Camp helps girls bolster STEM skills

Men hold the majority of careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The tipping point toward gender equality might not be far away.

Certainly if sharp young women like Anna Howard have anything to say about it.

Anna is fascinated by civil engineering — the design, creation and maintenance of structures such as bridges, dams and railways. She can see herself doing that sort of work when she grows up.

"Science is my favorite subject," Anna said Friday. "I like the experimenting and generally just learning new things, like genetics, coding, that type of stuff."

Anna and four other incoming Lakes Magnet Middle School eighth-grade girls have been selected to attend the American Association of University Women's Tech Trek STEM camp at Eastern Washington University from July 28 to Aug. 3. The weeklong camp will include hands-on workshops, problem-solving challenges, career exploration and field trips.

"I’m really excited for this part: making a hot-air balloon out of tissue paper," Anna said. "There's another thing where you re-program the alphabet and you have to decipher messages."

Anna's camper colleague, Eve Mayo, likes to watch crime documentaries to satisfy her craving for forensic science.

"I like how it really helps people with investigations and stuff,” she said.

She's looking forward to going on a wildlife field trip and possibly dissecting a squid.

"It sounds interesting," Eve said. "I'm interested in seeing how things work and how things connect to other things."

These future engineers and forensic scientists were hand-picked by their science and math teachers to expand their enthusiasm in STEM fields. The camp normally costs $1,000 per camper, but these stellar scholars are being sponsored by University Women, which drops the fee to just $50.

"I was very grateful," Anna said. "I didn't expect them to choose me. I thought they would choose someone else."

Anna's mom, Shannon Howard, said Tech Trek already has invigorated Anna's quest into the sciences because of the essay she was required to write as part of her application. This is where she discovered civil engineering, Shannon said.

"I thought that was very exciting because any extra help we can give girls to push them into the sciences is well worth it," she said. "Once they reach a certain age level, they start dropping out of the sciences and math. I was extremely proud of her."

Eve's mother, Alana Pattillo, said the camp was a great opportunity for kids whose parents work and don't always have a way to get to workshops around town. It's also a great social and academic experience.

"She gets to have the experience of feeling grown up and seeing what a college dorm is like. How much is that going to do for her, getting her mind thinking about college and what college would be like?" Pattillo said. "I remember when I was in Girl Scouts and we’d go to camp and we’d meet kids from all over the place. You never know what kind of things are going to bond you."

The American Association of University Women is a nonprofit that works to advance gender equity for women and girls through research, education and advocacy. The Coeur d'Alene chapter supports local young ladies by providing the scholarships that make attending this camp possible.

"I believe reaching girls at this age is very important," said Betsy McTear, an AAUW member who serves on the selections committee. "Through Tech Trek, they are introduced to a wide variety of fields of study and careers as well as a taste of university life. The campers are recognized by their teachers as students who work hard, show interest in STEM programs and are good candidates for such an experience. The program includes lots of hands-on experience and learning from women role models from many walks of life."

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