AAUW TECH TREK NM CAMP FOR GIRLS
The 2023 AAUW NM Tech Trek was held at NM Tech at Socorro from June 18-24. 58 rising 8th-grade girls participated, four from Dona Ana County.
A STEM education project of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and AAUW New Mexico is normally held at NM Tech in Socorro, NM
website: http://techtrek-nm.aauw.net.
About Tech Trek 2023
After three years of either not meeting, or meeting via Zoom due to the Pandemic, AAUW Tech Trek resumed its week-long science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) summer camp for rising eighth-grade girls. The camp is designed to develop girls’ interest, excitement, and self-confidence in STEM fields. Tech Trek is primarily funded through grants and donations. AAUW LC members donated $3,048.79 towards the 2023 camp.
To donate, go to Techtrek-nm.aauw.net
Techtrek 2024 will be held at NM Tech in Socorro June 9-15…. For more information, go to the website highlighted above.
Through Tech Trek, girls are immersed in a world that empowers and encourages them to think about themselves not just as young women but also as future scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and computer specialists.
When asked how Tech Trek affected her, one alumna said:
“This camp opened my eyes to see how important math and science are for me. … I met so many girls that also were very bright and share the same abilities … As of today I am majoring in civil engineering and plan to graduate next year in the spring at California State University, Fresno. Thank you! Tech Trek Camp made a difference in my life.”
Camp Model
All campers are nominated by their seventh-grade math and science teachers. Campers then submit an application including an essay. The Tech Trek statewide committee works with dozens of volunteers throughout the state to interview every applicant and read each essay multiple times. Families pay only a $50 fee to send their honored and selected young woman to the week-long camp, ensuring that girls from a range of backgrounds can attend.
Tech Trek attendees spend a week on a college campus, which helps the girls envision themselves pursuing higher education. The campers attend STEM core classes daily, as well as hands-on workshops, which are run by women STEM professionals. A daylong field trip provides girls with a chance to learn about amazing STEM sites in NM, including meeting female professionals and witnessing a STEM workplace environment.
Professional Women’s Night
All Tech Trek camps include a Professional Women’s Night where women STEM professionals from the community speak and interact with the girls about their educational and career paths. These women serve as role models and provide key insights into the successes and challenges of working in traditionally male-dominated fields.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://techtrek-nm.aauw.net
We hope you will support this outstanding STEM program that strives to empower young women throughout NM! Camps are designed to further enhance girls’ interest, excitement, and self-confidence in STEM fields. To support Tech Trek NM, click here: Give to Tech Trek.
What to Expect at Tech Trek NM – Information for Campers
Who Are the Campers?
Tech Trek campers are girls who are entering 8th grade in the Fall and from all over New Mexico. There will be up to 60 campers who are all interested in science and math –just like you.
Core Classes
Campers attend their core class every afternoon. You do no homework and take no tests. All classes are hands-on and taught by experienced female teachers. Core classes may include Robotics, Cybersecurity, Mechanical Engineering, and the Stellar Life Cycle. Each camper is given the opportunity to request her core class assignment.
Field Trips
There will be field trips during the week. All field trips will be led by science or engineering professionals. Possibilities include visiting the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge to learn about wildlife conservation and some of the research projects conducted on the Refuge, experiencing what Geologists do in nearby mountains, and a trip to the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC) on “M” Mountain let campers observe explosives testing (all observers were watching from well-protected bunkers!). All field trips will be in the mornings. Campers will be transported by bus to various locations.
Workshops
After dinner, you will be busy with various activities such as geocaching, pool time, and the professional women’s banquet on Wednesday. Cell phones are distributed in the late evenings (usually between 9:00 and 9:30 pm), so you can call your parents/guardians. If you do not have a cell phone, staff members will have phones you can use.
Dorm Life
Making new friends and doing new things are important parts of Tech Trek NM and will give you an idea of what it’s like to be a college freshman. You will live in a dorm on the NM Tech campus and have a roommate. Only Tech Trek NM campers and staff will be living in the dorm during camp. Access to the dorm and the dorm rooms is controlled – each camper has a keycard for the building and her room.
Meals and Snacks
You will eat in the NM Tech dining hall. Food is served cafeteria-style, and vegetarian selections are available at every meal. There will be a selection of entrees, salads, and desserts at each meal. High-quality nutritious snacks are provided every afternoon and evening. Girls with food-related health or religious needs can be accommodated.
Supervision
The Tech Trek NM campers will be divided into groups supervised by a Dorm Monitor (Dorm Mom). Additional supervision will be provided by a Counselor and a Junior Counselor for each dorm group. The Dorm Moms and Counselors are adults, and the Junior Counselors are alumnae from Tech Trek NM.
Each Dorm Mom, Counselor, and Jr. Counselor has a room in the same wing of the dorm as their campers, so they are available when needed. The camp director and other camp staff also live in the dorm with the campers and are available when needed. All staff and teachers have undergone federal background checks and have been cleared. They have also been provided training on a variety of situations that may be experienced during camp.
Nurse/Medical Care
The Tech Trek NM camp nurse spends the week on campus and lives in the dorm. She is available 24 hours a day during camp. She is always near the campers.
Professional Women’s Banquet
On Wednesday evening you will have the opportunity to meet and speak with female professionals in a variety of STEM careers and from different employers in New Mexico. The guests will share their inspirations, discuss their educational and career paths, answer questions, and interact with you and the other campers during the evening.