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How the future of STEAM rests in the hands of today’s young women
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Tips for adults on encouraging girls to explore STEAM fields
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Valuable STEAM-inspired websites & resources for all girls.
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Charting the direction you want her to go!
Girl Scouts encourages and empowers girls to go full S.T.E.A.M. ahead!
Girls are natural-born scientists! They look at the world around them with inquisitive eyes, experiment and push boundaries, and learn as they go. Girl Scouts introduces girls of every age to science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) to help them see how they can actually improve the world—whether they’re programming robots, learning to manage finances, painting, or caring for animals. This issue will help you encourage your girl to explore different aspects of STEAM, and show you how every year, Girl Scouts can help through our varied - “fun with purpose” - K–12 curriculum that inspires girls to explore, discover, dream, and create. Find out more about our STEAM programming on p.5!
Arts and the Sciences
adapted from: http://www.girlmuseum.org/view/exhibitions/steam-girls/ Girls and women have been working in the sciences for thousands of years, and we have all benefited from their contributions. But being in STEM fields requires more than just science, technology, engineering, and math skills. It requires something that benefits exponentially from the skills found in the arts. In fact, if we think about the sciences and arts, they are really very similar. All require dedication, creativity, ingenuity, and curiosity. They require making connections and integrating parts into a whole -- a talent that most girls have. When given the opportunity to combine and flourish, these skills can help us create a better, more colorful world. As Mae Jemison said, “The difference between science and the arts is not that they are different sides of the same coin...or even different parts of the same continuum, but rather, they are manifestations of the same thing. The arts and sciences are avatars of human creativity.” And Mae would know, since she was a doctor, dancer, and the first African American woman in space. Additionally, research has shown that Nobel laureates in the sciences are seventeen times more likely than the average scientist to be a painter, twelve times as likely to be a poet, and four times as likely to be a musician. This makes for very interesting lives and opens up human potential to infinite possibilities. What is STEAM? STEAM is the inclusion of the arts to the traditional program of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Making STEAM a formal learning approach was first developed at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). They believed in creative, collaborative and experiential problem solving (continued p.2) Girl Scout Alumna Mae Carol Jemison is an American physician and NASA astronaut. She became the first African-American woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992. Jemison served in the Peace Corps from 1985 to 1987, when she was selected by NASA to join the astronaut corps. She resigned from NASA in 1993 to form a company researching the application of technology to daily life. She has appeared on television several times, including as an actress in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. P1 ~ The GPS Newsletter ~ May 2016 She is a dancer, and holds nine honorary doctorates in science, engineering, letters, and the humanities. She is the current principal of the 100 Year Starship organization. source: www.wikipedia.org
STEAM RESOURCES Fun and educational sites for girls to empower themselves, explore and create.
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in order to create the leaders, innovators and educators of the new millennium. And the evidence backs this up. A 2008 report from DANA Arts & Cognition Consortium found that training in the arts improves math and reading scores and boosts attention, cognition, working memory, and reading fluency. Pretty Brainy, a nonprofit that engages There are many ways the arts and sciences mix. Design is the most obvious, but there middle and high school girls through is also the mathematics of music, the chemistry of object and building conservation, making, philanthropy, and design. At the the art of biological illustration, astronomic charting and photography. heart of Pretty Brainy is social responsibility Many of the greatest contributions to human knowledge have resulted from minds -- empowering the girls to use their STEAM that STEAMed ahead, blending the arts and sciences to find new connections, skills for the greater good. create new inventions, and open our eyes to a world beyond what we ever could Girl Museum is the first and only museum in have imagined. the world dedicated to celebrating girls and Whether in the classroom, through extracurricular activities, or at home, the girlhood. The virtual museum offers research, opportunities for girls to learn STEAM skills are increasing every day. And it’s a preservation, and presentation of girl culture. skill-set that will