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Contact: Mary Van Buren
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Girls to Explore Math and Science at Embry-Riddle Summer Camp

Daytona Beach, Fla., May 30, 2007 -- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is sponsoring a GEMS (Girls Exploring Math & Science) Summer Camp at its Daytona Beach campus July 9-13. The camp runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day and is open to all girls ages 8-13, with special discounts and badges for Girl Scouts.

The camp’s directors are Dr. Joanne Detore-Nakamura, an Assistant Professor of Communication and Humanities at Embry-Riddle, and Dr. Pamela Loughmiller, a National Science Foundation Post-Doc Research Fellow in Space Physics.

“The GEMS Summer Camp features a wide variety of hands-on activities,” says Dr. Detore-Nakamura. “The girls will have a lot of fun as they learn math and science skills that will boost their confidence and prepare them for the upcoming school year.”

Girls attending the program will learn about chemistry by making lip gloss, ice cream, and slime; aerodynamics by making hot-air balloons and water rockets; meteorology by pretending to be newscasters in front of a green screen and learning about weather; aviation by flying using a computer simulator; aerospace engineering by making water rockets and egg carriers; GPS location while scavenger hunting; mathematics by solving puzzles, making salsa, and creating proportional art; and space exploration by watching IMAX films and creating a Mars colony with arts and crafts materials.

Two snacks and drinks a day, badges, and certificates are included, along with special awards and goodie bags to be given out at the camp’s graduation ceremony.

Early bird registration by June 8 is $150 for Girl Scouts and $175 for non-scouts. After June 8, tuition is $175 for Girl Scouts and $200 for non-scouts. Registered Girl Scout adults who have passed a Girl Scout background check can assist in the classroom and earn a $25 discount for a troop member’s or daughter’s tuition.

Serving as GEMS Summer Camp counselors are Embry-Riddle students with majors such as Aeronautical Science, Aerospace Engineering, Communication, Meteorology, Aerospace Studies with a concentration in Math, and other science-related majors. All counselors will work in teams in the classroom and are supervised at all times.

Both directors of the GEMS Summer Camp have ties to the Girl Scouts and to aerospace. Dr. Detore-Nakamura is a registered adult scout with Citrus Council Troop 1085, in which her daughter is a junior scout, and she is the advisor for the award-winning NASA Means Business Team from Embry-Riddle. Dr. Loughmiller was a Girl Scout for over 10 years and earned the highest Girl Scout award at that time. She is a long-time researcher in space physics. Both women have a passion for promoting math and science in the schools.

Parents can sign up their daughters at www.erau.edu/db/summer/gems.html or follow instructions to download forms and mail in a check payable to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. For more information, contact Dr. Detore-Nakamura at detor6ee@erau.edu or (386) 226-7903 or Dr. Loughmiller at loughmip@erau.edu.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. The university educates more than 34,000 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through the Worldwide Campus at more than 130 centers in the United States, Europe, Canada, and the Middle East, and through online learning. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu.