tech trek summer camp

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Through hands-on problem solving and encounters with women role models in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), AAUW Tech Trek helps girls see their futures while having nonstop fun. This one-week summer camp is backed by AAUW’s  research and designed to make STEM fields exciting and accessible to girls in middle school — the age when girls’ participation in these fields statistically drops. For many girls, the week long camp sparks their curiosity and places them on a path toward success.

AAUW of California member Marie Wolbach founded Tech Trek in 1998 with the help of an  AAUW Community Action Grant . Today AAUW Tech Trek operates at 22 different sites around the nation. A 2013 survey of AAUW Tech Trek alumnae from California demonstrates the program’s lasting effects on many levels, including interest and confidence in STEM fields, decision to pursue those fields, and future career plans.

AAUW Tech Trek alumnae surpass the national average in most advanced math and science courses:

Girls learn about STEM careers that align with their passions and help them solve big problems:

Find AAUW Tech Trek near You

Camps are held in the summer at campuses around the country. All campers are nominated by their seventh-grade math and science teachers. Girls then apply and are selected by a committee. Visit the camp pages below to learn more about getting involved at the local level

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Tech Trek - South Bryant Campus

Course description.

Enrollment Guidelines

• Metro Tech reserves the right to cancel courses, alter time schedules and make any other changes necessary to facilitate the instructional process.
• PREREQUISITES ARE REQUIRED FOR SOME COURSES.
• Students who are unable to attend a course must notify Enrollment Services at (405) 595-4678 three business days prior to the first meeting of the course.
• A minimum age of 16 years is required for enrollment in Adult & Career Development courses unless otherwise specified.
• Only enrolled students may attend courses.
• No children allowed in classrooms.

Tuition Guidelines

• Payment in full is required at the time of enrollment.
• Books, supplies, uniforms, internships, paperwork and testing fees may cost extra.
• There is a $25 fee for returned checks.
• Fee waivers do not apply to books and supplies.
• Tuition, fees and book costs are subject to change.
• Half-priced tuition on ACD courses is offered, on a space-available basis, to district residents 65 years of age or older. All employees and eligible students of Crooked Oak, Oklahoma City, Millwood and ASTEC public school districts also receive 50% off tuition. Some courses may not apply.

Refund Guidelines

• Refunds will be given if a written, emailed, faxed or in-person request is made to the Bursar in the Business Conference Center, 1900 Springlake Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73111.
• Please allow at least 10 business days for processing refunds.
• Refunds must be requested a minimum of three business days prior to the first meeting of the course to qualify for a full refund.
• Refunds requested less than three business days before course begins will be subject to a $10 processing fee.
• No refunds will be issued after the second course meeting.
• Courses canceled by Metro Tech will qualify for a full refund.
• No refunds will be given for books, supplies, or any other non-tuition items.
• Refunds cannot be issued for non-attendance.
• Use VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express with card holder name, number and expiration date.

Payments are to be made to the Office of the Bursar, M-F, 7:30A-4:30P

Business Conference Center 1900 Springlake Drive Oklahoma City, OK 73111

Purchase orders may be sent to [email protected] or FAX to (405) 424-7809

• Company paid enrollments must include a letter of authorization or credit card information

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Tech Trek - STEM Camp

Volunteers Needed for Tech Trek

Tech Trek is an exciting week-long, residential, hands-on STEM camp for girls currently in 7th grade who show promise in math science and/or technology.

It’s held at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma where girls live in college dorms for a week during the summer and take classes from an excellent group of female scientists. The camp is designed to create interest, excitement, and confidence in young women at an age where they are sometime likely to drop out of math and science studies.

All girls are sponsored so there are no financial barriers to attending camp.  We are particularly focused on getting girls to camp who might not otherwise be able to attend this type of enrichment.  We look for the girls who would benefit most from this great experience and might not have other opportunities.

Seattle Branch sponsors around 10 girls each year from schools in the greater Seattle area.  The process starts in January. It costs $1000 for each girl to attend camp.  If you would like to donate to Tech Trek here’s how.  All amounts are appreciated.  Donate to Tech Trek.

Tech Trek is an AAUW program going on in a number of states nationwide.  AAUW-WA coordinates our camp.  There are generally three camps held in July and August.  Two camps are held at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma and another one at Eastern Washington University, Cheney.  More information on Tech Trek Wa

Daily Life at Tech Trek – by Tonna Kutner

Here’s a description of daily life at Tech Trek and some pictures from one of our Dorm Monitors to give you a better idea or what goes on at this wonderful experience.

