G.A.M.E.S. Campers Passionate about Saving the Planet Learn About Environmental Engineering


Environmental Engineering GAMES campers analyzing results of water quality at Boneyard Creek.

August 4, 2016

The 2016 Environmental Engineering and Sustainability G.A.M.E.S. Camp was a perfect experience for 20 high school girls who have a passion for saving the planet. This one-week camp addressed many facets of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), ranging from water quality, air quality, renewable energy, and sustainability, and gave the girls some exposure to what a career in environmental engineering might be like. The 2016 Environmental Engineering and Sustainability G.A.M.E.S. Camp was in its sixth year of operation led by the creator and co-director of the camp, Sotiria Koloutsou-Vakakis, who was originally inspired to start the camp because of her daughter’s positive experiences at G.A.M.E.S. camps years ago. Koloutsou-Vakakis says she keeps on doing it because she loves teaching: “I do games camp because I love working with students of all ages.”

One of several graduate students who helped out with this year’s camp was Mary Foltz, a CEE graduate student in Environmental Engineering whose research focuses on nitrogen cycling in agricultural fields. According to Foltz, because the camp’s activities touched on a wide range of environmental engineering issue, this dovetailed with the girls’ wide spectrum of interests.


Two Environmental Engineering GAMES campers test water quality at Boneyard Creek

“Some really enjoyed the outdoors lab where we tested water quality at Boneyard Creek. Others were really interested in computer modeling and mapping software we utilized throughout the camp. Still others liked the tour of Abbott Power Plant and learning about how interrelated water and energy are. Luckily, there was something for everyone with the large variety of topics we covered."

Like Koloutsou-Vakakis, Foltz indicates that she also got involved with the camp because of her love of teaching.

“I participated in the GAMES camp mostly because I love teaching,” he admits. “Before coming to graduate school, I spent a year teaching science at an alternative high school outside Chicago. Although I love the classes and research I am involved in here at UIUC, I really missed interacting with students and being a positive role model for them. GAMES gave me the opportunity to share my love of environmental engineering and science with the girls.”


Environmental Engineering GAMES camper works on tidal wave project.

Foltz was also motivated by the desire to do a little recruiting—she wanted to “hopefully encourage them to consider engineering and UIUC for their future.”

Did she also hope some of them would end up in CEE? Foltz indicates that many of the participants discovered that environmental engineering is the field for them. “I know several of the girls will end up in civil and environmental engineering. Many of the girls came in wondering what exactly we do as engineers and what their future could possibly look like going this route. After learning about the diverse areas you can get involved with through civil and environmental engineering, many girls realized this was the field for them.”

Foltz indicates that having some of the girls discover that engineering or CEE was not the field for them was equally important: “The camp was still beneficial for those who determined that this field wasn't for them after all, because at least they figured that out now rather than three years into their college studies like some students these days do.”

Like Foltz, Koloutsou-Vakakis reports that she too definitely saw some future engineers in the group—and possibly some in her own field—and also hopes they end up at Illinois. “Most of these students this year, they chose this camp intentionally. It was their first choice. That’s what they told us. And they’re planning a career in sciences or engineering. We hope they come to Civil and Environmental Engineering.”


Two Environmental Engineering GAMES learn about sustainability

According to Koloutsou-Vakakis, because the group was comprised of mostly juniors and seniors this year, they were hoping for some input regarding CEE as a career. “So they’re definitely looking for their future major and career,” she explains. “We also have some sophomores who are just exploring.”

And of the group of mostly juniors and seniors, Foltz too believes many of the girls got some help regarding their decision making about their future career:

“The most important impact I think the camp made was helping the girls decide if engineering, and more specifically environmental or civil engineering, was for them. They came in with so many questions and uncertainty and left with a good sense of direction.”

Story by Elizabeth Innes and Skylar Johnson, I-STEM undergraduate student. Photographs by Elizabeth Innes, Communications Specialist, I-STEM Education Initiative.
More: 8-12 Outreach, Environmental Engineering, GAMES, GAMES: ESE, Summer Camp, Sustainability, Women in STEM, 2016

For additional I-STEM articles on 2016 engineering camps, please see:


Camper gathering data on water quality.

GAMES campers analyze results.

Dr. Sotiria Koloutsou-Vakakis, Director of the Environmental Engineering GAMES camp, works with campers who are measuring the output of their wind turbine.




SOLIDarity EXperiences (SOLIDEX) through the Eyes of Children

What do children aged 11-13 in two countries think about solidarity?
Full Story

Students launch ASL STEM Vocabulary App Company

Students launch ASL STEM Vocabulary App Company
Full Story

Innovation, Inspiration on display at the Undergraduate Research Symposium

Undergraduate Research Week took place April 23-29, 2023, and culminated Thursday, April 27, 2023
Full Story

What would you like to see – 3D printers? Magnets? Solar-powered racing cars? Robobrawl?

