STEM Careers for Girls: How You

Despite accounting for around half of the employed U.S. workforce, women in the United States make up only one third of those employed in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) occupations.

GSNI is helping raise the profiles of women in STEM and inspire the next generation of girls to consider STEM careers. In collaborating with GSNI Girl Scout Kaitlin who is currently working on her Gold Award Project to provide a MakerSpace at Camp Dean and a MakerSpace at Camp McCormick, we hope to realize this goal.

Kaitlin said, “I know how it feels to be the only girl on a robotics team and in a computer science class with all boys. Without support from other girls, we have no one to lean on. Without role models in STEM who we know personally, we have no one to look up to. Without extra encouragement to thrive in engineering and technology fields, girls are missing out on rewarding careers later in life where their voices can be heard.”

To inspire girls to be a part of the cutting-edge future in STEM, GSUSA recently designed new Badges and Journeys for Robotics, Cybersecurity, Space Science, STEM Career Exploration, Engineering, and Computer Science. However, the problem is that GSNI currently doesn’t have the equipment needed to complete these new badges or a place for Girl Scouts to work on them. Across our 16-county territory, GSNI has only one box with a robotics kit that can be checked out by Girl Scout troops—one box for 10,000 girls!

Kaitlin decided her Gold Award Project would be to create a hi-tech MakerSpace at Camp Dean and at Camp McCormick with robotics, laptops, coding, and snap circuits as well as computer-controlled 3D printers, embroiderers, and vinyl cutting machines. She presented a design and budget to the GSNI Board of Directors who enthusiastically supported the idea and offered to dedicate space at each camp. With help from many volunteers and GSNI staff, Kaitlin has secured several grants to help cover the cost of both renovating space and securing equipment.