Tech Trek is a week long summer science camp for girls between 7th and 8th grade.  The teachers are all women scientists and the camp is designed to keep girls enthusiastic and engaged in science and math.  AAUW Washington manages the camp and AAUW branches throughout the state sponsor girls so they can attend regardless of their financial status.

I had the “opportunity” to go to our week-long Tech Trek camp this summer as a “Dorm Monitor.”  I must say, having no children of my own, this was out of my comfort zone and I was a little worried.  But looking back now, there were some highs and lows, but all-in-all it was a wonderful experience and I’m glad I volunteered.  It was at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma with 64 girls between 7th and 8th grade.

There were ten girls in my wing of the dorm along with a student counselor who was a wonderful asset.  She had just graduated from high school and was very interested and well informed on astronomy.  She was also really good with the girls.  We called our group “Apollo 4.”  We thought we had the best group.  They were very interesting and pretty well behaved all around.  There was one scary night where two girls woke up and knocked on my door.  Someone had yelled and screamed outside the dorms for a few seconds and it reminded the girls of a bad experience.  After a while they calmed down and got back to sleep.  Mostly it was pretty quiet at night.

There were five other wings with Dorm Monitors and Student Counselors so you can imagine it was a very busy place.  The girls broke up into 5 different groups called “core” groups and most mornings they went to classes in their core groups which were Stardust Astronomy, Robotics Engineering, Bodies by Design, App Inventor, and Cyber Security.

The Student Counselors went with the girls to their core classes while the Dorm Monitors reviewed the schedule for the day with our leaders. We usually had an hour or two free before it was time to meet the girls for lunch.  In the afternoon the Dorm Monitors accompanied the girls to classes and the Student Counselors some free time.

There were two afternoon classes ranging from mini-versions of the other core classes to extracting their own DNA (really) and genetic studies on “ReBops” which are creatures made of marshmallows, pipe cleaners and other interesting stuff.  One group had the opportunity to dissect pig hearts.  They were looking for heart strings which open and close the heart valves and, what do you know, they found them!  All the groups were different so I always had to know how many were in my group and keep counting to make sure everyone was there.

Wednesday was a different sort of day.  We did some finance activities provided by Financial Beginnings Washington exploring budgets for clothing, housing, student debt and other expenses – it was a fun and informative.  Then we went on field trips.  Half went to look at marine life and the group I went with got to go to the Museum of Flight.  The girls got to file flight plans, run a checklist on an airplane, do experiments on various aspects of flight and then fly (and sometimes crash) in a flight simulator.

That evening we had pizza and then saw a movie together.  It was “Hidden Figures” and the all-girl audience was just great and applauded and cheered in all the right places.

Thursday night was career night where 17 women scientists came and spoke to the girls and they were able to ask questions.  This was a real eye-opener and a great experience for everyone.  The last night we went out to see the stars and got to look at the moon through a telescope.

Although I was exhausted when I got home and slept for three hours before I even unpacked my car, I think I’ll go for it again next year.  I feel this is such a worthwhile program and makes such a positive difference for the girls who participate in camp.

Our branch sent eight girls this year and we hope to send ten next year.  We will need more help working with middle schools and interviewing girls and parents if we are going to accomplish this goal.  Please offer to help if you can.  Most of the work happens between January and March.

The girls wrote wonderful letters of thanks to our branch – I’ll include just one to let you know how important and life changing this camp is for the girls – the drawings are hers too:

Dear AAUW Seattle Branch: This week has been such a fantastic and eye-opening experience, and I wouldn’t have been able to be at Tech Trek without your kind donations.  This week I learned about what it is to be a woman in STEM.  I participated in Astronomy, Biology, Coding and Technology classes.  I never knew that there were so many fields of STEM, and that all of them are so interesting!  This week I also made so many supportive friends who helped me to say strong even when I didn’t get my first-choice of class, and I loved it anyways!  Tech Trek is so amazing and it allows girls/women to be confident in STEM and that it’s ok to make mistakes because these are the things that help you progress!

©2024 American Association of University Women - Seattle Branch

• Site by NetRaising : a web consultancy

https://aauw-seattle.org/what-we-do/tech-trek Printed 5/31/24 - 6:35:17 © 2024 American Association of University Women - Seattle Branch

"My Tech Trek experience was awesome!! I got to learn about new things that I have never heard of or seen of. It was really fun." - 2023 Tech Trek Camper

Tech Trek is a residential, STEM program for rising 8th grade girls offered by American Association of University Women (AAUW) Huntsville branch and the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).

