Author: Sam Trail
Date: September 14, 2023
How can we encourage young women to pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields? This summer, the FAU Marine Lab partnered with the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to do just that!
The AAUW “empowers women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.” One of their programs, the Tech Trek camp, focuses on introducing girls to successful female role models, providing girls with the mindset that intellectual skills grow over time and breaking down stereotypes of STEM professions. The Tech Trek camp began on the campus of Stanford University in 1998. There are now a total of 20 camps each summer across the United States; one of these camps takes place right here at FAU!
This summer’s FAU Tech Trek Camp welcomed 48 incoming 8th graders to the Jupiter campus where they immersed themselves in a week’s worth of STEM activities. The girls get a bit of a college introduction by staying in the university dorms. The Tech Trek Camp offered several Core Courses including Structural Engineering, Neuroscience, Qualcomm Wearable Tech, and (our personal, non-biased favorite) Marine Biology!
The Marine Lab’s Dr. Chelsea Bennice and Ph.D. candidate Ivana Serra were the instructors for the Marine Biology Course. They provided students with hands-on learning experiences spanning a variety of topics including a lab to learn about properties of seawater, seagrass-sediment globes to illustrate why coastal environments are important, and dissections of various marine animals to investigate morphological adaptations. There were also talks by several female role models about careers available for aspiring marine biologists such as dive safety officer, marine animal veterinarian, and science educator. Campers even simulated a sea turtle nest excavation, enabling them to “calculate” hatching success and determine nest sex ratios, much like what is done by our researchers at the Marine Lab!
Dr. Bennice also attended the professional STEM women’s dinner where at each table a group of girls were exposed to a pair of STEM professionals. The girls were able to ask questions and gain advice from the STEM professionals on how to pursue different career paths and how to overcome career barriers.
We are honored to be a part of a such a special program, one that inspires the next generation of young female scientists. We look forward to participating in future Tech Trek Camps.
