What
This summer marks the 15th year that seventh grade girls will come to Camp Reach at WPI to be introduced to principles of engineering via hands-on experience. From July 17 through 29, teams of campers will spend two weeks working with "clients" in the Worcester area in the planning and designing of projects that will address real issues. Campers will assist Dress for Success of Worcester, the Hope Lodge of the American Cancer Society, and Why Me & Sherry's House of Worcester by using engineering skills to make recommendations for improvements to the groups' spaces. Sponsors include Karl Storz Endovision Inc., EMC, United Way of Central Massachusetts, Raytheon NCS, Teradyne, J. Irving England and Jane L. England Charitable Trust, Intel Massachusetts, and the Bose Foundation.
Why
Studies indicate that the middle school years are a critical time to encourage girls' involvement in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines. For the past 15 years, Camp Reach has been successfully working to address this need for engagement. In one study, almost 18% of Camp Reach participants intended on pursuing an engineering major in college, compared with 2.9% in the control group and a national average of 2.5% for women. Additionally, 47% of Camp Reach participants have chosen to major in a STEM discipline in college, as compared with 29% in the control group.
Opportunities for coverage:
- Career Explorations Dinner: Tuesday, July 26 at 6 p.m., Campus Center Odeum. Employees of corporate sponsors and Camp Reach alumni who have pursued engineering careers will be present at this event to network with current campers.
- Project Presentation and Closing Ceremony: Friday, July 29 at 3:30 p.m., in Atwater Kent, Room 116. During this event on the last day of Camp Reach, campers will present the work they have completed and their recommendations to clients.
Who
30 campers from Worcester, Acton, Auburndale, Charlton, Florence, Foxboro, Grafton, Groton, Holden, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Lexington, Mendon, Milford, Oxford, Princeton, Putnam, Roslindale, Spencer, West Brookfield and Westborough. Nine high school juniors and seniors and three middle school teachers are also serving as teaching assistants and counselors.
Where
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Mass.
More Information: Additional information about Camp Reach can be found at https://www.wpi.edu/academics/k12/campreach.html.