Tech Trek immerses young women in a world that empowers and encourages them to think of themselves as future scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and computer specialists. At Tech Trek, campers spend a week on the UAH campus and participate in a core curriculum program as well as workshops, field trips, and a special mentoring night with professional women scientists and engineers. To ensure that a family's financial situation will not prevent participation, Tech Trek only costs $50 per camper.  The actual cost per camper is $8 50 which is raised through grants and sponsors.​

Tech Trek by the Numbers  2023

64 camp ers

18 Alabama counties

16 counselors

4 core classes teachers

7 days of Tech Trek

3 field trips

2 special events (mentoring night, expo)

1 AMAZING EXPERIENCE

2024 Alabama Tech Trek is June 9-15th

About Tech Trek

Is tech trek right for my daughter.

Tech Trek is an exciting and engaging one-week summer camp for girls featuring hands-on science and technology classes, a fun and educational field trip, opportunities to meet inspiring women role models, and a unique college campus experience. To attend, families need only pay a $50.00 registration fee.

Your daughter is a good fit for Tech Trek if she is currently in the 7 th grade and interested in math and science with the potential to excel. Tech Trek is looking for girls who have not had the opportunity for experiences like Tech Trek before, but are excited by the opportunity to try something new, learn new things, and challenge herself. The ideal Tech Trek camper cooperates with teachers, shows respect for other students, regularly participates in class discussions, and makes positive choices for herself in and out of class. To apply, girls must be nominated by their science or math teacher.

• “My experience was amazing. The counselors, dorm monitors, and teachers were awesome. I made lots of friends and learned about STEM and teamwork.”
• “I made a lot of new life-long friends. I have learned a lot and it was an unforgettable experience.”

Tech Trek Really Works!

We surveyed girls who attended Tech Trek in California several years after they attended Tech Trek. The results speak for themselves :

• 82% of girls chose to take more science classes in high school because of Tech Trek
• 91% of girls reported that Tech Trek boosted their self-confidence in their ability to be successful in science classes
• 77% of girls say that Tech Trek increased their interest in technology
• 87% of girls say that Tech Trek introduced them to new STEM careers
• 96% of Tech Trek alumnae go to college

Learn more about AAUW’s Tech Trek camps: Tech Trek in AL – AAUW Huntsville (AL) Branch At University of Alabama in Huntsville Tech Trek in CA – AAUW of California At University of California, Davis Tech Trek in CA – AAUW of California At California State University, Fresno Tech Trek in CA – AAUW of California At University of California, Irvine Tech Trek in CA – AAUW of California At University of California, San Diego Tech Trek in CA – AAUW of California At University of California, Santa Barbara Tech Trek in CA – AAUW of California At Sonoma State University Tech Trek in CA – AAUW of California At Stanford University Tech Trek in CA – AAUW of California At Whittier College Tech Trek in FL – AAUW of Florida At Palm Beach State College Tech Trek in IA – AAUW Storm Lake (IA) Branch At Buena Vista University Tech Trek in NJ – AAUW Atlantic County (NJ) Branch At Richard Stockton College of New Jersey Tech Trek in NM – AAUW of New Mexico At New Mexico Tech Tech Trek in OH – AAUW Bowling Green (OH) Branch At Bowling Green State University Tech Trek in OR – AAUW Tillamook (OR) Branch At Tillamook Bay Community College Tech Trek in WA – AAUW Washington At Pacific Lutheran University and Eastern Washington University

Annual Reports

Download the Tech Trek 2011 Annual Report Download the Tech Trek 2012 Annual Report

2023 campers at university

2024 Camp Coming Up July 14-20 at Pacific Lutheran University campus. Our branch teams are contacting schools starting January 2024. See FLYER for schools sample…

Forms for employment and schools, click here…, enjoy 2023 camp pictures and videos….

Camp is designed around STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to increase interest, excitement and self-confidence in young women who will enter the eighth grade in the fall. It features hands-on learning and focusing on current hot topics for career exploration. The six-night sleep away camp is located on a college campus using dorms, laboratories, recreation and dining facilities.

Tech Trek introduces girls to local successful female STEM professionals, teaches girls that their intellectual skills will grow over time, and demonstrates that it is possible to break traditional female career stereotypes.