always be in demand, as it empowers girls with creativity, ingenuity, The EngineerGirl website is designed to and curiosity to successfully address the increasingly complex, multidisciplinary bring national attention to the exciting challenges of our future -- and STEAM ahead to a brighter, better tomorrow. opportunities that engineering represents for girls and women. Design Squad Nation: Design anything Why STEM’s Future Rests in the Hands your mind might imagine. Through Design of 12 Year-Old Girls Squad challenges, videos and tutorials, you’ll from CRUNCH NETWORK - Posted Jan 5, 2016 by Erin Sawyer discover all there is to know about engineering principles. http://techcrunch.com/2016/01/05/why-stems-future-rests-in-theHelping Your Child Learn Mathematics: hands-of-12-year-old-girls/ Curated by the U.S. Department of Education, this website contains math activities (to be How do we empower elementary school girls to embrace an completed at home, at the store and on the go) interest in STEM? for preschoolers and elementary kids. The question is, to prevent this deterioration in scores and Kids.gov: From imaginary jungles to ion perceived ability, how do we empower elementary school girls to embrace an experiments, Kids.gov has plenty of resources interest in STEM and develop leadership skills that will help them navigate their for a rainy day. Watch an animation on thunder way through school to be prepared to choose any career, including STEM? and lightning or take a virtual field trip to the How can educators address the main factors at this critical 9- to 12-year-old National Zoo. window that are standing in the way of more girls going into STEM fields? National Geographic Kids: Which do you think We need to address the three main causes that prevent girls from entering is cuter: the puffer fish or the clown fish? On this into STEM fields: website, you can vote in polls, take part in eggsMake the connection. Neuropsychiatric studies show that girls are inclined periments, watch videos, play puzzles and learn toward subjects and activities that involve communication and connectionamazing facts. making, and therefore often reject STEM-related careers that they view as Scratch: With Scratch, kids can program their own individual contributor roles, with little interaction and teamwork. interactive stories, games, and animations. However, STEM employers are, in fact looking for employees who also Autodesk Digital Steam Workshop: Digital STEAM have the “soft skills” where women typically excel — including the ability to projects are designed by Autodesk’s network of network, effectively communicate and work in teams. Girls need positive expert educators, designers and student alumni as women engineer role models who can articulate that STEM-related careers exciting complements to core Science, Technology, allow for communication and connection-making; for example, explain the Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) curriculum. importance of mentorship, how their work helps the community and the Each project aligns with common core and national environment and how they apply leadership. standards, and delivers measurable learning while By highlighting that women have been excelling in the soft skills also needed using free software. for STEM jobs, we can help prevent girls from being discouraged from pursuing the technical skills also needed to succeed. Change the mindset around leadership. Beliefs that girls hold about their own potential is critical when they are choosing to opt in or out of STEM subjects in school and STEM careers. Students with a “growth mindset” (versus a fixed mindset) are often the highest achievers. Stanford professor Jo Boaler describes the research evidence showing that when children develop a “growth mindset,” they believe that intelligence can be learned and grown from exercise — and therefore adopt thought patterns such as believing that effort is important: embracing challenges, pushing through setbacks, using feedback to improve and being inspired by and learning from others. However, too many of our current practices in education are based on notions about fixed ability of students’ potential. Mindset messages can be communicated through the classroom, and we need to equip girls with (continued on p. 3) P2 ~ The GPS Newsletter ~ May 2016
Girl Scout Voices Count
FOLLOWING THE GPS
To give girls the best programs possible, improve volunteer training, and secure funding resources, we are interested in knowing how Girl Scouts is benefiting your daughter. Please give your daughter access to Girl Scouts Heart of the South’s 2016 Outcomes Survey, and have her complete it before May 15, 2016. Girl Scouts Heart of the South is also participating in research being conducted by Girl Scouts of the USA and the Girl Scout Research Institute. You may have received a message in April asking you and/or your daughter to complete a survey. You and your daughter are encouraged to participate in all the surveys, as they have different focuses. Outcomes research is very important to the improvement of Girl Scouting and valuable for gaining support from the community and potential funders. If you have questions or prefer a paper copy of the survey, you can contact Lori Gilmore at Girl Scouts Heart of the South.
