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Technology and Science Camps: Great Ways to Encourage Girls in Math, Science and Technology
by Cynthia Wetmiller
Summer is almost here and once again summer camp is on the minds of a lot of teachers, students and parents. Summer is a great time for all students to learn new skills and improve skills they have learned during the school year. Afterall, summer camp can be more than tennis, swimming and arts and crafts. Since today's summer camps offer the latest in technology and science education, it is especially important to encourage girls to attend these camps to bolster their science interests and math skills. Why? Here are a few compelling reasons:
- "Even though girls and boys, ages 13 and 17, have similar skill levels and understanding of general computer skills, bachelor's degrees awarded to men and women in computer science per year have dropped significantly from 1985 to 1995. The women's decline of 51% was drastically steeper than the men's 28%. In 1999, only 17% of students who took the AP Computer Science exam were women" (Zimmerle, http://www.tech-serve.us/gURLS.htm, statistics from http://math.rice.edu/~lanius/club/girls3.html).
- "Boys report a slightly greater amount of time on computers in the past week than do girls (4.7 vs. 4.1 hours). On average, boys spend much more time than girls using online services each week: 4.3 hours for boys compared to 2.3 hours for girls" (http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/nstw/teenov.htm).
In order to help you locate a summer camp for a female student you know who has talent or expressed an interest in technology or science, we've done a little searching for summer camp opportunities in technology and science in Pennsylvania. Here is what we found:
Academic Adventure Camp
Camp this year will focus on the Environment and Computing & Technology. Held at the University of Pittsburgh, Bradford Campus, this is an overnight camp for students in grades 6-8. Participants engage in classes and field trips relating to their group topic.
Contact Dianne Austin at (814) 362-0990 for more information. Camp Science STAR
Overnight camp for students in grades 5 and 6 that provides hands-on, minds-on activities to foster campers' interests in science and related concepts.
Phone: (814) 887-2284 or (814) 887-5545 for more information.
Seneca Highlands Summer Academy
Overnight enrichment camp for high school sophomores and juniors from July 20-26. Students attend classes in drama and communications, science and technology, and history and criminology.
Phone: (814) 362-0989 for more information.
http://www.campcomputer.com/
"Campers will have the opportunity to discover the excitement of computer programming and application. Individual needs will be met by providing instruction in several computer languages and a variety of applications, such as word processing, desk top publishing, data base construction, spread sheets and the internet." Camp is for boys and girls ages 8-17
Phone: (800) 858-4516
Email: campfitch@hotmail.com
Duquesne University Computer Academy
http://www.education.duq.edu/academy/
"The Computer Academy began as a small program in the summer of 1991 in Pittsburgh, PA. The program's goals are to provide students ages 10-16 with a strong academic foundation in computer science, as well as to provide them with a well-rounded social and cultural experience. In addition to five daily classes in computers, sporting and cultural activities are also included to add a beneficial variety to the students' day. All in all, the computer academy provides an enriching experience too good to miss!" Phone: (412) 396-6116
Email: stewardc@duq.edu
National Computer Camp at LaRoche College
http://www.nccamp.com/
"National Computer Camps provide an opportunity for young people from all parts of the United States and around the world to interact creatively. This harmonic integration of young minds is the primary focus of National Computer Camps. NCC is America's first computer camp and is unique; campers may attend one or multiweek sessions with a continuous curriculum that covers all aspects of computer literacy and includes an optional sports program. The camps are ideal for both experienced and first time campers."
Phone: (203) 795-9667
E-mail: http://www.imakenews.com/psla/info@NCCamp.com
Camp Earth
www.carnegiemuseums.org/cmnh/doe/camp/registration.htm
Lots of camps for children ages 4-12 to learn more about science and nature at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Camp dates are June 9 to August 15.
Cybercamps-Bryn Mawr College
This is a co-ed residential and day academic program established in 1997 with formal opportunities for the academically talented and artistically talented. Ages: 7-16. This is a high tech computer camp featuring project oriented curriculum in Web design, 3D animation, game design, robotics, digital arts and programming for all ability levels.