AAUW branches in Washington state recruit campers and raise the funds to support all their camp expenses (over $1000 per camper) with the exception of a $50 registration fee. Branches work with seventh-grade math and science teachers from local middle schools for nominations of girls interested in STEM. Once nominated, the girls enter the process of selection by submitting an application and essay and meeting branch members during a personal interview.

This camp model has operated in Washington for many years and over 1000 campers have attended the camp with 95% sponsorship from local AAUW branches. The program requires approximately $200,000 annually to operate and we are funded by individuals, companies, corporations, foundations, and service organizations. CLICK here to find out how to help this camp continue to succeed and provide future STEM leaders.

Questions? [email protected]

Tech Trek at Stockton University July 21-27, 2024

For more information, email [email protected] Check out our video: New Jersey Tech Trek: Get Involved!  “I had always been worried about going into a male-dominated field,” said one camper. “Tech Trek has made me feel more confident about my abilities in STEM and has made me want to follow my dreams of becoming a medical engineer.” At Tech Trek, girls are immersed in a world that empowers and encourages them to think about themselves as future scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and computer specialists.

This one-week, residential, hands-on STEM camp for rising eighth-grade girls got its start more than 20 years ago, when AAUW of California member Marie Wolbach applied for an AAUW Community Action Grant to open a science camp for girls on the Stanford University campus. Wolbach and AAUW of California have since expanded the program to 10 camps in California alone.

After seeing how effective the program is — alumnae are more likely than their peers to take advanced science and math classes and eventually to go to college — AAUW decided to take the program nationwide. In 2013, Tech Trek was expanded to four states, Ohio, Oklahoma, Florida and Washington, and is already changing the lives of the girls who attended.

In 2015, New Jersey joined the expansion at Stockton University and expanded to host 60 girls from 2016-2019!   Watch the 2015 Stockton Tech Trek Camp video and click the Photos link above to see archives from our 2016-2019 camps. To reduce the spread of COVID-19, the 2020 camp was offered online in 2021, we held abbreviated alumni STEMinist Camps in 2022 , and returned with a new cohort of campers in 2023 .

Campers take part in activities like programming robots, extracting their own DNA, formulating lip gloss in a chemistry lab, visiting the FAA Technical Center or e-Sports Lab or coastal waters or Pinelands Preserve, and much more! Tech Trek has been shown to significantly increase girls’ self-confidence and their interest in and excitement about the STEM fields, which is why AAUW New Jersey continues to host Tech Trek at Stockton University each year.

The program puts AAUW’s groundbreaking Why So Few?  and Solving the Equation research reports into action in a female-led, inclusive, residential university setting. Tech Trek’s formula follows the reports’ recommendations, introducing girls to role models and career choices and giving campers the opportunity to reside on a college campus. Find out how you can support a camp today: volunteer, nominate a camper, or sponsor the camp with a tax deductible gift (use any of the links on the right to donate).

#TechTrekNJ

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AAUW California

Empowering Women in California

What is Tech Trek?

February 1, 2021

Tech Trek is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) camp designed to develop interest, excitement, and self-confidence in young women who will enter eighth grade in the fall. It features hands-on activities in STEM-related fields. In the residential camps, all sleeping, eating, instructional and recreational facilities are located on a university campus where camps are held.

The very successful California Tech Trek camp, created and implemented by Marie Wolbach at Stanford in 1998 (and grew throughout California), was the model AAUW National used to initiate the 2013 National Tech Trek Program. By 2020, a total of nine states held camps sponsored by AAUW branches. This includes California’s Tech Trek program, held at seven college/university campuses (which host a total of nine camps), and is part of the National program.

The California Tech Trek camps are still run by dedicated California AAUW volunteers and held on the same university campuses; little has changed in the way our camps are managed and deployed. Incorporated into a National program with California as its role model - future Trekkers will continue to have amazing experiences.

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About our Camp

Welcome to Tech Trek @ UC Davis

July 22-28, 2018

A Peek into what Tech Trekkers might experience

• Mornings are spent in core classes where trekkers may be found examining lungs and dissecting eyeballs, designing rollercoasters and bridges, engineering solutions and contraptions, coding and developing apps, extracting DNA and creating their own pedigree… or a variety of other possibilities.

