STEM on Wheels:

Girl Scouts - Dakota Horizons’ Mobile Center Paves the Way for Future Scientists

South Dakota Fund Grant

Girl Scouts – Dakota Horizons helps young girls learn to navigate the pathway to success. Before Girl Scouts sail around the world or design their own fashion line, they need to believe they can do it. Right now, Girl Scouts are camping out, creating dog parks and cleaning our beaches. They are making new friends, saying no to bullies and creating bonds with local senior citizens. They are creating new laws to protect other kids, the environment and animals. They are making useful objects from what would have been trash, building robots to help disabled people and traveling the world together.

Girl Scouts – Dakota Horizons serves 10,000 members in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. They are a trusted resource for girls and their families, offering year-round programming and welcoming members from all backgrounds.

SDCF awarded Girls Scouts –Dakota Horizons a $15,250 South Dakota Fund grant to help the organization launch the Girl Scouts Citizen Scientist Initiative in South Dakota. The initiative utilizes a mobile Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Center to take the initiative on the road. The STEM Center, a cargo van, is equipped with hands-on activities, technologies and materials to bring practical experiences to Girl Scouts in their home community.

“Girl Scouts – Dakota Horizons is uniquely positioned to support community problem-solving with the launch of Girl Scouts Citizen Scientist Initiative. We’re building the next generation of leaders in the workplace and beyond,” says Marla Meyer, CEO for Girl Scouts – Dakota Horizons. “Support from the South Dakota Fund will foster community outreach and remove barriers, broadening participation throughout South Dakota. This means girls across the state can explore exciting STEM career pathways and experience in-depth leadership training.”

With the STEM Center, Girl Scouts – Dakota Horizons’ goal is to engage 300 girls of all ages and backgrounds in thinking like a scientist with SDCF support. A key factor in the project’s success will be the Girl Scouts Mobile STEM Center delivering programming to girls in 15 locations across the state, targeting rural and tribal communities. Activities from the STEM Center focus on several areas: citizen scientist, robotics, mechanical engineering and STEM careers. Girl Scouts can earn numerous badges from STEM Center activities.

“Empowering girls to make a difference in the world while bringing their dreams to life is very powerful,” says Ginger Niemann, SDCF Senior Program Officer. “At Girl Scouts – Dakota Horizons, there are endless opportunities to build confidence, respect, friendships and the courage to live their dreams while fostering development in a career path.”

To learn more about funding opportunities offered by SDCF, visit SDCommunityFoundation.org/Grants