Items for girls ages 5~7 (Daisies) Items for girls ages 7 ~ 10 (Brownies)
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this mindset, as well as leadership skills, in elementary school in order to better prepare them for middle and high school. Exposure to practical uses of STEM. Girls’ view of mathematics as boring, complicated or hard plays a significant role in students’ decisions to opt out of pursuing STEM fields. Exposure to the practicality of the subject matter shows girls how math can be interesting, uncomplicated and within their reach. Educators can do more to address this issue in class by showing girls how innovative high-tech companies and other careers in STEM apply the math concepts the girls learn in school. After-school programs can help fill the gap, as well. Bringing our young girls into the future STEM workforce is not just about gender equality — it’s also about building a strong U.S. economy and tapping into a potentially huge source of undeveloped, world-class talent. Future women engineers, scientists and mathematicians will create new ideas, products and technologies in the 21st century, and lead new businesses, industries and policy making. Although women fill close to half of all jobs in the U.S. economy, they hold less than 25 percent of STEM jobs. STEM workers are crucial drivers of long-term, sustainable economic growth. And STEMeducated employees are in high demand: STEM jobs are growing at a faster rate and have lower levels of unemployment than other occupations. Wages in STEM jobs are higher than those in non-STEM jobs, with women in STEM earning 20 percent more in STEM jobs than other college-educated women, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. STEM is a win-win for women and the economy. To promote more women in STEM in future generations — both as a human rights and equal opportunity issue and one crucial to the U.S. economy and global standing — we need to do more to change the trajectory for our girls.
Role Models Matter It’s amazing to hear a girl say, “I want to be the next Sally Ride. Or the next Jane Goodall or Anita Borg.” By connecting with a role model, the aspirations of a young girl become real, concrete and achievable. Girls gain a better understanding of and connection to STEM career when they are introduced to role models. Girl Scouts Heart of the South piloted Engineer Your Journey program materials developed by Techbridge, which included Role Model training resources as part of their curriculum. The Techbridge publication, “Working Together: Role Models and Girl Scouts,” provides tips for involving STEM role models in programs. The Role Models Matter Online Training Toolkit developed by Techbridge helps volunteers develop skills to engage girls and underrepresented youth in STEM through readings, videos, questions, and more. Additional resources provide suggestions and guidance on planning successful field trips, sample hands-on activities, icebreaker activities, and agendas for STEM activities. Role models have the power to change lives. When a girl hears your personal story and learns about your career, it can put her on a path she may have never before imagined. All it takes to volunteer is your time and a willingness to talk about your profession and the path you took to get there. You can get involved for a few hours, a day or all year. Women and men are needed to introduce girls to STEAM careers: ~ Take girls on a tour of your place of work ~ Share your experiences ~ Facilitate an activity ~ Make connections to other STEAM role models ~ Coordinate a badge workshop
Items for girls ages 10 ~ 13 (Juniors) Items for girls ages 12 ~ 14 (Cadettes) Items for girls ages 14 ~ 16 (Seniors) Items for older girls ages 15 ~ 18 (Ambassadors)
If you would like to be a role model for Girl Scouts Heart of the South STEAM programs, contact rebecca.day@girlscoutshs.org; 901-334-3445. P3 ~ The GPS Newsletter ~ May 2016