• Afternoons may be spent taking on the role of a veterinarian or a forensic scientist, or learning about polymers and the chemistry behind sunscreen or about entomology and how bugs are used in agriculture and pharmaceuticals, and more. On-campus field trips may include the Veterinary School and Medical Center and the Mondavi Center for Performing Arts among others.

• Evenings are packed with more hands-on activities and workshops, perhaps the most popular is the Professional Women’s Evening, where women in STEM-related careers, such as civil or mechanical engineering, epidemiology, and forensic science, share their experiences with the campers, and the girls have a chance to ask questions and learn about a range of careers.

Campus Life :

All Tech Trek campers live in one of the dorms on the UC Davis campus, with Tech Trek being the only group assigned to that dorm for the week. True to college life, girls are assigned a roommate who they have never met, with two girls per dorm room. Upon arrival on the first day of camp, the girls are given their dorm room and core class assignments. AAUW volunteers serve as “Dorm Moms” assigned to oversee a group of about ten of the campers. Each Dorm Mom keeps a keen eye on her “girls” throughout the week.  In addition, camp staff includes co-directors and a medical professional who are at the camp 24-7 to address any emergencies or health concerns.   Tech Trek campers and Dorm Moms go to the UC Davis dining commons together for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

About UC Davis

The Tech Trek program at UC Davis opened in summer 2011.   Located in Davis, California, just west of Sacramento, UC Davis encompasses 7,309 acres of land, making it the largest UC campus in terms of land.

One of the nation’s top public research universities, the University of California, Davis has earned its stellar reputation through outstanding students and a breadth of academic programs, global leadership in sustainability, and a commitment to addressing society’s needs through innovative research and public service.

UC Davis offers more than 100 undergraduate majors and 90 graduate programs and a complete range of professional degrees. There are four colleges and six professional schools, not the least of which is the nationally known School of Veterinary Medicine. Campus enrollment is approximately 35,000.

U.S. News & World Report ranks Davis ninth in a list of top public universities. UC Davis’ faculty members have earned great accolades in the academic world and beyond. This includes three presidential medals, a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, a Guggenheim fellowship, and a member of the French Academy.

Would you like more information about Tech Trek @ UC Davis?

Contact Susan Wheeler and Martha Rees, Camp Co-Directors, at [email protected] . (Please include TT or Tech Trek in the subject line, and indicate your city in the text.)

Welcome to Tech Trek NM!

Tech Trek New Mexico is a week long camp held on the campus of New Mexico Tech in Socorro, NM for girls who are passionate about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

A note from a parent:

Dear leaders of techtrek nm,, my husband, david and i would like to express our sincerest gratitude to your organization. because of techtrek our daughter, maya, has decided to attend new mexico institute of mining and technology in socorro,  new mexico. the week-long techtrek camp she attended really inspired her to pursue her desire to become an engineer.  she plans on majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in aerospace engineering or computer science. ,   we’re also grateful that our younger daughter, isa who is now a high school freshman, also had the opportunity to attend techtrek. we are looking forward to seeing what she decides to do.  being surrounded for a week by successful women is inspiring and helps young women gain confidence and for this,  we thank you. .

A Word from an Alumnae

This comment came from one of our Alumnae who also worked as a Camp Counselor. McKenna is now attending Colorado State University studying electrical engineering. 

“tech trek had a significant influence on my decision to major in electrical engineering.  i have many family members in stem,  but all of them are men. so i never really got to see good examples of women in stem. when i was a camper  in 2018, tech trek showed me that i was not only capable of being in stem,  but it could also be fun from then on, i was strongly considering being an engineer, which led to where i am today. when i was a junior counselor in 2022, i was able to see the other side of that. i got to see girls having the same revelations that i had many years before. i got to spend time among brilliant young women who represent what our stem field will hopefully look like in years to come.”.

Video from Tech Trek New Mexico 2023

Watch this video from a 2023 Core Class World in Motion

Tech Trek was featured on 60 Minutes! Watch the 60 Minutes Clip here!

Click Here for a PDF of our 2024 Student Flyer

What is Tech Trek?

Networking during the Professional Women’s Night.

“I had always been worried about going into a male-dominated field,” said one camper in Washington. “Tech Trek has made me feel more confident about my abilities in STEM and has made me want to follow my dreams of becoming a medical engineer.”

At Tech Trek, girls are immersed in a world that empowers and encourages them to think about themselves as future scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and computer specialists.

