Tag Archives: STEM

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Two hundred Girl Scouts learn science can be fun

On Saturday, Oct. 20th, female engineering students with the Society of Women Engineers from the Colorado School of Mines showed 200 Girl Scouts at Girl Scout Engineering Day at the Colorado School of Mines that STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) is all around them and can be fun. Girl Scout Engineering Day at the Colorado School of Mines is a popular Girl Scout event, for both the participants and the teachers, and has taken place on the campus for many years. The jam-packed day of hands-on STEM activities, all planned by the college students, included learning about the creation tornadoes and earthquakes, magnetic fields, electricity, states and phases of matter, compression and tension, and more. Girls also learned about careers in STEM and took a tour of the Colorado School of Mines campus.

In research released this spring by the Girl Scout Research Institute, 74 percent of teen girls are interested in STEM subjects and the general field of study. Further, a high 82 percent of girls see themselves as “smart enough to have a career in STEM.” And yet, few girls consider it their number-one career option: 81 percent of girls interested in STEM are interested in pursuing STEM careers, but only 13 percent say it’s their first choice. Additionally, girls express that they don’t know a lot about STEM careers and the opportunities afforded by these fields, with 60 percent of STEM-interested girls acknowledging that they know more about other careers than they do about STEM careers. The study concluded girls are drawn to the creative and hands-on aspects of STEM the most and particularly want to know how a STEM career could help them make a difference in the world.

Girl Scouts of Colorado incorporates fun and educational STEM activities into all aspects of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience—from camp to badge projects, events and after-school programs. Girls are introduced to STEM-related careers and to successful female role models who work in those careers. Girl Scouts’ STEM programs contribute to girls’ academic achievement and encourage them to realize their potential and leadership capabilities in STEM fields.

Girl Scouts of Colorado did live social media from the event. View a replay of this event here: Girl Scout Engineering Day at the Colorado School of Mines.

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Girl Scouts of Colorado and FIRST Lego League!

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Announcing GSCO Participation in the FIRST Lego League Robotics Challenge!

“It’s the hardest fun you’ll ever have!”

Girl Scouts of Colorado is excited to announce that we have been awarded funding to support two teams in the *FIRST Lego League Robotics Challenge!

This year’s challenge? Come up with an innovative “Senior Solution” to a problem facing the elderly and aging in your community. Learn how to use technology to take action!

See more information about the challenge here: http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/2012seniorsolutions

ONLY 20 girls will be chosen to participate in this highly respected international program.

A few requirements:

  • Participants will attend a mandatory kick-off event in Denver the evening of October 3rd.
  • Teams and coaches will agree to meet at least once per week in October and early November to get ready for competition in late November.  (Meeting location determined by mentor coach, teammates and parents).
  • Each team will share their innovative “Senior Solution” with the GSCO community in the spring of 2013.

Girls ages 9-14 are invited to apply here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/P9JKMLP

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES! The Girl Scouts of Colorado is also looking for coaches and assistant coaches to help with the First Lego League Robotics Program! Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of girls? Do you want to help girls develop technology-based solutions to issues facing seniors in your community? Becoming a FLL coach is the ideal volunteer opportunity for someone really looking to roll up their sleeves and work directly with girls in a meaningful way!

Volunteers will be asked to give approximately eight hours a week to this program. YES – parents of participants can be coaches or assistant coaches! We will be hosting an introductory volunteer meeting at 5:30 PM on Tuesday 9/25. If you want more information or to get involved, please email beth.ryan@gscolorado.org.

*More information about FLL:

In FIRST LEGO League (FLL), children are immersed in real-world science and technology challenges. Teams design their own solution to a current scientific question or problem and build autonomous LEGO robots that perform a series of missions. Through their participation, children develop valuable life skills and discover exciting career possibilities while learning
Girls ages 9-14 are invited to apply. They will:

  • Create innovative solutions for challenges facing today’s scientists as part of their research project.
  • Strategize, design, build, program, and test a robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology.
  • Apply real-world math and science concepts.
  • Develop employment and life skills including critical thinking, time management, collaboration, and communication while becoming more self-confident.
  • Become involved in their local and global community.
  • Choose to participate in official tournaments and local events.
  • Qualify for an invitation to World Festival.
  • Engage in team activities guided by FLL Core Values.
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Northern Colorado Girl Scouts learn science can be fun

