Girl Scouts Take Off for Exciting New Adventures
By Karen Rice • krice@nwadg.com
Some Girl Scouts from Troop 5114 in Fayetteville recently traveled to New York and New Jersey on their way to brand new worlds.
They were part of a special group of 100 girls from around the country who were chosen to travel to Girl Scouts of the USA headquarters in New York to check out some awesome new badges that girls can earn in science, technology and engineering.
Girl Scout Cheyenne S. called the trip to the east coast “a thing for dreams, especially for someone like myself, who had never seen anything bigger than Little Rock.”
On the trip, the girls explored Times Square, Central Park and the Empire State Building. They also explored new worlds in science, technology, computers and engineering.
Just ask Karen S., who was one of the Girl Scouts who traveled back east to test out the new badge programs.
“The badges were fun because they were about things that are happening in our everyday life,” Karen said. “We could relate to them.”
Her troopmate Cheyenne S. agreed. “One of the most fun things about these new badges was how much we got to create and use our heads to solve the problems presented.”
The girls took on real-world challenges, found solutions and had a lot of fun along the way. So if you think Girl Scouts is just about cookies and campfires, think again. The new badges help girls accomplish some amazing things: Things like building robots. Or investigating cybercrime. Exploring space travel. Or learning to code.
One of Karen’s favorite activities at the badge workshop was making a prosthetic elephant leg out of everyday items.
“One of the main things I learned in this experience was how much STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) affects different facets of the workplace, and how many different types of engineers there are for different jobs,” Cheyenne said.
Here are some of the badges and what they’re about:
• Robotics badges teach girls how to program, design and showcase robots.
• Cybersecurity badges help girls learn to be safe online and learn how to spot cybercrime.
• Space Science lets girls channel their inner NASA scientist.
• Mechanical Engineering teaches girls about machines, vehicles, energy and jet propulsion.
• And although Girl Scouts are already big on the outdoors, the new Environmental Stewardship badge helps them stand up and speak out for the natural world.
The new badges are for girls in all Girl Scout levels, ages 5-18. They are just some of the ways girls are stepping up, aiming high, and reaching new goals in Girl Scouts.
As Cheyenne said, “Girl Scouts has always provided ways to go and do things with girls that we would otherwise be unable to do, and I believe I speak for my troop when I say that we will always be grateful for that.”