TECH TREK 2023
Tech Trek 2023 was held at the Stockton University campus from July 23-29. Thirty-five girls from many counties in NJ spent the week attending core STEM courses in biotechnology, robotics and ornithology in the morning, with two shorter topical sessions each afternoon. Each day started with breathing techniques, mindfulness, and yoga stretches and ended with fun evening activities, including movies and games. On Thursday evening, the girls attended Professional Women’s Night, where they spoke with professional women about their education, career path, and challenges.
One student from Cape May County attended. The students were actively engaged in classes where they participated in class discussions and were challenged by hands-on lab work. The girls kept a journal throughout the week, formed friendships and had a lot of fun.
AAUW members and volunteers (and others) participated as leaders, planners, dorm moms and day counsellors. Special thanks to all of our local Atlantic and Cape May Counties volunteers: Kristina Baker, Kathy Ghanavati, Joan Vicari and Theresa Basquez. AAUW volunteers from other NJ counties included Lauren Coyle – Morris, Nina Del Collo – Nutley – AAUW Funds Director, Marian Haag – Sussex, Liz Price – Burlington, Susan Remster – Sussex, Beverly Strickland – State affiliation, and former member Marge Coach.
And, of course, heartfelt thanks to those organizers who work on Tech Trek all year long: Claudine Keenan, Stockton Dean of Education and Assistant Camp Director, Jackie McGuiness and Meghan Hooper-Jackson.
TECH TREK 2022
AAUW partnered with Stockton University to offer a “Steminist” summer program for 34 high school girls throughout the State who were alumni of 2018 and 2019 Tech Trek camps, and the 2021 virtual Tech Trek event. The program ran in two stages, Sun-Wed and Wed-Sat, each session fully booked with science workshops and fun activities. Sporting STEMINIST t-shirts, attendees were engaged all day, every day with chemistry and biomedical labs, robotics, physics, polyhedron origami, interview role play, e-sports and on-campus trips to observe the stars through a telescope, maple trees and syrup evaporator, and sustainable farming fields.
The hard work and long hours of the Tech Trek Leadership Team were instrumental to the success of the camp: Ann Marchesani, Linda Harmon and Gail Davis from Atlantic County AAUW, and Stockton University’s Dean of Education, Claudine Keenan, as well as AAUW volunteers from Atlantic, Camden, Cape May and Salem counties who supported the event.
The Tech Trek program is strongly aligned with the AAUW mission to provide girls with opportunities to become aware of possibilities not previously imagined. As one camper who had attended Tech Trek in 7th Grade said: “Tech Trek changed my life.”
Here’s to the resumption of Tech Trek in 2023! And, as in the past, we will be looking to our members for support.
TECH TREK 2021
Middle school girls across the state of New Jersey attended Tech Trek NJ 2021 virtually. The girls selected for Tech Trek 2020 waited through the pandemic and finally had their camp experience in July 2021. One of only 4 virtual camps in the USA this summer, Tech Trek NJ 2021 camp was a big success!
A Big Thank You
to the Tech Trek Leadership Team for their dedication, flexibility and endless hours of hard work to make camp a reality: Claudine Keenan, Ann Marchesani, Linda Harmon, and Gail Davis, all members of AAUW Atlantic County Branch. In addition, thank you to the following:
Many AAUW Volunteers across the branches for their time and support in interviewing the girls and helping to deliver packages of workshop materials; especially Nina DelCollo, Marian Haag, Edwina Sessons, Mariel Kolker, Rina Maslow, Judy Vernon, Karen Topham, and Karen Wertheimer.
Virginia Rettig for organizing Professional Women’s Night for the girls to meet and learn from women in the fields of STEM across New Jersey
The teachers for the core classes and other workshops provided at camp including Robotics with Malika Green, Chemistry with Ashley Brown, Bio Mimicry with Meghan Hooper-Jackson, and Forensics with AAUW Member Jackie McGuinness.
The Leadership team is looking forward to holding an in person Tech Trek Camp in Summer of 2022. If you are interested in volunteering to support the camp, contact the team at AAUWSTEMCAMP@outlook.com.
STEM 2018
Tween Tech 2018 (girls 6th to 8th grade) was scheduled for January 5 at Stockton University. Unfortunately, a huge winter storm forced cancellation.
Teentech (girls 9th-11th grade) will be held on Wednesday, May 23 from 8:30am to 2:30pm at Atlantic Cape Community College’s May’s Landing campus. It will be for girls in Atlantic and Cape May Counties. You can volunteer to escort girls to workshops via Dottie Pearson pearson@princeton.edu or (609) 898-4585.
Tech Trek at Stockton University is July 15 – 21. We are still recruiting both campers and members to interview students who have been nominated and applied. You are also invited to volunteer for a day or as a Dorm Mom or just visit (but let us know you are coming).
The Meet and Greet will be at Stockton University in the campus center from 1 to 3pm on Saturday, May 12. You are invited to attend and welcome our new group of campers.
Professional Women’s Night will be on Tuesday, July 17 for dinner. If you have a professional woman to nominate or if you wish to volunteer as a table moderator, contact Dottie Pearson.
The Volunteer Form and more information can be found at https://techtrek-nj.aauw.net/volunteer/
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