Poway-Penasquitos AAUW sends girls to science camp

By Emily Sorensen

Six incoming eighth graders got the chance to explore anatomy, glaciers and more at Tech Trek.

The six incoming PUSD eighth graders who went to Tech Trek, from left: Kaitlyn Heard, Yarah Feteih, Gabby Decano, Cierra Stock, Olivia Mahan and Abby Kooyman. Photo provided by Ilene Buchenau

The Poway-Penasquitos branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) sponsored six Poway and Rancho Penasquitos girls to attend Tech Trek, a science and math camp for girls, which was held from June 22 to June 28 at UCSD.

At Tech Trek, girls are assigned to a math or science core class, and spend a week learning about their field, doing hands-on experiments and working with other girls under the instruction of credentialed middle school teachers and women currently engaged professionally in math, science, or technology fields.

The girls are from three middle schools in the Poway Unified School District: Gabby Decano and Cierra Stock from Meadowbrook Middle School; Kaitlyn Heard and Yarah Feteih from Black Mountain Middle School and Olivia Mahan and Abby Kooyman from Mesa Verde Middle School.

All six girls were nominated by their science teachers, who gave them the applications for the camp.

Some of the courses available to the girls were anatomy, glaciology, robotics, chemistry and marine biology.

Gabby Decano, who attends Meadowbrook, was placed in glaciology, or the study of glaciers. While she had wanted to study anatomy, she said she ended up enjoying learning about glaciers. Glaciology was really interesting, said Decano. We learned how fast glaciers can melt, how they form, about warm and cold glaciers and how to tell how old a glacier is.

Decano had the opportunity to experience a number of hands-on experiments with glaciology, though she said her favorite involved using glue on a slanted board to time how long it took to travel, to simulate a glacier traveling.

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Poway-Penasquitos AAUW sends girls to science camp