Tips for Adults In the Girl Scout Research Institute study, “Generation STEM: What Girls Say about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math,” we found that a high number (74%) of teen girls are interested in STEM subjects and the general field of study, and that they’re drawn by the creative, hands-on aspects of these subjects. Further, while girls aspire to STEM careers, these careers aren’t necessarily girls’ first choice at this time. Girls need more exposure to and better education about what STEM careers are and what they can offer if such careers are to gain priority status. Parents, other family members, teachers, mentors, and advocates for girls can help with education and exposure, as well as encouragement, so that girls develop the internal assets they need to take on and excel in these innovative, worldchanging careers now and in the future. Tip 1: Girls are interested in STEM! Talk to them like they are. This research suggests that, compared to past generations, the current generation of girls can and possibly will be the STEM experts of the future. Let’s get on board with this concept and encourage our girls to become a part of it, rather than expressing and acting on outdated and traditional views that don’t support girls and women pursuing STEM. Tip 2: Encourage girls to ask questions about the world, experiment, and problem solve. Get girls involved in activities that will foster their STEM skills. This study shows that a high percentage of girls interested in STEM fields like to solve problems (85%), build things and put things together (67%), do hands-on science projects (83%), and ask questions about how things work and find ways to answer these questions (80%). Girls enjoy the hands-on aspect of exploration and discovery, which is something many children enjoy. (They’re budding scientists!) Adults would do well to encourage young girls to inquire about the world, solve problems, and to use their natural curiosity, creativity, and experimentation when at play. You might encourage a girl to understand how things grow in a garden, what things look like under a microscope, how to measure ingredients to bake a cake, or how to build a piece of furniture from IKEA. Satisfy her questions about why the sky is blue and why the sun goes down at night. Find the answers together. This inquisitiveness and fun can lead to innovative and enjoyable work in the future. Getting girls involved in STEM activities will foster their skills in these areas and develop other internal attributes such as motivation, work ethic, curiosity, patience, and confidence. It will also help them learn how to handle their frustration when things go wrong. Tip 3: Educate yourself about STEM opportunities and show girls they can achieve their goals through STEM careers. Girls say they don’t know a lot about STEM careers and the opportunities afforded by these fields. For example, 60 percent of girls interested in STEM say they know more about other careers than they do about STEM careers. Not surprisingly, this percentage is even higher for girls who say they’re not interested in STEM (79%). There’s plenty of room for education here, and this education can come from adults like you. Our research finds that girls who are interested in STEM fields are more likely to have parents who are interested in STEM, parents who have encouraged their daughters to pursue these fields. Additionally, girls want to make the world a better place and help people, but they may not understand how STEM careers help people, or how their STEM interests can further their goals of helping people. Nearly all girls (88%) want to make a difference in the world and to help people (90%), but only 13 percent of girls interested in STEM name a first-choice career in these fields. Girls do well in math and science, yet many don’t know their full range of career possibilities; many don’t know what engineering actually is. Educate yourself about career prospects in STEM. The more you know about these fields and related opportunities, the more you can educate girls about the many career possibilities; perhaps you’ll even change some of your own perceptions. Tip 4: Expose girls to experts and mentors in STEM fields. Our research shows that girls who say they have STEM interest have been more exposed to professionals in this area and know about the fields. Two-thirds (66%) of girls interested in STEM say they know someone in
Camp Life is the Best Life! Let your daughter experience the fun, friends and memories of resident camp this summer. Space is still open at Kamp Kiwani and Camp Tik-a-Witha. Register now! Have questions? Join our camp director Emilie “Chicken” Hutcheson for: Campfire Chats with Chicken Webinar; 6:30-7:30pm ~ May 12 ~ May 17 Are your daughters excited about camp? Are you still looking for answers to some questions? Learn more about Girl Scout Camp and answer all those questions that you may have. Your camp adventure begins by learning about camp expectations and some of the program that is offered this summer. There will be frequently asked questions answered during this time as well as a time for other questions to be answered. Come join Emilie “Chicken” Hutcheson for a Campfire Chat to learn more. Click on your preferred date above to register.