This one-week STEM camp for rising eighth-grade girls got its start 25 years ago, when AAUW of California member Marie Wolbach applied for an AAUW Community Action Grant to open a science camp for girls on the Stanford University campus. Wolbach and AAUW of California have since expanded the program to 10 camps in California alone . And also launched its collection of fake Rolex , which can be found on this site . What really helped them!

After seeing how effective the program is — alumnae are more likely than their peers to take advanced science and math classes and eventually to go to college — AAUW decided to take the program nationwide. In 2013, Tech Trek was expanded to four states, Ohio, Oklahoma, Florida and Washington, and is already changing the lives of the girls who attended. New Mexico hosted Tech Trek for the first time in 2014. Alabama, New Jersey and Oregon also hold Tech Trek camps.

Campers took part in activities like building and programming robots, extracting their own DNA, learning how computer simulations are used to predict weather patterns, and much more! Tech Trek has been shown to significantly increase girls’ self-confidence and their interest in and excitement about the STEM fields, which is why AAUW is expanding Tech Trek to more and more states each year.

The program puts AAUW’s groundbreaking Why So Few? research report into action. Tech Trek’s formula follows the report’s recommendations, introducing girls to role models and career choices and giving campers the opportunity to reside on a college campus. Find out how you can support a camp today!

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‘Summer Camp’ Misses The Bullseye [Review]

Posted by Jessica Lancaster | May 31, 2024 | Movie News , Reviews | 0 |

Summer Camp tells the story of three best friends who met decades ago as kids at the same summer camp. Since then, Nora, Ginny, and Mary have remained friends, but have also found themselves slowly pulled in different directions by the circumstances of life. When a summer camp reunion rolls around, they all agree (some more easily than others) to attend, hoping to recapture the magic of their youth and reconnect after their time apart.

The film comes from writer/director Castille Landon and stars Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates, and Alfre Woodard as the leading trio. Additional stars include Eugene Levy, Josh Peck, Betsy Sodaro, Beverly D’Angelo, Dennis Haysbert, and Nicole Richie.

Summer Camp introduces us to a trio of women tied together by the circumstances of their youth, but otherwise in different places in their lives. The reserved Nora (Keaton) runs a successful company, but her workaholic tendencies have led her to neglect herself and her personal relationships, especially following the death of her husband. The bold and brash Ginny (Bates) has found fame and widespread acclaim as a self-help guru with a mantra of “Get Your Shit Together” — but her outward confidence covers up her own insecurities and loneliness. Finally, the kind and caring Mary (Woodard) is a nurse getting ready to send her kids off to college. But after putting her plans to become a doctor on hold to raise her family, she’s beginning to realize she feels unfulfilled in both her marriage and her life.

Summer Camp will inevitably draw comparisons to recent films like Book Club , which aim to spotlight female friendship and later-in-life characters that don’t always get the attention they deserve in media. But I have to say, despite an impressive cast and a setting primed for fun and comedic potential, Summer Camp fell flat for me. 

I did enjoy the camp activities, which should inspire nostalgia for anyone who spent their youth at a summer camp of their own. We’ve got rafting, archery, horseback riding, a high ropes course, and more. It also hits on some quintessential camp experiences (bug-filled and slightly run-down cabins, a no outside tech policy and an ancient computer room, someone yelling “Food fight!”). The aesthetic can certainly transport audiences. 

Unfortunately, neither the characters nor the comedy carry this movie the way they should. Most of the jokes fell flat or seemed too forced. The movie might be able to get away with that if the character arcs and emotional depth of Summer Camp hit the bullseye. After all, comedy is subjective; just because I’m not laughing out loud doesn’t mean someone else won’t. But beyond the humor, Summer Camp hinges on demonstrating that Nora, Ginny, and Mary are fundamentally changed by their camp reunion, ready to face their fears and insecurities and change their lives for the better. The movie doesn’t quite manage to convince the audience this is the case.

Nora’s burgeoning romance with Stevie D. (Levy) leads him to have a heart-to-heart with her about choosing to retire, prompting Nora to reconsider her relationship to life and work. Ginny confesses to orchestrating the camp reunion to force her friends to finally spend time together, and changes her big speech to the camp to reflect what she’s learned about friendship and authenticity. Mary decides to leave her husband and finally pursue her career dream to become a doctor. It all just seems a little too simple, the way Summer Camp tries to wrap up these women’s issues, which undercuts the core emotional impact they had in the first place. This feels the most egregious in Mary’s case, whose conflict feels tacked on and extremely under-explored for someone who’s supposed to be making not one, but two radically life-altering changes once she steps off the campground.

