Girls science camp at Independence Lake.

Meg Seifert writes: I was so excited when I learned that Headwaters had the opportunity to partner with the Truckee Donner Land Trust to offer an all-girls science camp this summer. I know that getting more girls into science is important for the future of society and for the careers of girls interested in science.  I even wrote a blog post about girls-only science. But until the girls showed up for the first day of camp, I hadn’t really thought much about the other impacts that an all girls camp could have. Thinking about it now, this is surprising because I spent my youth going to an all-girls sleep-away camp that gave me friendships and memories that are still strong and important to me 20 years after my last summer. It is a time and place in my life that is so special to me that I thought my girls summer camp was unique. I hadn’t imagined being able to create something like that for other girls somewhere else.

Hanging out in a tent time at Headwaters Girls Science Camp.

Preparing for the girls science camp, I was focused on details: how to take girls–some who had never been camping before–camping for six days; how to make them feel the most comfortable, what food they would want to eat, how much water we would need, whether they would be ok without showers, what science equipment we would need, how we should structure the girls’ days, whether all the gear would fit in our cars….  I emailed and talked to the girls’ parents about all their concerns about many of these same issues. I still didn’t spend any time thinking about how the girls would bond.

When the girls and parents arrived, it brought back a flood of memories of going to my own camp as a young girl. Arriving at camp had always made me feel excited for activities, time away from my parents, the mentorship of my counselors, and uninterrupted weeks spent with my camp friends. Camp friends are like no other kind of friends. With a group of just girls you can be silly, and fun, and be yourself. You bond in a way that you don’t get to in any other part of your life. As I sat there watching the girls arrive at camp, I realized that I was going to be able to help create a bonding environment like the one I had experienced at my own camp. I was going to be able to foster a place for the girls to be fun, and be themselves. I was thankful that I had planned some great experiences for their science projects and activities like kayaking and swimming, but really glad that I had left an openness in the schedule that was going to be filled with bonding time.   

Hanging out around the campfire.

And it was.

One of our campers wrote to me after camp, “I became really good friends with the other girls, and we will still keep in touch long camp is over, maybe forever. We bonded over card games, beetles, and classic 80s songs. We had shared memorable experiences like kayaking, swimming at Webber Falls, and looking up at the night sky, filled with beautiful stars.” Another camper wrote, “It was fun to be surrounded by smart girls who were interested in science.”

I loved watching the girls bond. I was envious of their time together. Getting dirty, no showers, camp food, bug bites… none of it mattered… the hardships were bonding experiences. It made me want to be a teenager again, but I took my role as a mentor and stood back while they were having fun. I joined in with song when appropriate, I answered questions about life, or science, or camping; I pushed them to work together, to think… I loved being with them and being their mentor, and I hope that they can appreciate (even just a little) how special this time in their lives was/is.  As one girl said, “This camp was worth all the bug bites, one hundred percent!”

Bonding time with snacks around the picnic table.

Thank you to the Truckee Donner Land Trust for partnering with us and for the amazing campsites on Webber Lake. It was the perfect spot to create a great camp experience. Thank you to Soroptomist International of Truckee Donner for the support for camp. And if you’re wondering about the science the girls experienced during camp, check out my next blog post!