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P4 ~ The GPS Newsletter ~ May 2016
www.girlscoutshs.org/summercamp
Through STEM programs, girls become resourceful problem solvers (48– 75%), challenge seekers (56% & 49%), promoters of cooperation and team building (84% & 74%), and feel empowered to make a difference in the world (89%).* (continued from p.4)
a STEM career, compared to 47 percent of girls not interested in STEM. Exposing girls to people with careers in STEM is clearly beneficial to them; they’re able to observe firsthand what these careers are and what they offer. Girls can recognize how women in these fields have succeeded and overcome obstacles, and as they get older and start planning for college, they will look to mentors in these lines of work to answer questions about choosing college coursework and steering their STEM interests toward STEM majors in college, on to eventual STEM careers. Tip 5: Develop girls’ confidence and their “inner resumes” so they’ll have what it takes to become STEM experts. Foster girls’ internal assets, such as confidence, self-esteem, initiative, and work ethic. This can make girls feel successful and capable when it comes to interest in STEM fields—and anything else they set their minds to and have traditionally been steered
Girl Scouts & STEAM (continued from p.1)
By inspiring girls to discover more of what they really care about, Leadership Journeys, proficiency badges and events encourage girls to explore a wide range of interests - everything from the art in the outdoors, coding, geocaching, digital design, and kitchen chemist. For example, in the It’s Your Planet—Love It! series, girls can explore the natural world by learning about the water cycle, completing energy audits, assessing air quality, calculating their “food print” and learning kitchen science, and figuring out how much trash is created and how to reduce it. Recently refreshed to better reflect girls’ interests and to focus on twenty-first-century skills, several badge categories make special use of STEAM activities. For example: ~ Naturalist badges invite girls to explore the outdoors and learn about the environment. ~ Digital Art badges help girls build valuable technology and computer skills. ~ Science and Technology badges connect girls to favorite science topics like video game development, the physics of roller coasters, and the technology used to create new fabrics. ~ Innovation badges encourage problem solving using scientific methods from fields like anthropology, engineering, graphic design, and business. ~Financial Literacy badges prepare girls for a financially sound future.
away from. Girls do just as well in math and science as boys do, but their confidence in their math and science abilities is lower than boys’. When girls feel capable and confident in their abilities, they’re more likely to challenge themselves and overcome any obstacles along the way. Internal assets are just as important as experience, exposure, and education, with confidence in one’s abilities in math and science the key to moving forward in a STEM field. Girls should embrace their knowledge and abilities rather than be influenced by what society says girls should and shouldn’t be. And it’s important that adults remind girls what they’re capable of—and that their roles in life are limitless!
Girls attribute improvements in their leadership skills to their participation in Girl Scouting and STEM programs. Girls credit their Girl Scout STEM programs with helping them step in to leadership roles more often (81% & 86%), and with becoming better at working with others (83–92%).*
~ NEW Art in the Outdoors badges inspire Girl Scouts to explore the art that exists all around them through fun activities like making “galaxy shirts” inspired by the night sky or filming an environmental documentary. Badge requirement will be *source: Girl Scout available online May 30. Research Girl Scouts Heart of the South has a variety of Institute STEAM program events and partnerships throughout the region. Additional STEAM “Pop-Up” programs can be scheduled by contacting alicia.washington@girlscoutshs.org Badge Workshop Partnership: Apple – Saddle Creek, Germantown, TN This new partnership allows girls to create amazing work while earning Girl Scout Junior or Cadette badges. Girls will take their imaginations to new heights using Apple products to produce immersive, creative projects. Troops register on their own and schedule a time that works best for them. To Schedule: http://www.apple.com/retail/fieldtrip/ ~ Cadette: Digital Movie Maker ~ Junior: Entertainment Technology ~ Junior: Product Designer Girls in Aviation Day – Hosted by the Memphis Belles Chapter of Women in Aviation September, Greater Memphis Area, All Ages Meet women pilots and learn all about the engineering and science involved in aviation.
