This summer marks the return of Camp Infinity, a week-long summer camp that gives girls a chance to learn about different types of technology and help them to get interested in a field which finds women represented at a much lower percentage than in other fields.

In fact, women hold roughly 30% of all jobs in the tech sector in the United States, compared to just under 50% in all other areas of the workforce.

The camp is five days long and has two courses: one for girls in fifth and sixth grade that will see girls program a robot and build a multi-page website, the other is for seventh and eighth grade girls and will be programming a more complex robot and also designing a website. Both programs will go from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Monday, July 21, through Friday, July 25,and will provide food for the campers. The program costs $125, but scholarships are available to help cover the financial cost. Registration happens online at mcwt.app.neoncrm.com.

Christina King, the camp director and teacher at Aspen Ridge Elementary School, believes this summer camp is foundational to propagate a love of technology and education in young women.

“Camp infinity is just one of those programs that helps get women into technology at a younger and younger age,” said King. “It follows them. After Camp Infinity there are high school programs and camps for kids that set girls up with college scholarships and internships after. Then these girls come back and tell their story and it cycles through again, which is incredible.”

Camp Infinity is a program put on across the state by the Michigan Council of Women in Technology, an organization that supports and inspires women and girls to go traditionally male dominated fields of science. The camp is also sponsored by the American Association of University Women of Michigan.

“It’s an awesome, awesome program,” King said. “As a mom when I was signing my kids up for college for kids, those classes fill up so fast. So I really love that we have this extra opportunity for kids.”

More information can be found at mcwt.org.

We think that this fantastic program provides a great start for young women to get interested and involved with an industry that by all accounts will continue to play a much larger part in our lives going forward. Our daughters, sisters, nieces and friends deserve this opportunity.