FALLBROOK – Local students Gina Ready, Gabrielle Bachman, Antonia Rojas and Frida Diaz-Barriga, from Potter Junior High and Iowa Street School, received scholarships to get a preview of college life while learning that math and science can be fun. The girls attended Tech Trek Science Camp for Girls, a summer program for girls entering eighth grade, sponsored by the American Association of University Women of California (AAUW-CA). The students lived on the Revelle campus of the University of California, San Diego for a week this past June.

They attended core classes taught by credentialed teachers featuring hand-on experiments in anatomy, exercise science, forensics, computer science and marine biology. Women who are professionals in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields were guest partners. Highlighting the activities were field trips to Sea Camp and Via Sat. For engineering, girls designed, built Advertisement

[ Metalography ] and tested bridges and rockets in team competition. AAUW volunteers served as camp directors, camp nurse, and dorm moms. Former Tech Trek campers served as junior counselors.

Fallbrook AAUW member Susan Duling was a dorm mom.

Teachers nominated students to attend Tech Trek and the local Fallbrook Branch of AAUW that provides the funding for the students made the final selection of campers based upon essays and interviews.

AAUW Fallbrook branch raised funds from their annual Mother’s Day weekend AAUW Garden Tour and received $850 from Rally for Children to fully fund one scholarship. Since 1998, Fallbrook AAUW has fundraised $35,000 to send 52 local girls to Tech Trek. Tech Trek is continuing proof that AAUW puts its mission – to support equity and education for all women and girls – into action.

For more information on AAUW, visit www.aauwfallbrookca.org.