There are Girl Scouts STEAM-inspired badges for every level of Scouting! P5 ~ The GPS Newsletter ~ May 2016
For complete details about all of the exciting Girl Scouts Heart of the South events and programs listed below visit: www.girlscoutshs.org/calendar. May 7 Ring Riders
10:00am - 12:00pm Kamp Kiwani Must have completed Pony Rider
Pony Riders
1:00pm - 3:00pm Kamp Kiwani Beginner level
Nano Science Day 10:00am - 12:00pm Pink Palace, Memphis Brownie, Junior
May 12 Campfire Chat w/Chicken 6:30 - 7:30 PM Webinar
May 14 All About Birds - Lichterman Discovery Day
9:00am - 12:00pm Lichterman Nature Center; Memphis
Scout Day @ Six Flags St. Louis All Day Event Six Flags; St. Louis, MO
5:00pm - 7:00am Trustmark Park; Pearl, MS
May 17 Campfire Chat w/Chicken 6:30 - 7:30 PM Webinar
July 22-23 Magic Springs Scout Camp-Out 5:00pm - 10:00pm Magic Springs; Hot Springs, AR
May 20-21 Redbirds Girl Scout Night Camp-Out 7:05pm - 9:00am Autozone Park; Memphis
June 19-26 Girl Scouts Go! Washington DC Trip *** FULL *** July 16-17 Mississippi Braves Scout Camp-Out
July 25-27 Let’s Explore: Atlanta, GA May 2016 GPS Photos: Google Images & GSUSA
Additional GSHS STEAM-Inspired Programs & Events 2016-2017 Design Time (Juniors) September 5; 10am-4pm Possibility Place, Memphis Girl Scout Service Center Survival skills meet science as girls design water filters, windpowered cranks, a message-carrying car and safe shelter for a make-believe camping trip. Girls will get out of various predicaments by applying their engineering, problem-solving and design savvy. Sphero Program (Juniors and Cadettes) Saturdays in October Various locations and times Episode X: The Droidpocolypse - A long time ago in a galaxy far away… a Jedi Girl Scout and her droid G4S4 set off to save G4S4’s brothers and sisters. You are the last Jedi and droid team in the galaxy and the world needs you to help stop the Driodpocolypse! Who is behind the Driodpocolypse and how can all of the droids be saved? You can be a part of Star Wars Episode X: The Droidpocolypse! We need your help to complete coding missions and save the droids! Start your Engines: Powderpuff Derby (Daisy-Cadette) October 22 Memphis International Raceway Design your own pinewood derby car, and get ready to race against other Girl Scouts. Make it a Hit! (Brownies - Cadettes) November 5; 10am-4pm Location TBA Are you curious about how your favorite actresses can remember all of their lines? Every wondered what all goes on backstage at a play? How do they make all of those awesome light and sound effects? Well now is your chance to become a part of the fun! Join directors, stage managers, actors, lighting and sound technicians, and more as you get a hands on experience in the theater. Girls will choose their desired workshop track, and spend the day working together to Make It a Hit! Fairytale Melodies (Daisies-Brownies) November 17; 5:30-6:30pm Location TBA Listen… listen to all of the sounds of nature; listen to the melodies P6 ~ The GPS Newsletter ~ May 2016
played by nature’s musicians. Are you ready to join in the band and create your own music garden? Girls will engineer their own instruments while learning all about the instruments we hear in nature every day. Merry deSTEMber! December 12, 13, and 15 Possibility Place, Memphis Girl Scout Service Center Stop by the Possibility Place during deSTEMber week and join in the STEM fun! Participate in various STEM activities while designing, coding, and learning about the science all around you! Robo-engineers January 17 Possibility Place, Memphis Girl Scout Service Center Dive into the fun world of LEGO robotics! Create your LEGO robot, and then bring it to life through code! Invent It! Build It! February 11 What’s in the mystery bag? Select your bag, get ready, and open! The countdown is on! Girls will race against the clock to turn their bag of odds and ends into a one-of-a-kind invention! Imagination is key as you work through all of the ideas flowing through your head, and start bringing them to life using only the materials in hand. The Hidden Language in our Lives March 20 Possibility Place, Memphis Girl Scout Service Center How are company and social websites created? What makes the words change colors or grow larger? We see it every day all across the web, but what is HTML and JavaScript? Alphabet soup? No, they are the hidden languages that take place throughout our world. Join us for this beginner’s course on coding, and start building a website of your own! Atmosphere and Beyond May 9 Possibility Place, Memphis Girl Scout Service Center Why is the sky blue? What causes rainbows? Learn about the atmosphere and the air around you during this hands-on workshop.