AAUW North Tahoe participated in the first Tech Trek camp in 1998 and has sent girls each summer for the last 26 years. Thus far, the commitment and generosity of our members and supporters have allowed us to send 113 girls to the camp. In July, five more local, 7th-grade girls will go to camp at the University of California, Davis.
Dozens of other California branches and a thousand girls each year are supported at 9 camps on 7 college campuses in CA. Two new camps this year are being held at California State University, Monterey Bay, and Santa Clara University.
The goals of Tech Trek are to:
- encourage a diverse group of middle school girls to take math and science courses throughout high school.
- motivate girls to attend college, especially first generation college students.
- inspire young women to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and math through hands-on experiences and role models.
Tech Trek camps are rich in activities such as dissection in anatomy and sequestering DNA in genetics. Other on-campus core classes may include engineering, coding/cyber security and math.
New last year at the UC Davis camp: Storytelling with Data. It was fun and fascinating! Other activities included robotics, rocketry, chemistry, physics, marine biology, and astronomy. The girls also learned about veterinary science at the world-renowned UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and acoustics/sound engineering at the Mondavi Center for Performing Arts.
A camper proudly shows her genetics poster.
Created as a response to the pandemic, the Virtual Tech Trek (VTT) camp continues as a robust and rewarding STEM experience without traveling and at reduced costs. Our North Tahoe AAUW branch allowed ten girls in our area to attend the Virtual Tech Trek (VTT) camp in 2021 and 2022 VTT camp is now an option every year.
Pre- and post- surveys of girls who attended VTT camp showed that their interest in engineering rose from 15% to 41%, and became their first career choice. Gratitude to our NT members who volunteer for both residential and virtual camps.
While the VTT camp has a core class of Technology and Robotics, it offers many afternoon and evening workshops and inspirational speakers on astrophysics, nutrition, climate change and other topics. The last day of VTT camp features presentations by the campers of their Internet of Things, or Wearable Tech projects.
During Covid restrictions, Tech Trek was a virtual event for two years.
New in 2024: an iPal robot, donated by NT AAUW member Martha Russell, will greet girls and parents arriving at the camp. Lead by former TT camper and iPal handler, high school student Rose of the Auburn branch, may also bring her new ‘pal’ to greet AAUW branch members arriving for Visit Day.
On a personal note, in 2024, North Tahoe Trekker, alumnae Roxana Cabrera, Fresno TT camp 2006, completed her residency at Stanford Medical School; and started her family. Congratulations Dr. Cabrera!