Tech Trek is a week-long science and math camp that takes place each summer at UC Irvine for girls entering the 8th grade. The camp was designed to encourage young women to continue studying science and math in middle school and beyond. The campers, who attend solely by scholarship, live at the dorms while attending camp. Seventh grade science teachers nominate students to attend Tech Trek. Our AAUW branch makes the final selection of campers after the nominees submit an application, write an essay, and undergo an interview.
Goals
The main goal of Tech Trek is to offer a fun yet educational experience that expands the minds of the girls who attend. Tech Trek offers an array of hands-on experiments and field trips related to science and math. Learning becomes fun and exciting! Female role models who work in the science and math fields teach and guide the campers. The campers are surrounded by both adults and other girls who believe science and math are fascinating. The hope is the girls will be inspired to consider careers in these fields.
Scholarships
Each camper’s scholarship to attend Tech Trek is paid by the Diamond Bar-Walnut Branch through donations by its members and through fundraising projects. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to our Tech Trek program, please mail a check made out to: “AAUW-CA-SPF” and mail it to: Diamond Bar-Walnut AAUW, P.O. Box 4712, Diamond Bar, CA 91765. If you have any questions, contact our Tech Trek Coordinator at: dbw-ca@aauw.net
Recent Pictures of Our Campers
The campers that were sent by our branch in July come to our September Branch Meeting, along with their families and sometimes their science or math teachers, to tell us about their camp experiences. They discuss their favorite experiments and field trips. Their trip to the beach for ocean studies is often a popular topic! In addition, they discuss how living on a college campus and making new friends is a truly rewarding experience for them. Though they are initially nervous about not knowing their roommates, at the end of the week they are best pals!
