- Dorm Mom
- Counselor
- Teacher
- Workshop presenter
- Sponsor
Dorm Mom
Dorm Moms are responsible for supervising and looking after 10-14 Tech Trek campers. Dorm Moms keep track of their assigned campers throughout the day, accompany them to campus activities, eat with them in the cafeteria, provide emotional support, respond to campers’ questions and concerns, and generally do whatever it takes to make the girls feel safe and comfortable. Dorm Moms receive room and board while at camp. If you are interested, please fill out the contact us form here.
Counselor
Counselors are all prior Tech Trek attendees who are at least 16 years of age at the time of camp. They help supervise campers throughout the day, assist teachers during the morning core classes, provide logistical support for activities all day long, and help provide a safe environment by helping monitor campers. Perhaps most importantly, the counselors are role models for the campers. Counselors must have a warm, positive outlook and attitude, as well as an excitement for STEM. Like Dorm Moms, counselors receive room and board while at camp. Camp Grace Hopper typically has 7 counselors each summer.
To learn more, check out What Does It Take to be a Counselor?
To apply, please fill out this form by February 15th, 2020. After a first-round screening, the most competitive applicants will be asked to participate in an online interview.
Teacher
The morning “Core Classes” at Tech Trek Camp Grace Hopper are taught by experienced, certificated teachers who have a passion for a STEM subject and who enjoy working with 12- and 13-year-old girls. Classes typically run in the morning (3 hours/day for 5 days) and we are always open to new ideas for topics, hands-on activities, field trips, etc. that will engage and excite our students. Teachers receive an allowance for materials that their class will need and a stipend of $1,400/week. Usually a teacher will teach at both Camp Hopper and Camp Curie (the two camps run in back-to-back weeks). Teachers do not live on campus and must be able to provide their own transportation. Please contact us by filling out the contact form if you are interested.
Workshop Presenter
We feature a number of workshops and lectures in the afternoons and evenings at Tech Trek and we are always on the lookout for new volunteer contributors to this important part of camp. Workshop presenters should be organized, prepared and have a disposition that reflects excitement for Tech Trek and STEM learning. They should have a good reputation in their workplaces, schools, or communities as an involved STEM practitioner or educator and role model. Workshops may be one to three hours in length and we highly prefer that there is at least one hands-on activity included. Please contact us if you are interested by filling out this contact form.
Sponsor
Sponsors come in many sizes and we appreciate them all! Tech Trek has been fortunate to have several large corporate sponsors in the past who have generously donated to fund an entire core class, host our campers on a field trip, provide supplies for our workshops and more. And we have AAUW branches and individuals who perhaps write smaller checks, but are also vital to our ability to fulfill our mission to inspire middle school girls to pursue their interest in STEM subjects. Here are just a few of the sponsorship opportunities that we have identified for 2020:
- Counselor Scholarships: Camp Hopper gives a scholarship to seven former Tech Trek campers each year to return as counselors. This is an incredible opportunity for these girls to develop important leadership skills and build their passion for STEM subjects while helping make camp run smoothly. Many of these girls will write about their Tech Trek counselor experience as part of their college application essays. Counselor scholarships cost $750 each.
- Core Class: Every girl attends a core class for three hours each morning at camp. In 2020 we are planning to offer four core classes: marine science, forensics, robotics, and coding/cybersecurity. The teachers of those classes are all certificated teachers and to attract the high-quality instructors that we need we pay them. And they need materials for the hands-on activities which make class so engaging. The stipend plus materials for a core class costs an average of $2,000.
- Buses to field trips: Each core class goes on a field trip that is tied in to their class topic. Last year, for example, the Forensics Core Class took a visit to the San Jose Crime Lab. Bus rentals cost $700 per class field trip.
- Computer rentals: Several of our core classes and workshops require that our campers have computers to work with. We own a limited number of computers and tablets, but most years we need to rent 20+ additional ones.
- Flashlight workshop: Campers learn the basics of circuits and soldering as they build a working flashlight from component parts. $750 purchases all the parts needed for an entire camp, replacement of a few worn-out soldering irons, and rental of an appropriate (well-ventilated) room for the class.
- Thermodynamics of Ice Cream workshop: Campers are introduced to the topic of thermodynamics with a brief lecture and then they put the principles into practice by making ice cream. $400 buys all the supplies needed for this memorable and fun activity.
Corporate sponsors will receive recognition on camp materials, signage, website, etc. as they desire. Individual sponsors will also be recognized as they wish. For further information about how to donate, please contact techtrekgh@aauw-ca.org.