All-girls science camps held in Elgin

Elgin area girls are participating in free science camps offered in only seven communities across the nation this summer.

The Texas-based Girlstart program brought its "to Go" camps to the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin, which hosted a camp for third- and fourth-graders this week and will host a second camp for kids in fifth and sixth grades next week, said program coordinator Itzel Gutierrez. Altogether, nearly 60 girls who attend the club registered for the camps, whose theme was "Frosty Summer," she said.

"During camp, girls explored the science behind the cold," she said. "Campers engineered a frictionless suit, built a halfpipe and skateboard, designed an extreme weather shelter, created an avalanche safety kit, programmed their own computer game and more."

Girlstart's mission is "to increase girls' interest and engagement in STEM," or science, technology, engineering and math, "through innovative, nationally-recognized informal STEM education programs," according to its website.

This is the sixth year that Girlstart is bringing weeklong camps around the nation. This program is funded by Cognizant through its Making the Future education initiative and Motorola Solutions Foundation.

In addition to the Elgin camps, Girlstart is hosting camps in Silicon Valley, the Seattle metro area, and four locations in Texas.