Vancouver Branch Supports AAUW Washington’s Tech Trek Program

An article regarding AAUW Vancouver’s participation in sponsoring local eighth-grade girls to attend AAUW Washington’s Tech Trek camps was featured in our local paper, The Columbian, on October 12, 2019.

AAUW Vancouver Branch has provided the funds for campers to attend Tech Trek since the STEM camps were introduced to Washington State in 2013. The money provided by Vancouver Branch allows eighth-grade girls to attend the summer STEM camp at either Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma or Eastern Washington University in Cheney.

Middle school STEM teachers are invited to submit a nomination form to suggest one or more seventh-grade girls attend Tech Trek camp the summer before they enter eighth grade. In 2022, the cost for each camper will be $1100.  This fee is provided from fundraising by AAUW Vancouver along with a $50 contribution from each camper’s parents. The students nominated by a teacher also need to complete and submit an application form. 

Through hands-on problem solving and encounters with women role models in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, AAUW Tech Trek helps girls imagine their futures while having fun. This one-week summer camp is backed by AAUW research and designed to make STEM fields interesting, exciting, and accessible to girls. This is the age when girls’ participation in these fields statistically drops off. For many girls, the week-long camp sparks their interest and curiosity and places them on a path toward success.

Further information about Tech Trek may be found at https://techtrek-wa.aauw.net/2020-2021-campers