For many kids here in Western Wisconsin, summer means time off of school, a break from the text books and a chance to head to summer camp.

But one camp in Dunn County is a little different from the rest: it's offering middle schoolers the chance to take classes and learn hands-on about math and science, while having fun.

It's called STEPS, and more than 100 girls from all over the Midwest are taking part.

STEPS stands for: Science, Technology, and Engineering Preview.

It's a camp designed specifically for girls entering seventh grade in the fall, to encourage them to enter the fields of science and engineering.

*cg n2line rebecca messer
Steps director, uw-stout professor
"There is a very large shortage of engineers in our country," said STEPS director and UW-Stout Physics Professor Rebecca Messer. "A whole half of the population that hasn't thought about engineering as a choice. So we want more engineers and more female engineers. And 7th grade, that's when they can start to make choices about their future."

STEPS is a week-long camp, complete with classes, tours of factories, and hands-on activities.

The entire camp centers around this: a small, motor-powered boat.

The girls start from scratch, using power tools and raw materials to shape, manufacture and create the doll-sized boats.

Program Director Rebecca Messer says it's all about helping the girls gain confidence, while exploring career paths they may not have thought about.

"I really enjoyed making the plastic bottom and top," said Susie Marks, a camper from Boyceville. "It was just a flat piece of plastic."

"I think I want to do it when I grow up," said Megan Helland, a camper from Chippewa Falls.

The camp is in its eleventh year at UW-Stout, but this is the first year the girls are making boats.

Directors say the program was so popular, they created an advanced camp for girls in tenth grade.