‘Girls Get WISE’ Camp provides hands-on learning to junior high students

On Friday, May 2 UPEI hosted a brand new science camp-'Girls Get WISE' (Women in Science and Engineering) which aimed at exposing participants to hands-on science activities and career information, and attracting female students to science, engineering, and technology fields.

The camp saw 52 students from grades 7-9 in attendance from schools all across Prince Edward Island. Camp goers learned more about engineering, physics, chemistry, and computer programming through a variety of activities including participating in an international development engineering project; practicing programming skills; building a solar panel; and performing chemical experiments. Attendees also had the opportunity to speak with female mentors who are currently working in the science, engineering, and technology fields.

During the camp, an Engineers Without Borders project called ‘Water for the World' enabled the students to discuss global issues and how they impact science and engineering.

'The girls were quite proud of their successful projects during this activity,' said UPEI engineering professor Libby Osgood. 'The teams were divided into countries and provided with money based on the literary and poverty rates of that particular country. The teams then had to ‘buy' supplies for a water filter to clean a source of dirty water. The teams learned to share their resources, donate money to poorer countries, and help one another. It created great discussion and was a wonderful learning opportunity.'

‘Girls Get WISE' is an initiative of WISE Atlantic, IslandWISE (Women in Science and Engineering), Engineers PEI, ITAP (Innovation Technology Association of PEI), along with faculty from UPEI's physics, chemistry, and engineering departments.