (UC-San Diego) and Lawrence Hall of Science (Mills)

Hands-on activities in core classes, rotating labs and field trips at Tech Trek camps help to make math and science fun along with being educational. Camp Directors have no problem identifying interested and competent teachers, as the word spreads every year from those who do participate, with most wanting to return again and again. Several teachers have returned every year since Tech Trek began. Teachers in Tech Trek camps spend long hours gathering materials and preparing, all of which helps make the week an awesome and exhilarating experience.

AAUW member volunteers serve as counselors (surrogate mothers), nurses, classroom aides, and fill in as needed. They provide the opportunity to bring like-minded middle school girls together for a week of involvement in math and science enrichment activities, which are fun while educational. Junior Counselors, former Tech Trek campers who return as helpers when they are in high school, are now an indispensable part of program. Recent college grads serve as Senior Counselors.

Parent comments on evaluation forms reinforce why we offer Tech Trek: She got a small taste of college life. She thought it was awesome. In fact, when I picked her up she said, "I feel like I live here already." That is a testament to the great job that AAUW-CA did. Thanks so much!"
--This is an excerpt from California AAUW webpage.--

For more information go to the California AAUW Tech Trek website by Clicking Here; or, by contacting the Tech Trek Coordinators, Nancy Andren and Carol Holzgrafe The nominations to attend Tech Trek come from the 7th grade Science Teachers who recommend the names to the Healdsburg Chapter. Contact Lynne Brett  who is the Tech Trek Chair for the Healdsburg Branch of AAUW.