In Chicago, there are hundreds of not-for-profit social service organizations helping a number of different communities. However, it's not easy for these groups to get their message out, given the high cost of producing outreach materials.

That will change for one organization next week, thanks to more than 35 female Chicago high school students who will gather on DePaul University's Lincoln Park Campus for a summer technology camp July 25-30.

The weeklong "Girls With Engineering Mindz (GEMz)" event seeks to provide urban youths with a well-rounded exposure to technology and life skills topics while immersing them in a collegiate environment for one week. The annual camp focuses on one specific community service project geared toward technology. This year, the camp will focus on the use of digital video technology to create short documentaries for the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation (LCDC), an organization with a mission to bring holistic revitalization to the lives and environments of Chicago's Lawndale neighborhood through economic empowerment, housing improvements, education and community advocacy.

The goals of the GEMz program is to teach students technical skills development, practice team-building techniques, build public speaking skills and enhance social development and interest in community service. Over the course of the week, campers will work in teams to write, shoot, edit and present a three-to-five minute documentary about one of LCDC's outreach programs. On July 30, a panel of judges that includes video industry leaders will view the team presentations and select the best work at 10 a.m. in Room 161 of the Schmitt Academic Center, 2320 N. Kenmore Ave.

"With the introduction of DePaul's new Digital Cinema Program this year, we felt it was a great opportunity to show campers the potential of new digital video technology," said Donna Grant-Chapple, DePaul adjunct faculty member in computer science and one of the camp's organizers. "The mission of the camp is to encourage GEMz participants to utilize technology for the betterment of their community and their world, and this fits right into that goal."

The program, funded by DePaul along with a $10,000 grant from Motorola Foundation and a $2,500 grant from the Clorox Foundation, features three tiers: an academic and technology tier that focuses on technical skill building; a personal development and team-building tier that explores basic life skills while working in a team environment; and a social development tier that exposes the participants to a variety of experiences that promote healthy social interaction. Sessions will be taught by DePaul faculty, graduate and undergraduate students from the School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems (CTI). Participants, who are selected for the camp based on commitment to academics, recommendations from school counselors and community leaders and an essay competition, will stay in campus residence halls for the week.

DePaul is the largest private higher education institution in Chicago and the largest Catholic university in the nation. A richly diverse population of 23,610 students attends classes on two city and five suburban campuses. The university has a number of ongoing programs aimed at bridging the "digital divide" that exists in American society.

DePaul was founded in 1898 by the Vincentian Fathers and Brothers (the Congregation of the Mission), a Roman Catholic religious community that continues the mission and values of Saint Vincent de Paul, the 17th century French priest known as the "Apostle of Charity."

DePaul CTI is the one of the largest computer science programs in the country, enrolling more than 4,000 students in its undergraduate and graduate degree programs. For more information on DePaul CTI, visit www.cs.depaul.edu.

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For complete camp schedule information and to arrange a visit to the camp, please contact Shawn Malayter at 312-362-6978).