(Also, less important, but isn’t it a bit odd that Nora and Mary get upset with Ginny for orchestrating the reunion? I get that Ginny misled them, but it was to do something nice for the three of them, and it was obviously motivated by her loneliness. I just think that if my friend orchestrated a huge grand gesture like that because she missed me, my reaction wouldn’t be anger or annoyance. Oh, well.)

Overall, I just wanted more from Summer Camp . The potential of the premise and the characters ultimately didn’t manage to meet the humor or heart needed to make this one a hit. Unlike your own camp days, you probably won’t want to revisit this one.

Summer Camp premieres in theaters May 31.

Summer Camp Review

Summer Camp sets up solid characters in a fun setting, but doesn’t follow through with the humor or heart needed to match the entertaining premise.

About The Author

Jessica Lancaster

They say write what you know, and I definitely know how to be a nerd.

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Out of the Centre

Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

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The Unique Burial of a Child of Early Scythian Time at the Cemetery of Saryg-Bulun (Tuva)

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Pages:  379-406

In 1988, the Tuvan Archaeological Expedition (led by M. E. Kilunovskaya and V. A. Semenov) discovered a unique burial of the early Iron Age at Saryg-Bulun in Central Tuva. There are two burial mounds of the Aldy-Bel culture dated by 7th century BC. Within the barrows, which adjoined one another, forming a figure-of-eight, there were discovered 7 burials, from which a representative collection of artifacts was recovered. Burial 5 was the most unique, it was found in a coffin made of a larch trunk, with a tightly closed lid. Due to the preservative properties of larch and lack of air access, the coffin contained a well-preserved mummy of a child with an accompanying set of grave goods. The interred individual retained the skin on his face and had a leather headdress painted with red pigment and a coat, sewn from jerboa fur. The coat was belted with a leather belt with bronze ornaments and buckles. Besides that, a leather quiver with arrows with the shafts decorated with painted ornaments, fully preserved battle pick and a bow were buried in the coffin. Unexpectedly, the full-genomic analysis, showed that the individual was female. This fact opens a new aspect in the study of the social history of the Scythian society and perhaps brings us back to the myth of the Amazons, discussed by Herodotus. Of course, this discovery is unique in its preservation for the Scythian culture of Tuva and requires careful study and conservation.

Keywords: Tuva, Early Iron Age, early Scythian period, Aldy-Bel culture, barrow, burial in the coffin, mummy, full genome sequencing, aDNA

Information about authors: Marina Kilunovskaya (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Vladimir Semenov (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Varvara Busova  (Moscow, Russian Federation).  (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Kharis Mustafin  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Technical Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Irina Alborova  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Biological Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Alina Matzvai  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected]

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Cynthia Nixon on Miranda’s Evolution in ‘And Just Like That’, the End of Che Diaz and Her ‘Gilded Age’ Friendships

In 1984, Cynthia Nixon made Broadway history by appearing in two productions at the same time. Newly graduated from New York’s Hunter College High School, Nixon was cast in two concurrent plays, “Hurlyburly” and “The Real Thing,” each led by legendary director Mike Nichols. For three months, the teenager would cut between theaters, squeezing in a single scene of “The Real Thing” between the two acts of “Hurlyburly.”

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That’s not a coincidence: both these shifts bring Miranda closer to Nixon, who met her now-wife, Christine Marinoni, while campaigning for New York City public school funding. Nixon has since run for governor of New York state (in 2018) and recently has been outspoken in support of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, going on a two-day hunger strike last November to raise awareness of potential famine.

“I’ve grown much more like [Miranda] as I’ve grown older, and she’s grown much more like me,” Nixon observes. “It was nothing that I was advocating for, but smart writers, particularly on long-term projects that keep going and evolving, try [to] put as much of the real person in that character as they can, because that’s one of the things that makes television or film or theater so powerful — when the person playing the role has a personal connection.”

During our interview, she wears a T-shirt urging studios to pay writers, actors, crew “and anyone else who makes you all the money,” a visual callback to last year’s work stoppages.

“When you write a character for so long for a specific actress, at some point, it’s just couture,” says Michael Patrick King, showrunner of “Sex and the City” and “And Just Like That.” “You’re just cutting it for them. So, when I look at who Cynthia is, she’s incredibly passionate. She cares. And I put that into the part.”

