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The GAS Camp StoryThe 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. 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. 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 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 Department of Medicine, The Women's Center, and the Center for Science Outreach at Vanderbilt University; private donations; the National Institutes of Health; the National Science Foundation; the Foundation for Microbiology; and Tennessee Women in Medicine. ObjectiveThe 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. Dates & TimesAll camps run 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
*Scholarships are available. Please contact our office for more information. Financial aid for lower-income families can also be obtained through the summer camp voucher program through Metro Social Services. Information about this program can be found here. A poster about the voucher program can be found here. To apply for the 2007 GAS Camp, you will need to download the text application or the full brochure and send in your registration information. As part of the registration, you will need to have a teacher fill out and sign the recommendation form that's included with the brochure. To view and print the brochure, you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available as a free download.
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