Tech Trek is a science and 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 math, science, and related fields. Ten one-week sessions of Tech Trek are held each summer at eight different college and university campuses around the state.

All girls attend Tech Trek camps on scholarships provided by AAUW California branch members, working with participating junior highs and middle schools in their area. Seventh grade science and/or math teachers at these schools recommend camper candidates who must then pass through an extensive qualification process that includes an application, an essay, and a personal interview. Camp curriculum is targeted specifically at girls entering 8th grade.

The Santa Barbara–Goleta Valley branch has been very involved in Tech Trek since its inception in 1998. At that time there was just one camp, held on the Stanford campus, and we sent one camper. In 2023, our branch sent 22 girls to the Tech Trek camp at the University of California, Santa Barbara. This has been possible through the generous support of our branch members, individuals in the community, and contributions and grants from local businesses, foundations, and service clubs. We plan to continue to send as many girls as possible to camp each year.

As well as working hard to select and fund our campers, branch members also volunteer as dorm moms and to help with registration. Our branch has also been responsible for organizing the Career Night speakers for the UCSB Tech Trek camp since it began, and every year we invite the camp staff to a kick-off dinner the night before the first day of camp.

Every year in the early Fall, our campers report back on their experiences at an Ice Cream Social to which branch members and all community supporters are invited.

To learn more about the Tech Trek program, visit: www.aauw-ca.org/what-is-tech-trek