UCR Newsroom

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) -- UC Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering and Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council are offering a two-week summer day camp and a one-week resident camp in July and August designed to introduce girls to the world of engineering.

The “Engineer IT Girls” resident camp lasts from July 20 through 25. Girls will stay in dorms for a week and learn robotics as well as go on field trips. It is open to girls ages 12 through 17. Registration fees are $375 per person.

The “Minds for Design” day camp lasts from Monday through Friday, July 28 through August 8. It’s open to girls ages 11 through 16. Registration fees are $125 per person. You do not have to be a Girl Scout to participate. Financial aid is available for both programs to those who qualify. However, 10 scholarships will be offered to daughters of staff and faculty at UC Riverside who want to attend the “Minds for Design” camp.

Participants learn how the process of engineering works by conceptualizing and creating projects of their own design. Through hands-on activities, field trips to engineering firms, guest speakers, and professional mentoring, the girls have an opportunity to learn first hand what it would be like to work in the field of engineering.

The goal of the program is to increase the number of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, said Sharon Walker, an assistant professor of Engineering at UC Riverside and one of the mentors in the program.

“Through Minds for Design and Engineer IT, girls get the opportunity to experiment through trial and error while seeking advice on projects from mentors,” Walker said. “The program is designed to increase their knowledge of science and engineering and strengthen critical thinking skills.”

All activities take place in labs, classrooms, and residence halls at UC Riverside.

Summer 2008 Program Dates
Engineer IT Girls – Resident Camp – July 20 to July 25, 2008
Minds for Design – Day Camp – July 28 to August 8, 2008

The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment of over 19,000 is expected to grow to 21,000 students by 2020. The campus is planning a medical school and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Graduate Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion.

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