A camp coming to North Vancouver aims to inspire young girls to dream big and empower them to unlock their potential in the historically male-dominated world of engineering.
Camp Engies, a non-profit organization led by women engineers, is hosting a full-day camp for young girls from grades 4 to 8.
“Our mission is to encourage more young women to pursue engineering, so we have a diversity of thought and a diverse workforce in the male-dominated field of engineering,” said Elizabeth Unger, who is leading the planning effort for the engineering camp this year.
“The camp is open to anybody in the Lower Mainland,” Unger said.
The camp will run June 22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at North Shore Neighbourhood House.
City of North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan will provide opening remarks before the students jump into engineering activities followed by a team design challenge.
Three engineering activities are planned for the day. The first is a handheld fan creation, the next is making lip balm, and the final one is building a rigging system to transport logs. The activities are not just fun-filled but also educational, each specific to varied engineering disciplines, including electrical, chemical, process, and forestry engineering.
Over lunch, Robyn K. Gaebel from Geosyntec, Vancouver, and Chloé Redies from Ausenco will join as guest speakers. They will share their experience in engineering, inspire the girls, give them advice, and answer their questions.
In the last couple of hours, before the camp closes, there will be a design challenge. The campers will be split into groups of four to five, and each team will have to propose their own earth dam design.
Some next-generation Engies – students from grades 9 to 12 who previously attended engineering camps – will return as assistant counsellors to help with activities, assist campers, and act as mentors
Unger said the camp “will benefit its participants for a lifetime.”
She said girls can reach out to the connections they make at the camp for support with engineering advice, life guidance, and volunteering opportunities.
“Girls have continued access to seeking references, discussions about ideas, and general guidance,” she said.
Camp Engies collaborates with Girls Who LEAP, serving youth from the Downtown Eastside, Grandview-Woodlands, and North Shore Neighbourhood House communities to ensure inclusivity and accessibility.
Receiving community and industry sponsorships, Camp Engies offers camps at low cost or free to marginalized youth. Parents who sign up their children as members of a marginalized youth organization will be given a code to waive the entrance fee, while others will have to pay the subsidized cost of $75.
“Parents do not make any payment during the sign-up process. After a child is registered, the organizing team will contact the parents to confirm the sign-up and ask for payment,” Unger said.
The camp is filling up quickly, Unger said, with a maximum of 48 spots available. The last day to register is June 6. For more information or to register, visit campengies.com.
Shobana Shanmugasamy is a student intern reporting for the North Shore News. She can be reached at [email protected].
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