Galloway, N.J. — Women make up just 27% of the workforce for jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor.

That’s why events like Stockton University’s annual Tech Trek summer camp are so important, according to Claudine Keenan, a professor of Instructional Technology and Tech Trek organizer. The weeklong camp brought 42 eighth-grade students to the university’s Galloway campus during the last week in July to immerse themselves in Stockton’s state-of-the-art facilities. The young women from 20 of New Jersey’s 21 counties stayed on campus in residence halls.

“Our partnership with the American Association of University Women brings more young women interested in STEM to Stockton’s cutting-edge facilities where they can work with mentors like Elizabeth Pollock in Chemistry, Jennifer Martin in Biology and Demetrios Roubos in Information Technology,” Keenan said. “Each year, we strengthen our network of connections to empower young women in STEM.”

New to the program in its 11th year is the ability for campers to design their own custom “core STEM class” for the week. Students choose from 10 different options to build their four-day experience, including astronautics, artificial intelligence, medicine, robotics and coding.

The campers also mastered color theory in a tie-day T-shirt workshop, learned how to collect forensic evidence, made slime and boba tea in a chemistry workshop and played in and broadcast esports tournaments.

The students also took a field trip to the beach in front of Stockton’s Atlantic City campus to seine for marine life and conduct a beach sweep awareness campaign focused on cutting down on plastic pollution, Keenan said.

-- Story by Mark Melhorn, photos by Susan Allen