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The Girlstart summer camp in North Austin offers a hands-on exploration of science, math and technology in a fun and girl-friendly environment.

This week, middle school students learned about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. They created a demo on oil spills using vegetable oil and Dawn dishwashing soap.

"It's so cool, because it's, like, if only they could do it, it would be so much easier. But, obviously, they can't or they would be done by now," Girlstart camper Madeleine Levsen said.

The campers also learned about ocean levels and about the habitats of specific fish. They also programmed computer games to stop the oil spill without killing any fish.

The girls participating in Girlstart summer camp also learn how to program robots. They used the robot to save a fake pelican from an oil spill instead of using humans because of the danger factor.

We're talking about marine biology and how it's important. And, the girls really relate to that. They love animals, they want to help the sea and things like that," Girlstart Camp Director Katelyn Wamsted said.

Opening their minds to math and science, and also opening their eyes to what's happening in the real world.

"It must be really sad those animals. It's hard to get it just water," Madeleine said. "And, that water is contaminated with oil So, even if you did a little bit get off, you get a little bit more on you. So, it just must be terribly sad."