Camp creates career pathways

Los Alamos National Laboratory volunteers mentor STEM students from across New Mexico

August 14, 2024

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Students at the Summer Physics Camp explore the properties of light as one of their hands-on activities.

The 2024 Summer Physics Camp for Young Women returned to its venue at New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe from June 10 to 21. Now in its eighth year, the free, two-week camp served 34 New Mexican students who came from 15 different school districts, a range that was made possible by the camp offering free residential accommodations for the first time.

The camp welcomed students from the counties of Bernalillo, Lea, Los Alamos, Otero, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, San Juan, San Miguel and Santa Fe. The camp is open to all applicants who are in middle or high school and have completed algebra 1, but emphasizes populations who are underrepresented in STEM fields.

"This camp aims to expose students to a variety of activities to show them that STEM is creative and fun, and to empower them with the tools and connections to succeed," said Anna Llobet, the camp founder and co-organizer. "The volunteer scientists, engineers, technical and professional staff act as role models, share their career paths and convey their genuine interest in the students’ success."

Around half the students took advantage of the free residential option, allowing the camp to reach attendees who would be unable to commute to Santa Fe every day. 

"This was a unique opportunity for students from several Native American communities (Navajo Nation, Jicarilla Apache, Mescalero Apache) and students from locations as far as Mescalero, Aztec, Farmington, Alamogordo, Mayhill and Hobbs," Llobet said. "The residential option also allowed our cohort from Hilo in Hawaii to join in person, supported by the Department of Education of Hawaii and the unwavering support of the Hawaii Science and Technology Museum. This promoted more integration between the students and more collective sharing of our cultures."

Powered by volunteers

With the help of more than 140 volunteers from Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories and elsewhere, the camp explored topics related to energy and energy security and gave students a chance to boost their understanding of how STEM improves the world through hands-on activities, demonstrations, tours, talks and a multiday engineering project.

"The lectures and hands-on work helped students discover career pathways they may not have been exposed to before and find role models they can identify with," Llobet said.

2024-08-14
Camp attendees on their tour of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE).

The students also explored professional skills such as resumé writing and mock interviews and had the chance to talk to representatives from New Mexico colleges and universities.

Students are encouraged to apply for internships at the national laboratories after the camp, and the attendees join the national SAGE Journey program, which brings the DOE laboratories together to broaden diversity in STEM and provide paths to internships and jobs.

“Our goal is to expose bright students from New Mexico to not only physics, but other areas of the Lab like chemistry, engineering and computer science,” said co-organizer Andrea Albert. “We must be doing a good job creating a pipeline to the Lab, because 33 former campers were interns at the Lab this summer!“

The two weeks included tours of facilities at the Laboratory, including the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.

The camp is made possible by volunteer staff members from Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories plus donations from the following organizations that support room, board and supplies: LANL Foundation, New Mexico Consortium, American Chemical Society, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, American Physical Society Four Corners, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, N3B, Science Accelerating Girls’ Engagement, Los Alamos Women in Science, Waste Management Symposia, Pueblo Alliance, Herrera Coaches, the Hawaii Science and Technology Museum and the Department of Education of the State of Hawaii.

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