Ada, too, carries elements of Nixon’s social conscience, a sinew of connective tissue between two very different women. “The Gilded Age” takes place at a historical inflection point, when the newly made fortunes of industrial robber barons threatened to upend the hierarchy of moneyed Manhattan society. Ada is more curious about and open to these shifts than her older sister Agnes (Christine Baranski), a steely widow allergic to change. Unlike Agnes, Ada doesn’t scoff at the idea of their niece Marian (Louisa Jacobson) taking a paid job as an art teacher, nor serving — gasp! — soup for lunch to their new rector, Luke (Robert Sean Leonard). By 19th century standards, she’s positively forward-thinking.

“Cynthia has a civic responsibility. She takes society seriously. She takes her part in it seriously,” says Fellowes. “That allows her to think about the characters she plays, giving them a certain context — morally, politically — that adds to their depth.”

Back when Nixon was pulling double duty on Broadway, Baranski was her co-star in “The Real Thing,” though the two actors played mother and daughter rather than sisters. “She’s always had that extraordinary esprit,” Baranski says. “She has a sparkling quality to her acting and her personality that I think is such a strong quality of hers. She had it when she was a Barnard student. And all these years later, I’m working with her, and she’s retained that.”

“When there’s someone that you already love and admire and feel so comfortable with, it just enables you to leap off that cliff knowing that they will catch you,” she says. With Baranski, that’s meant building a convincingly lived-in dynamic with all the entrenched tics and petty squabbles of a marriage. With Leonard, it has meant creating an onscreen relationship that progresses from flirtation to actual marriage to illness to grief in just a handful of episodes. It’s a compressed arc that could, in less experienced hands, tip into soap opera. But Nixon’s performance unlocks several new sides of Ada, a person of privileged yet limited life experience who’s used to living in her sister’s shadow.

“It would be, obviously, wonderful for someone who has always wanted to find love and hasn’t to find it at this advanced age,” Nixon says. “But I think it was particularly sweet and precious for Ada, because she’s such a relational person. She’s a domestic person, and she’s so much about her relationships, whether it’s her sister or her relatives or her friends or the people who work in her house.” In crafting the character, Nixon was inspired by her own godmother, who never married but surrounded herself with young people. “[She was] a person who just filled you with so much belief in yourself. No matter what age you were, she was just never tired of hearing about you.”

Ada does get that experience, however briefly. While her loss carries unusual heft in a show as pleasantly lower stakes as “The Gilded Age” can be, Ada still reads as warm-hearted and optimistic, never bitter or defeated.

“She’s a very witty actress, and she has wonderful comic timing,” Fellowes says. “So as downtrodden as Ada may have been at certain points, you’re always pleased to see her come back on screen.”

Besides, Luke’s death sets up a surprising role reversal: with her inheritance, plus Agnes’ son getting swindled out of the family fortune, it’s now Ada who holds the household purse strings, setting up a seismic realignment in Season 3. “Cynthia and I were laughing, imagining that Agnes is up in her room while Ada, who’s such a bohemian — she’s inviting all the stray cats and the unwed mothers into the house,” Baranski says.

Despite her unusually crowded schedule, Nixon continues to balance her television acting work with other projects. She recently performed in her first play in seven years, and she made her TV directorial debut with Season 2 of “And Just Like That.” Nixon has also continued to speak out on Gaza, despite the public and even professional backlash other critics of the war within the entertainment industry have received. “I try to be careful and say I’m very aware of the tremendous pain and suffering on all sides,” Nixon says. “But I don’t want to live in a world where I can’t say [that] the killing of unarmed civilians, 70% of whom are women and children— if I can’t say that that is not OK, I don’t know what kind of a world I’m living in.”

Nixon is also thoughtful about how her primary roles complement one another. “And Just Like That” features subplots about penis pumps and walking in on your teenager having sex; “The Gilded Age” takes place in a straitlaced society where holding hands is the step before marriage. But both, she points out, are worlds dominated by the inner lives and occupational concerns of women, many of them well into middle age.

“I think the main difference is the incredible constraint of ‘The Gilded Age’ and the freedom of the 21st century women in ‘And Just Like That,’” she observes. Though that doesn’t mean one story is any more or less resonant than the other: “The interesting thing is, when you’re coerced and constrained and there are so many rules to follow, sometimes very little things can seem enormous.”

Miranda may have more options than Ada, but Nixon affords both the same intensity of feeling.

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