Going after the Future
Three, Two, One…Lift Off!! The day started early in the morning before breakfast with hot air balloons lifting off over the library. The launch of the four balloons was very successful and witnessed by many campers, ooh-ing and awing.
After breakfast, the rocket project continued as teams finalized the details and built their rocket.
By lunch time, thirty-three bottle rockets had successfully launched into orbit.
Our talented engineers, CFOs, and COOs of the rocket companies also enjoyed a tasty treat while watching the launch.
After lunch, campers went to their core classes for capstone projects. Campers have learned to empower each other and themselves to fearlessly ask questions, and discuss as well as explore ideas.
The App Inventor students finalized their personal projects. Many installed their apps onto devices for further testing and inspiration!
The Roller Coaster Physics students explored centripetal force by placing a cup of water (without anything to make the cup stick) on a wooden board and swinging it around in the air. The class ended with roller coaster madness by creating specially designed coasters with loops and spirals.
The Art in Math students completed their origami dodecahedrons! It was an all-day challenge, but they persevered.
The Hot Air Ballooners celebrated their morning of successful launches with traditional “bubbly” and treats. Then, they finished the slide presentation and a lab on calculating density. They ended the course with a parachute engineering competition and other physics toys like “house of cards.”
The Circuits students were able to download instructions in English for the little “smart” cars. They found that most had put the Clear LEDs in the wrong side of the board, so they started with fixing the problem. The girls have become proficient at using a solder sucker and braided copper to fix mistakes. The girls also learned about light sensors and how they might be used to steer the car.
The CSI girls put their skills to the test by investigating and solving a crime that took place in the classroom. They analyzed forensic evidence, presented their findings, and determined the criminals from a list of suspects.
The girls in Structures built skyscrapers out of spaghetti and gumdrops (aiming to be as light and tall as possible). They also learned about how to become a structural engineer, took a jeopardy quiz on all they have learned, and learned about the challenges in designing the world’s tallest building.
After our final meal together, girls broke down the final pieces of their shells and performed in our annual talent show. Campers prepared skits, shared their talents, and enjoyed the showcase of individual and group abilities. Performances included a piano player playing “Light and Blue,” singing, ribbon dancing, and unforgettably goofy group skits.
After the talent show, camper wrote thank you letters to their branches for the opportunity to come to camp. Campers also completed surveys to rate their camp experience and wrote in their journals about what they enjoyed in this past week. The journals also provide a recap of the week when the campers return home and speak to family, friends, and AAUW branches about their time at camp.
The night ended with a laughter-filled viewing of the rough draft of the video each camper will take home. The girls were in high-spirits as they saw their experiences recapped with all the smiles, laughs, and shared experiences.
Including the times they laughed…
The times they danced…
The times they were brave…
They saw how they grew as individuals and learned to work and live with others as a team.
Our goal was to equip the girls with confidence so they will embrace the math and science coursework (and other challenges that come their way) they will experience in eighth grade and beyond.
From our Inspiration Board: “What was your favorite part of camp this week?”
“My favorite parts of camp were my core class and the field trip.”
“I liked meeting new people who are my age & smart :)”
“I really liked everything very much, but I especially liked the food.”
“My favorite part was EVERYTHING. Especially, the talent show because it was funny.”
“My favorite was making new friends and all the ridiculous activities.”
“My favorite part of Tech Trek was… being with awesome, new people and learning with them.”
“My favorite part of camp was the talent show because we did really bad but we laughed it out.”
“I realized there are so many girls who have the same goals as I do . . . and I am so inspired.”
Check out the rest of the day six photos from our 2018 Photo Album!