Tech Trek Kick-Off Meeting

AAUW WCC BRANCH Tech Trek 2015

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!

MEETING: Thursday, January 15, 2015, 10:00 a.m. at the home of Marsha Weintraub (1080 Park Hills Rd., Berkeley)

Tech Trek continues to be a major program for our branch. Our plan for 2015 is to again raise money for scholarships to send eight girls from our West County Middle Schools (Crespi, DeJean, Helms, Hercules, Korematsu, Pinole and Stewart) to the Tech Trek Science and Math Camp at Sonoma State University June 21-27).

As in the past selecting the girls and raising the scholarship money will be very challenging.

The branch works closely with WCCUSD middle school math and science teachers to identify seventh grade girls who will benefit from the Tech Trek experience. Each nominated girl completes an application, writes an essay and is interviewed with a parent. WE NEED MORE BRANCH VOLUNTEERS TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOLS ON THE NOMINATION, SELECTION AND PROCESSING OF THE GIRLS, AND TO HELP COORDINATE THE CAMPER ORIENTATION MEETING AT EC DENNY’S ON JUNE 6, AND THE SEPTEMBER 19 FOLLOW-UP BRANCH MEETING.

If possible we would like all volunteers to attend the Tech Trek kick-off meeting for the school contacts on Thursday, January 15, at 10:00 a.m. at Marsha’s (1080 Park Hills Rd, Berkeley). Let us know if you would like to help with the WCC Tech Trek Program.

The cost per camper has stayed the same as last year ($900). Therefore each scholarship continues to be $850 (campers pay a $50 commitment fee). Getting donations from businesses continues to be very difficult since our scholarship needs do not meet the grant application criteria. For 2014 the branch members and friend/family donors provided over 80% of the scholarship money.

Special thanks go to last year’s branch donors: Diane Ichiyasu, Carolyn Linnard, Marion McIntire, Ida Michael, Ellen Mills, Jean Niehaus, Patricia Player, Marianne Selph and Virginia Summerer.

If you would like to contribute (donation of any amount are welcome) to our 2015 Tech Trek Program, make the check for your tax-deductible donation payable to AAUW CA SPF and put Tech Trek on the memo line. Then either mail the check to AAUW WCC Branch, PO Box 501, El Cerrito, CA 94530 or give it to me at the our meeting on January 17.

Thanks in advance for your support.

Roberta Montgomery and Marsha Weintraub
Tech Trek Co-Coordinators