Techie Camp

Techie Camp is a full day, week-long summer camp designed to educate, excite and empower middle school girls with technology while also promoting creativity, critical thinking and collaboration. Students take a deep dive into subject matter focused on Robotics, Programming, Android App Development, or 3D Printing and emerge with skills that are useful in today’s classroom and tomorrow’s workplace. Techie Camp students are presented with fun, hands-on activities that allow them to learn by doing and encourage creative problem solving, collaboration and innovation. Techie Camp employs a constructionist approach in teaching topics in computer science to ensure deep learning and promote ownership of the subject matter. The key element of Techie Camp lessons is for the students to discover how computing concepts work and apply that understanding to solve problems and develop new projects. The lessons require problem- solving, decision-making and interdisciplinary thinking. Over the course of a week, students

work individually or in groups to combine different concepts learned over the week to create their own unique projects. The design process includes planning, research and problem solving. On the last day of camp, students present projects to their parents and peers. Students will leave with their project on a USB drive as well as a list of resources and open source programs they can download at home to continue their tinkering and learning.

As a result of this experience, students will have an opportunity to make connections between the technology they love to use and the educational and career opportunities associated with the creation of this technology.

Students will:

1) Increase their computer science/computational thinking knowledge and elevate their confidence with STEM-related concepts and skills in a safe and supportive environment.

2) Develop valuable 21st century skills such as teamwork, innovation, problem-solving and critical thinking.

3) Develop positive attitudes and perceptions about the relevance of technology to their educational and professional success.

4) Increase their awareness and/or interest in STEM-related educational and career pathways.