Three eigth-grade students recently visited with the Whidbey Island branch of the American Association of University Women to share what they learned at Tech Trek camp.
The girls each received a $1,000 scholarship from the club to attend the camp, which focused on STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering and math.
The camp was held in July at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma.
Hannah Weirich-Benway, who attends HomeConnection, said her dream job is in computer programming.
She said she thinks the camp presented her with many possibilities she hadn’t realized existed in the STEM fields.
She said her favorite experiments were the computer programming project and another about chemical bonds.
Emily Stringer, who attends North Whidbey Middle School, said STEM subjects appealed to her because one day she would like to become a psychiatrist.
Her favorite class at PLU was a chemistry lab where they were asked to determine if yeast was alive.
Stringer said she also enjoyed making soap, building a robot, blood typing in a CSI-type study and a genetics lab.
Amara Fulton, a Langley Middle School student, said her favorite project was the CSI blood-typing lab, where the girls were given a fictional case to solve using scientific methodology.
She and the other girls were unanimous about the positive experience of living in a dorm with a roommate for a week and seeing what it was like to live and attend classes on a college campus.
Started in 1998, the AAUW Tech Trek program focuses on why there are so few women in STEM careers.
AAUW also partnered with the Mac Appreciation Group of Island County, or MAGIC, to present each girl with iPads preloaded with science and math apps as well as $50 iTunes gift cards to purchase more interactive scientific books for their devices.
The AAUW’s mission is “to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research.”
Anyone who has graduated with a two-year degree or higher from an accredited institution may join.
To learn how to join AAUW, email Diane Peters at dipeters@comcast.net or Barb Bland at barble@comcast.net