March 28, 2023
EOH occurs Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Full Story

Tour of Illinois’ Materials Research Lab through I-MRSEC sparks Franklin students’ interest in Materials Science

March 1, 2023
Students from the Champaign middle school had a tour of the Material Research Laboratory (MRL) in early February.
Full Story

Nobel Project’s End-of-Year Zoom Bash Recaps Learning

February 1, 2022
The STEM Illinois Nobel Project held a special, end-of-the-year Zoom event celebrating its participating students’ achievements.
Full Story

It’s not magic, it’s physics

January 26, 2022
In Franklin STEAM Academy, Musical Magnetism program makes STEM fun, approachable.
Full Story

Program prepares STEM educators to teach all students

November 30, 2021
This summer, a group of educators gathered to learn about engaging STEM activities they can do with their students.
Full Story

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program

November 11, 2021
Undergrads get a taste of research through I-MRSEC’s REU program.
Full Story

Goldstein’s Renaissance Engineering Summer Camp

November 1, 2021
Goldstein’s Renaissance Engineering Summer Camp Incorporates Art, Design, Mechatronics, and Mentoring
Full Story

TechTogether Chicago to Redefine the Hacker Stereotype

July 10, 2021
New workshops that can help inspire students to pursue careers in technology..
Full Story

Aerospace Engineering Launches Virtual Summer Camps to Pique Students’ Interest in Aero.

July 2, 2021
Design an aircraft then watch it soar after launching it with a huge rubber band. Build a Mars lander to safely transport a real egg, then test the contraption by dropping it from a second story window.
Full Story

Undergrads Experience Materials Science Research Courtesy of the I-MRSEC REU

June 16, 2021
Ten undergraduate students are spending the summer of 2021 discovering what research is like.
Full Story

MatSE Afterschool Academy

MatSE Afterschool Academy

June 14, 2021
MatSE Afterschool Academy to Introduce Students to Materials Science and Beyond.
Full Story

Taylor Tucker Embraces Multidisciplinary Interest

Taylor Tucker Embraces Multidisciplinary Interest

June 14, 2021
Taylor Tucker Embraces Multidisciplinary Interest While Researching Task Collaboration.
Full Story

Exposes Franklin Middle Schoolers to Science, CS

What Studying Engineering at Illinois is Like?

May 25, 2021
NSBE’s Michaela Horn Exposes Franklin Middle Schoolers to Science, CS, and What Studying Engineering at Illinois is Like.
Full Story

Jenny Saves a Convertible.

Children’s-Book-Writing Duo/

May 19, 2021
Convertibles and Thunderstorms—Children’s-Book-Writing Duo on Their Way Thanks to Illinois Training and Encouragement from Mentors.
Full Story

Improve Learning in Engineering

Improve Learning in Engineering

May 17, 2021
Liebenberg Espouses Mini-Projects to Engage Students Emotionally, Improve Learning in Engineering.
Full Story

Joshua Whitely makes an adjustment to the 3D Bioprinter during the demo.

BIOE435 Capstone Projects

May 12, 2021
BIOE435 Capstone Projects - BIOE Seniors Use Knowledge/Skills to Problem Solve.
Full Story

Elani and Gonzalo shine a UV light on a rose that has absorbed a solution that has made it fluorescent.

Illinois Scientists Shine a (UV) Light on Fluorescence

May 7, 2021
What is fluorescence? What causes it?
Full Story

Joshua Whitely makes an adjustment to the 3D Bioprinter during the demo.

HackIllinois 2021 “Rekindled Connections” With The Tech Community

May 5, 2021
Annual student hackathon HackIllinois with the aim of developing projects on current problems facing society.
Full Story

A Shane Mayer-Gawlik image of the Bridger Aurora, part of his Night Skies photography collection exhibited at the Art-Science Festival.

The Art-Science Festival

April 26, 2021
Illinois Art-Science Festival: Illuminating the Universe...from the Quantum World to the Cosmos.
Full Story

Joshua Whitely makes an adjustment to the 3D Bioprinter during the demo.

Illinois Engineering Seniors Prepared to Change the World

April 22, 2021
Ready. Set. Go! Illinois Engineering Seniors Prepared to Change the World.
Full Story

HML 2021 Virtual Health

HML 2021 Virtual Health

April 19, 2021
Make-a-Thon Gives Citizen Scientists a Shot at Making Their Health-Related Innovations a Reality.
Full Story

I-MRSEC’s Music Video

I-MRSEC’s Music Video

April 7, 2021
I-MRSEC’s Music Video for EOH ’21 Plugs Graphene, 2D Materials
Full Story

Health Make-a-Thon Orientation

HML 2021 Health Orientation

March 30, 2021
HML 2021 Health Make-a-Thon Orientation Prepares Finalists for Competition.
Full Story

Andrea Perry shows Franklin students how to take apart the magnetic drawing board they received in their kit

Musical Magnetism

March 25, 2021
Musical Magnetism: Encouraging Franklin Middle Schoolers to Express Science Via the Arts.
Full Story

Carmen Paquette street performing.

Love of Science

March 9, 2021
Paquette Conveys Her Love of Science, Dance to Franklin STEAM Students Via Musical Magnetism.
Full Stroy

An Engineering Exploration participant exhibits the tower they built as part of the engineering challenge related to Civil Engineering

Engineering Exploration

March 2, 2021
SWE’s Engineering Exploration Outreach Lives Up to Its Name.

ChiS&E’s Family STEM Day

ChiS&E’s Family STEM Day

February 23, 2021
Helps Chicago Youngsters Progress Along the STEM Pipeline Toward Engineering.

Kathny Walsh

Kathy Walsh

February 17, 2021
On Her First Foray into STEAM, Kathy Walsh Acquaints Franklin Students with Microscopy, Haiku.

ChiS&E student

ChiS&E CPS Students

January 19, 2021
Illinois Undergrads Encourage ChiS&E CPS Students Toward Possible Careers in Engineering.

I-MRSEC’s Music Video

CISTEME365 Provides Year-Round PD/Community

January 4, 2021
to Illinois Teachers in Support of Informal STEM Education Efforts to Underserved Students.