A powerful lineup of women from the STEM industry spoke at this year’s camp to encourage young women to pursue STEM careers.
RENO, Nev. — Aug. 25, 2019 — With support from Tesla, Sierra Nevada Journeys, hosted more than 100 young women for an action-packed weekend of hands-on, experiential STEM programming. The second annual Girls in STEM camp was held on August 23-25, 2019 at Grizzly Creek Ranch in Portola, California. Additionally, Sierra Nevada Journeys partnered with Envirolution on this educational experience, and their experts will be led Friday evening’s engineering challenge for the campers.
Each year, this weekend camp event is designed for girls ages 10 to 14 from low-income* communities in northern Nevada. In 2019, it focused on energy, sustainability, science and technology, engineering and math, as well as leadership development, communication, collaboration and problem-solving.
“This camp wouldn’t be possible without the 25 volunteers and amazing speakers from STEM fields, and of course, Tesla’s education investment with Sierra Nevada Journeys. We aim to provide opportunities for our local kids, and develop and inspire Nevada’s future STEM workforce with this exciting program,” said Sean Hill, Education Director with Sierra Nevada Journeys. On Saturday evening, local guest speakers included women from: Blockchains, LLC; Wood Rodgers, Inc. a western regional engineering firm; Tesla; and Society of Women Engineers, University of Nevada.
Meg VanDeventer, Partner Engagement Lead at Blockchains shared why she is volunteered her time as a guest speaker at the Girls in STEM camp. “Fewer than 10 percent of people in the blockchain industry are women; I hope to change that statistic by sharing my experiences with young women and inspire them on how women are going to rule the future of cryptocurrency.”
VanDeventer, a former Peace Corps volunteer, has consulted on a presidential campaign on cyber security and taught students to code through AmeriCorps. “I wanted to find a way to make a difference by using technology to empower others,” said VanDeventer. “Girls in STEM camp is a perfect forum to make a positive impact on northern Nevada female students.”
The weekend was packed with lots of hands-on activities, outdoor exploration, and experience on Sierra Nevada Journeys’ famous high ropes challenge course.
Funding for this camp comes from Tesla as part of their $37.5 million investment in Nevada’s K-12 STEM and Sustainability Education initiative through the Nevada Department of Education Gift Fund.
To view photos and video from 2019 Girls in STEM, please visit Sierra Nevada Journeys’ photo site.