2021 Summer Physics Camp for Young Women a Success!
This year’s Summer Physics Camp for Young Women, sponsored in part by the New Mexico Consortium (NMC), successfully hosted 40 high school students from Northern and Central New Mexico and Hawaii. This camp gives students the opportunity to explore what it is like to have a career in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Anna Llobet, a Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) scientist and NMC affiliate, is the mastermind behind the camp and puts her all into organizing it each year. She states, “The aims of the camp are to inspire young women to pursue higher education and careers in STEM, to promote self-efficacy and to show them female role models that are not often seen in our science books or on TV.”
Ayla Garcia from Pojoaque Valley High School shows off huge sugar crystal which she grew during the camp and explored what the effect was when adding green die.Due to the COVID-19 virus, camp was hosted virtually this year, but was a resounding success! The two week camp focused on hands-on activities, Each student was sent a package of materials, and the camp mainly focused on hands-on activities including coding, robotics, and manipulating electrical circuits.
Women scientists shared information on their work which included COVID research, the history of women in science, and an update from Los Alamos’ Mars rover team. Students also learned about resumé writing, interview techniques, internship opportunities at LANL, and information on college and scholarship opportunities. Women scientists also spoke about their experiences in what is like making a career in STEM fields.
The camp is sponsored by Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, the New Mexico Consortium, and partners including the LANL Foundation, Los Alamos and Pojoaque Public schools, and Hawaii Science and Technology Museum. To be a sponsor for next year’s Summer Physics Camp for Young women, donations can be sent to: New Mexico Consortium, 4200 West Jemez Rd., Suite 301, Los Alamos, NM 87544. Attention: Teri Thomas-SPCYW. Donations are tax deductible.
Camp participants and some volunteers celebrate the end of the camp and show off the goodies received from Hawaii friends.
Photo at top of article is of Keiley Kelly from Taos Academy Charter School showing the progress on her robot building. She then coded the Arduino for the robot to be able to follow a wiggle circuit without intervention like the Mars Rover!