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What: Tech Savvy for Girls video presentations

When: 2 p.m. Friday

Where: Penn State University IST Building Classroom 110, Atherton Street, State College

STATE COLLEGE - Rather than hang out at the mall or the pool, a group of local middle school girls are spending their week in front of the computer with video games.

But these girls are not just playing them - they're creating them.

All this week, Penn State University's College of Information Science and Technology is holding the Tech Savvy for Girls Camp: Adventures in Alice, which teaches girls about careers in technology.

Throughout the week, the 47 Centre and Mifflin County girls have been learning to create their own video games and stories with the Alice 3D Interactive Environment program.

Sisters Makala and Makenzie Rearick, students at Lewistown Middle School, were eager to show off their newly-learned skills. Makala created a story about a woman taking care of her pet kitten by taking it to the doctor, while Makenzie designed a world with a prospective fashion designer looking for a job.

"We were supposed to write a story about what we want to be when we grow up," Makala explained.

At a neighboring computer, Casey Kuhlman, student from Penns Valley School District, created a penguin bowling game where people answer questions and then knock down penguins with a bowling ball.

Through the Alice program, the girls learned to animate characters and objects, design landscapes and add sound, Makala said.

"We don't have to have sound effects, but it would be boring if you didn't," said Allessa Morrison, a student from Mifflin County School District, referring to the components needed for a good program.

The campers will display their finished projects at 2 p.m. Friday in Classroom 110 of the IST Building on Atherton Street in State College. The community is invited to attend.

Makala said some Alice functions - like adding objects and making them disappear - are challenging. However, the sisters said they plan to continue working with Alice after camp is over.

Enlightening the girls about future careers is the purpose of the camp, which recently expanded to include Mifflin County, said Jan Mahar, professor at Penn State University's College of Information Science and Technology.

"We want to get them excited about S.T.E.M. (science, technology,engineering and mathematics) fields," Mahar said. "We're hoping we can get more females in the fields, because we're lacking."

Mahar remembered that when she was growing up, women had few options to choose from in the S.T.E.M. field. Today, women have the opportunity to pursue any career path in existence, she said.

Heidi Webb, a Ph.D student at PSU who is teaching the camp, introduced the girls to professional women who work in fields that use S.T.E.M., Mahar said.

"Shoot-em-up video games don't always attract females," Mahar said, noting that Alice was designed specifically for females. One purpose of the camp is to show the girls that there are opportunities for them in the S.T.E.M. fields, she said.

"Not only do they speak about their profession, but they tell about how they use technology and enjoy it," Mahar said, noting the girls' interest in a biomedical technician who spoke earlier this week.

Along with future careers, the camp also promotes team-based learning, Mahar said. On Monday, a shy girl asked Mahar if she could change groups because she was not getting along with the others, she said. Mahar denied the girl's request but began watching the situation, she said.

"On Wednesday, she was smiling ear to ear" and getting along fine with her group, Mahar said. "I knew it would happen. I've seen a lot of collaboration (this week)."

Team work is important in the corporate world, Mahar said. Penn State's College of Information Science and Technology emphasizes the importance of team work for this reason, she said.

News about the camp is growing, Mahar said. Last year, 23 students applied but this year they had 87 applicants, she said. At the end of the week, the campers may take home their work and the Alice program to continue working, Mahar said.

Mahar observed that the girls "definitely come in excited. They're coming in giggling and ready to role."

Camper Janelle Yohn, a Lewistown Middle School student, said she wanted to come to the camp because "I want to learn more stuff about computers. I'm really on the computer a lot at home."

For Allessa, the camp was a chance to try something different.

"I honestly thought it would be fun. I'm not on the computer a lot because I play softball and stuff," Allessa said. "But I wanted a computer to myself to work on. Plus my parents said it would be a good learning experience for school next year."

Approximately a dozen middle-school girls from the Lewistown area participated in the camp, which was sponsored in part by Penn State University.

The middle school girls were assisted by a team of graduate and undergraduate IST female students.