Tech Trek 2024
Ninety-seven 8th grade girls from across Florida attended the camps at Stetson University and Florida Atlantic University – Jupiter. By all accounts they had a fantastic week of STEM learning, new friendships, and lasting memories. The morning Core Classes this year ranged from Marine Biology, Forensic Science, Anatomy of Weather, QualComm-Think A Bit, Neuroscience, to Structural Engineering. The campers kept busy in the afternoons with interesting workshops among them were Chemistry is Fun, Robots, Passive Solar Houses, Stomp Rockets, Rube Goldberg, and Mico.bit Coding, just to name a few. As usual, Professional Women’s Night was the highlight of the week. Introducing the campers to women in STEM fields who they may not normally be exposed to and inspired by. Quite a fascinating night!
This camp continues to impact girls who may otherwise not be exposed to this type of opportunity or see the possibilities that their future can hold.
Check out STEMEd for High School Girls and their supporters: Starting September 2023
2024 TECH TREK Info Coming
WESH TV inspiring spot about Tech Trek’s professional women’s night
2023 Tech Trek STEM Camps for Rising 8th Grade Girls
In 2023 AAUW St Augustine sent 21 girls to Tech Trek Florida!
Here are thank you notes from the attendees…
Two exciting weeklong residential summer camps focused on STEM = science, technology, engineering and math – for girls going into eighth grade. AAUW Florida’s camp at Stetson University had 43 students and the one at FAU in Jupiter had 39 girls. Congratulations to all the girls selected. AAUW Florida received 185 nominations from 55 different schools across the state from 89 different teachers across 17 branches. One hundred and two girls completed the application process including those all important personal interviews with branches members.
Since 2014, the St Augustine Branch has sent more than 121 St Johns County girls to the camps. Learn more at AAUW Florida’s webpage: https://techtrek-fl.aauw.net
Tech Trek 2023 Info Sheet
During the week, girls attend a daily technology or science core class, perform hands-on activities throughout the day, attend a field trip to a STEM learning environment and are exposed to female STEM role models. This one-week summer camp is backed by AAUW’s research and designed to make STEM fields exciting and accessible to girls in middle school — the age when girls’ participation in these fields drops markedly. For many girls, the weeklong camp sparks their curiosity and places them on a path toward success.
How Girls are Selected to Participate
Seventh grade girls are nominated by one of their teachers (limited to 5 per school). Parents will be emailed applications the week of January 17 that must be completed by parent and student and returned by the date on the application.
The St Augustine Branch will interview girls in St Johns County for the AAUW Florida Tech Trek committee. AAUW branches in Florida will interview applicants in their area. This is a competitive application and girls should do their best with her application and interview.
If a girl has been invited to attend one of the camps, she will rank her choices of core classes from 1 to 4. Information about the core classes, the afternoon workshops and other STEM activities will be announced as soon as the camp programs and other activities are scheduled.
The only cost to campers is a $50 registration fee. All supplies, teacher stipends and other expenses are covered by donations to the AAUW FL Supporting Foundation, Inc, AAUW Florida, and contributions by AAUW Branches, sponsors and donors.
Tax-deductible donations are most welcome as well as volunteers to help at the camps. Make checks payable to AAUW FL Supporting Foundation, Inc and send to: Treasurer, Tech Trek Florida 2019, Post Office Box 2938, Jupiter, FL 33468 (Please put St. Augustine in the memo line).