Calvin Offers Girls-Only Chem Camp

July 10, 2006 == MEDIA ADVISORY

A chemistry camp this week at Calvin College just for girls is sold out.

Each session, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, has 26 girls from
fifth to seventh grades registered, two more than the number initially set as
the cut-off.

And Calvin professor of chemistry Larry Louters couldn't be happier. He says
an all-girls camp fills an important purpose.

"This is the second year that we have done the all-girls camp," he says.
"Our motivation is relatively simple, but pretty important: we want to
encourage young women to participate in science with a long range goal of
increasing the number of women scientists."

Sharon Piers of West Catholic High School is the main instructor for next
week's camp with assistance from Louters, the camp director, and Deb Smith of
the Allegan Tech Center.

All three note that the all-girls camp results in a significantly different
atmosphere than a co-ed camp.

"In a co-ed camp," Louters says, "the girls are much more quiet and hesitant
to participate. All that is gone with the all-girls camp."

Louters says the camp features demonstrations and many hands-on experiments
designed to teach introductory chemical concepts in a way that is fun and
entertaining, including the use of cannons, slime, superballs and silly
putty!

Contact Louters (LAO TURRS) at 526-6493 or lout@calvin.edu
Also see http://www.calvin.edu/academic/chemistry/camps/chemcamp06.htm

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Received on Mon Jul 10 11:26:05 2006