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Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2006
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jennifer Hill Robenalt, Hoopla Media & Communications
512.653.9656 or 512.382.0303
jennifer@hooplamedia.com
GIRLSTART LAUNCHES 2006 SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMMING, EMPOWERING 4TH THROUGH 8TH-GRADE GIRLS WITH MATH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY KNOW-HOW
Quartet of camp programs include lessons in music video production, CAD, career planning, and “sticky science”
(AUSTIN) – Girlstart, the Austin-based educational organization geared toward providing girls with math, science, and technology education, is launching a full spectrum of summer programming this week, which will have fourth-through-eighth-grade girls doing everything from directing their own music videos to using cutting-edge technologies for room remodeling to indulging in the brand of bubbling and oozing science experiments camp organizers playfully call “sticky science.”
Girlstart founder and executive director Rachel Muir sees the summer camps as an integral part of the organization’s year-round programming schedule. “At Girlstart, we’re committed to helping girls understand that not only are they capable of excelling in math and science, but to also help them understand how fun it can be,” Muir said. “There are real-world applications for math and science that allow girls to make their dreams realities, and that’s what the camps aim to show them.”
This summer’s slate of programs includes:
Making the Video (June 5-9 and June 12-16): Students will learn to storyboard, produce, direct and edit their own music videos using digital video cameras and multimedia software, and will also learn to make their own digital tunes using music composition software.
Dream Spaces (June 19-23 and June 26-30): Inspired by the recent wave of home makeover shows, this camp program integrates Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) and 3-D modeling software introductions into a class focused on how to plan transforming a bedroom into a dream bedroom.
You’re the Boss (July 10-14): This week-long camp combines hands-on activities with visits from women working in math and science-based careers as varied as veterinary medicine, rocket science, and television production.
Hermione’s Adventures at Girlstart (July 17-21, July 24-28, and July 31-August 4): This junior camp program for 4th and 5th grader roots an array of lessons on herbology, sticky science, and animals of the night in the exploits of Hermione Granger, the wizard/heroine of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. The program, which transforms the Girlstart Technology Center into Hogwarts, also includes website production, allowing girls to document their experiences in the camp.
These camps are generously made possible by the Dell Foundation, the Sooch Foundation and the City of Austin GTOPS program (Grants for Technology Opportunities). “Dell has been a long time supporter of Girlstart, because we believe in their vision," says Lisa Huddleson, Dell Foundation spokesperson. "We believe that girls have a unique part to play in the future of technology and we know that with a little inspiration, these girls will make their mark on Austin!"
Each camp runs Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, with drop off starting at 8 am and pickup by 5 pm. Early drop off and late pickup is available for an additional fee. The cost is $325 per camp program; a limited number of spaces remain for each of the camps. Scholarships are available based on need through Girlstart.
All camp programs are held at the Girlstart Technology Center, 1400 W. Anderson Lane. The home of Girlstart since 2004, the facility includes a state-of-the-art computer lab, activity rooms, and a safely-enclosed outdoor yard.
ABOUT GIRLSTART
Girlstart is a non-profit organization created to educate and empower girls in math, science and technology. Founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas, Girlstart has an enviable record of engaging, educating, and motivating girls to enjoy and become more proficient in mathematics and science in elementary school, middle school, and beyond. Child Magazine named the organization one of the top five programs for girls across the country. Girlstart offers a variety of educational formats designed for girls ages 9-15 through after-school programs, Saturday camps, and summer day camps. Girlstart serves a population that includes at-risk and minority girls.
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