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On Saturday, Sept. 8th, 27 teen Girl Scouts gathered at Colorado State University (CSU) for a science program called Lighten Up. The event focused on the science of light where girls participated in hands-on activities, including making telescopes, learning about lasers and color, how light travels through different objects, as well as careers in STEM. This event was put on in partnership with CSU, and volunteers for the event were college students from CSU’s Society of Women Engineers. In fact, head volunteer for the event, Kaarin Goncz, education director for CSU’s Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, is a Girl Scout alum and proudly wore her Girl Scout leadership pin at the event. One of the Girl Scout participants at event commented “this is way better than science in school.”

The Fort Collins Coloradoan newspaper’s Sarah Jane Kyle also attended the event, and will be publishing a story on Friday, Sept. 14th, about the flexible ways to volunteer for Girl Scouts. Be sure to check it out on their website here.

The Lighten Up event will travel around the state over the next year. Learn how you can participate by visiting our website.

STEM is an area of focus for Girl Scouts, helping girls discover that they can grow up to be leaders in this field. Learn more about Girl Scout STEM research.

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Xcel Energy awards STEM grant to Girl Scouts of Colorado

Kirk Scheitler with Xcel Energy presents a $15,000 grant check to Girl Scouts of Colorado’s president and CEO, Stephanie Foote, to support local Girl Scouts science, technology, engineering and math programs.

Xcel Energy recently awarded Girl Scouts of Colorado a $15,000 grant for its statewide science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs, with an emphasis on programming in the metro Denver area. The grant will support Girl Scouts of Colorado in providing STEM programs that contribute to girls’ academic achievement and encourage them to realize their potential and leadership capabilities in STEM fields.

Girl Scouts of Colorado incorporates fun and educational STEM activities into all aspects of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience—from camp to badge projects, events and after-school programs. Girls are introduced to STEM-related careers that are generally under-represented by women, and to successful female role models who work in those careers. Girl Scouts, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2012, has successfully engaged and cultivated girls’ interest in STEM subjects over the decades.

Through its focus area grants, Xcel Energy supports nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations that: improve science, technology, engineering, economics and math education; improve and enhance the natural environment; help individuals achieve economic self-sufficiency; and that provide access to arts and culture. In 2011, the company contributed $3.9 million in focus area grants to organizations across its eight-state service territory. More information on Xcel Energy is available at xcelenergy.com.

To learn more on how to support Colorado’s 30,000 Girl Scouts and 9,000 adult volunteers, visit girlscoutsofcolorado.org or call 1-855-726-4726.

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Local Girl Scout receives honor from NASA

Brittany Kowalski, a senior at Vista Ridge High School and a Girl
Scout since 2002, competed and earned a spot (only 40 girls nationwide received this honor) to go to Houston, Texas, to participate in a NASA program.

Congratulations to Brittany!

Read more about her in this Colorado Springs Gazette article. http://www.gazette.com/articles/kowalski-122368-spot-miss.html

She is in Girl Scout Troop 23 in Colorado Springs and is in Service Unit 13.

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Xcel Energy awards grant to Girl Scouts of Colorado

Xcel Energy recently awarded Girl Scouts of Colorado a $15,000 grant to support its science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs. The grant is specifically designed to help Girl Scouts of Colorado encourage girls to explore STEM and fuel the pipeline for the anticipated three million more scientists and engineers that America will need when today’s girls graduate from college. Programming will be delivered to girls statewide, with an emphasis on metro Denver and Colorado Springs. Girl Scouts of Colorado incorporates fun and educational STEM activities into all aspects of the Girl Scout experience from camp to troop activities, badge work, events and community outreach programs. One of the focuses of Girl Scouts’ STEM programming is introducing girls to women who work in STEM fields.

Pictured below is Kirk Scheitler with Xcel Energy (right) as he presents a $15,000 grant check to Girl Scouts of Colorado for science, technology, engineering and math activities. Girl Scouts of Colorado staff pictured are Megan Ferland (center), president and CEO, and Greg Movesian (left), senior vice president of resource development.

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