The HabForum

Yesterday's mail included this year's Space Camp DVD and brochure. Seems that they're gender specific. So, I got the "Space Camp Girl" one. I didn't have a chance to look over it too closely (other than to wish that 1. I was going back this year and 2. I was a kid so that I could do X-Camp). I did notice that some of the pictures seem to have been cropped to include just a group of girls (mostly the AC pictures).

Has anyone taken the time to see watch the DVD? Is it gender specific as well?

I was thinking that it might be interesting to have a "girls week" or a couple of all girls teams. Especially for younger kids, that might take some of the scariness out of the idea of a "math and science" type camp for some girls. Could also be interesting to bring in some special guest speakers. Astronauts and/or pilots would be great, but women who are working engineers and scientists might make greats as well, especially if they were alumni. I'd volunteer to lecture, if given the chance (and maybe some help with costs).

There used to be an all-girls week at Space Camp in the late 90s or early 00s called the Sally Ride programme. I think an all-girls week at AC would be fun as well.

I am not so sure that I like gender-specific advertising though - it seems a bit odd considering the camp is co-ed. Mind you, I cannot get the new DVD because I'm up in Canada, so I don't know to what extent the advertising goes to.

And I'm with you there - I wish I were a kid again so I could go back to X-Camp and AC. (I can still easily pass as a high school kid with looks alone but my birthdate would give me away.)

I personally wouldn't like an all-girls camp week, maybe because I'm such a big tomboy and I've always gotten along better with guys. I think it brings more diversity into the program.

Gender specific advertising doesn't really seem right to me, since the camps are co-ed. I don't know why they would choose to do this. I wonder if I got advertisement back in Chicago. I guess I'll have to call back home and find out and see if they'll send it to me.

An all girls week would probably work for the Space Camp aged kids but I'm not to sure about the older ones. I once had a team of 11 girls and only 6 boys and there were some issues between the girls. My teams that had more boys than girls had no probems like that.

I personally would not want an all girl team, but I think it could be a good thing for the younger ones, especially if there were special guest speakers. I believe it is important to get girls involved in science at a young age and they can sometimes be intimidated boys.

As far as I remember, Sally Ride camp was just for parent/child camps and it was all girls with their parent (I believe the parent could have been anyone - not just female)

DVD's should be the same on these kits- the poster and case are different.

Also there are three versions; a boy version, a girl version .... and a robot version.