Phone: (206) 442-4500
Fax: (206) 442-4501
Shippensburg University Academic Camps-Science Academy for Girls
www.ship.edu/camps
This program for girls in grades 6-8 runs in two sessions. The first session, June 15-19, will concentrate on Studying Weather Instruments in Meteorology and the second session, June 22-26 will concentrate on A Mathematical Detective Mystery.
Email: sucamps@ship.edu
Phone: (717) 477-1256
Fax: (717) 477-4014
Discovery Camp at the Franklin Institute
www.fi.edu/tfi/programs/discovery/index.html
Up to 10 weeks of science adventures for children ages 6-13. Four two-week sessions, plus two one-week sessions on either end, each with a different theme. Action packed hands-on science projects, field trips, guest speakers, exhibit lessons, IMAX and planetarium are all part of the summer program. June 16-August 22, 2003.
Phone: (215) 448-2195 or register on the website.
"Anthropologists in the Making" Summer Day Camp at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
www.museum.upenn.edu/new/edu/kids/summercamp.shtml
Children Ages 8-12 take a journey through time and across continents without leaving Philadelphia. This program, which combines hands-on learning and recreational activities, runs by the week, June 30-August 22, 9am-3pm, pre- and after care available.
Email: summercamp@museum.upenn.edu
Phone: (215) 898-4015, press 3 for camps.
Science Explorers
http://www.scienceexplorers.com/
"Join Science Explorers for 1/2 day and full day camps of hands-on fun for kids in grades 1-5. We'll be launching rockets, building robots, dissecting sharks, building an amusement park with K'Nex and our new Survivor Science camp". Locations throughout Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.
Phone: (877) 870-9517 or (610) 269-3347
Summer Education Camps at Temple University Ambler
www.mdev.temple.edu/tufw/courses/results.asp?vt=br&cat=164
Temple University Ambler (TUA) offers Summer Education Camps during July and August. Camps featured this summer include: Theater and Playmaking; Cartooning and Drawing; Creative Arts and Writing; Web Site Design; and Fun with Math, Science, and Computers.
Phone: (215) 283-1304.
iD Tech Camps: Hands-On Technology Fun!
www.internalDrive.com
Weeklong, day and overnight, hands-on technology summer camps for ages 8-17 at universities nationwide, including Carnegie Mellon, Villanova and Princeton. Produce digital movies, create video games, design web pages, compose digital music, learn programming and robotics, and more.
Phone: (888) 709-TECH (8324).
Tyler Arboretum's Nature Explorers Camp -Media, PA
http://www.imakenews.com/psla/www.tylerarboretum.org
"Tyler's camp connects kids and the environment through nature programs, crafts, and hikes. Enthusiastic, highly qualified staff and a low student/teacher ratio. In our meadows, woodlands, and gardens, children will discover the plants, animals, and insects that add richness to our natural world."
Phone: (610) 566-9134, ext. 212
Camp Invention
http://www.imakenews.com/psla/www.campinvention.org
"Camp Invention is a one-week nationally recognized creativity and science camp for children entering second through sixth grades. This unique and exciting program promotes creative learning by providing hands-on, interactive activities that encourage creative solutions" (http://www.metrokids.com/Resources/ca
mpdirectory03/campdirectorySJ0203.html). Multiple locations in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and suburbs, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Phone: (800) 968-4332
Mad Science
http://www.madscienceofpa.com/
"Mad Science offers entertaining and innovative educational science programs for children. Choose half- or full-week specialty camps, as well as spectacular shows & cool workshops for your day camp. For more information call or check out our website. We bring FUN science to you!"
Phone: (800) 281-9709 (Bucks and Montgomery counties)
(866) 777-7001 (Chester, Delaware and New Castle counties)
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The Pennsylvania Service-Learning Alliance dissolved as of June 30, 2007. The website will stay posted for one more year, so please share the resources. We are sorry that we will not be able to answer any questions you may have. Good luck with all your future service-learning endeavors!