The Division of Engineering Programs at SUNY New Paltz is sponsoring the College’s first ever TINKER camp, a week-long program designed to support high school-aged girls who are interested in careers in engineering.
The camp will run from Aug. 1 – 5, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Resnick Engineering Hall on the New Paltz campus. It is open to girls preparing to enter grades 9 through 11.
The schedule of events includes integrated, hands-on projects covering four distinct areas of engineering: civil, biomedical, electrical and mechanical.
The TINKER program focuses on connecting the campers with women who are active in the engineering industry. The camp aims to debunk some of the most common misconceptions that contribute to suppressing the numbers of women who enter this field, and inspire a new generation of young women to consider the many possibilities an engineering education opens.
Key to this process is the participation of many student representatives of New Paltz’s Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) group as speakers, teachers and camp organizers.
“One of the things that I believe is critical in helping these girls is pairing them with our WISE group members,” said Assistant Professor Reena Dahle, who founded the WISE chapter at New Paltz and is working with WISE member students to organize the TINKER camp. “Our students can give feedback on what the process of pursing an engineering degree is like, and provide the girls attending the camp with a mentor network in engineering. Our goal is for the camp attendees to develop lasting friendships with our WISE students, so they can reach out to ask questions about classes they might take and other options for pursuing their interests.”
The TINKER camp represents just the latest in the growing body of work of the College’s WISE chapter, which has grown to include nearly 100 student members across all STEM disciplines since its founding less than four years ago.
“When I was an undergraduate I attended WISE, and it was integral to my experience in engineering,” Dahle said. “WISE empowered me and made me feel that being female in engineering is something to be proud of, and I believe it can do the same for students here at New Paltz.”
To learn more about TINKER and register for the Aug. 1 – 5 camp at SUNY New Paltz, please visit www.tinkergirls.org or contact Reena Dahle at dahler@newpaltz.edu.
Click here for the direct registration link. The registration deadline is July 8.
The registration fee of $400 includes all programs and necessary materials, as well as a banquet dinner for participants and their parents on the last day of camp.
More information about engineering at SUNY New Paltz is available online.
