The GAS Camp Story
The Girls and Science (GAS) Camp was established at Vanderbilt University in the
summer of 1999 by Dr. Virginia Shepherd and Vicki Metzgar in partnership with the
Vanderbilt University Medical School and Peabody College of Education in response
to the gender differences in science achievement found in high school. During the summers of 1999 and 2000, the camp was held for two weeks, one
for rising 8th graders and one for rising 9th graders. In response to overwhelmingly
high numbers of girls on the waiting list, the camp was expanded in the summer of
2001 to include two weeks for each grade.
The goals
of the GAS Camp are to engage girls in science activities, to foster confidence
in science achievement, and to encourage girls' enrollment in high school science
courses.
The camp is held in the biosciences laboratories at
Vanderbilt and staffed by middle and high school teachers. Additional camp personnel
include graduate and undergraduate science students, high school junior counselors,
and staff from other partnering university and community organizations.
The camp
has been funded in part by the Vanderbilt Department of Medicine; the Margaret Cuninggim Women's Center; the
Vanderbilt Center for Science Outreach; private donations; the National
Institutes of Health; the National Science Foundation; the Waksman Foundation for Microbiology;
and Tennessee Women in Medicine.
Objective
The Girls and Science Camp is committed to generating interest in science for all
girls, engaging girls in science investigation, fostering confidence in science
achievement, and encouraging girls' enrollment in future science courses.
Session Information
Dates |
Current 7th Grade Girls: June 9-13, 2008 - FULL
Current 8th Grade Girls: June 16-20, 2008 - FULL |
Times |
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily |
Cost |
$125 for the 5-day session |
Please see How to Apply for this year's application and for more information.
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