Girl Scouts are Stemming OuT!
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland is committed to providing opportunities to expose girls to STEM programming so they have more ways they can become a woman of courage, confidence and character who makes the world a better place. Innovative programming is critical when recruiting girls in STEM initiatives, specifically engineering, which continues to be male-dominated. Our goal is to provide girls with consistent opportunities to explore engineering and its varied applications as well as discover career paths in these fields through interactive hands-on activities and exposure to female professionals currently in the field. It also gives girls an opportunity to use math in practical situations, technology in hands-on activities and apply the principles of science to real world experiences.
About You
About You
First Name
Meghan
Last Name
Cornely
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland
Organization Website
Organization Phone
410-358-9711
Organization Address
4806 Seton Drive
Organization Country
United States, MD, Baltimore City
Country where this project is creating social impact
United States, MD, Baltimore City
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
Innovation
Entry Form title
Girl Scouts are Stemming OuT!
What change do you want to bring to the world?
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland is committed to providing opportunities to expose girls to STEM programming so they have more ways they can become a woman of courage, confidence and character who makes the world a better place. Innovative programming is critical when recruiting girls in STEM initiatives, specifically engineering, which continues to be male-dominated. Our goal is to provide girls with consistent opportunities to explore engineering and its varied applications as well as discover career paths in these fields through interactive hands-on activities and exposure to female professionals currently in the field. It also gives girls an opportunity to use math in practical situations, technology in hands-on activities and apply the principles of science to real world experiences.
What are the primary activities of your project?
Through Girls Scouts of Central Maryland’s partnership with Techbridge , we offer three exciting programs to introduce and inspire girls in science and engineering: Green Design, Make It Green - Toy Design & Engineering and Power It Up! Circuitry and Soldering with more on the horizon
In Green Design girls construct their dream studio through the detailed processes of brainstorming an idea, to creating a floor plan, to building with recycled materials. Green Design begins with different activities that stress human impact on the environment and current strategies people implement to reduce the impact. Through construction and planning, girls will further explore and reflect on their energy usage at home and consider ways in which they can change their habits to lessen their carbon footprint.
The Make It Green – Toy Design & Engineering curriculum combines girls’ love of play and creativity with the engineering design process. With limited materials and time girls are challenged to design and construct various structures and products. To get the creative process started, girls study and dissect toys with which they are familiar. Working together in teams, they brainstorm, sketch their idea, and prototype their toy. Girls then have the chance to name their toy and create a marketing plan. Through this process, girls are inspired to build a product that gives them a sense of pride and insight into engineering.
In Power It Up! Circuitry and Soldering girls learn the basic concepts behind electricity and how electronic components work in a circuit. They begin with exploration of snap circuits, learn basic electronic components and build different kinds of circuits while learning the skill of soldering. Once they have mastered this new skill they can apply it to the design and construction of a variety of fun and unique toys and games.
What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?
As previously mentioned, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland wants to close the gap between the number of men and women pursuing careers in STEM fields by creating programs that will pique girls’ interest in these areas. Techbridge provides programs that are catered to girls’ interests. Instead of focusing solely on the subject matter and the analytical aspects of STEM (traits often associated with the male brain), the program takes the concepts and works to actively engage girls in activities that they would normally view as entertaining in order to convey lessons in STEM. Not only that, the program actually gives the girls the materials to succeed and learn on their own. For example, at the start of each STEM session, the adult instructors provided the girls with the instructions, the materials and information needed to conduct the do the activity and give them a sense of the expected outcomes. From there girls, work together as a team to formulate their thoughts and ideas, creating hypothesis and general observations.
Additionally, the creation of Girl Scouts of Central Maryland’s Urban Program & STEM Center, located in Baltimore City, is unique when compared to other local youth organizations. This Center has increased the Council’s capacity to develop and implement STEM programs for under-served populations. The Center has provided GSCM with opportunities to start future program and funding partnerships with local corporations, which were previously unaware of GSCM’s commitment to providing STEM programs to girls.
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.
Because of the decline in female participation in the subject areas of science, technology, engineering and math beyond eighth grade, our target audience is girls ages 11-17 from Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County. The geographic areas that these girls come from are often considered at-risk, having minimal access to quality education due to financial and environmental constraints.
Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project
Originally created for the Oakland school system in 1883, Chabot Space & Science Center has a distinguished history as the first public observatory in the western U.S. and as the provider of highly regarded educational and community programs in astronomy for over 115 years. The Center has supported a number of programs, like Techbridge, to ensure that girls fully participate in science and technology.
The Techbridge program was launched in 2000 by Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California with support from the National Science Foundation to help increase the representation of females and underrepresented minorities in technology, science, and engineering. Since its founding, Techbridge has served over 2,800 girls through after-school and summer programs for girls, primarily in underserved communities, as well as thousands more girls through partnerships with the Girl Scouts and other national organizations. Evaluation results have demonstrated the positive outcomes of Techbridge on girls' skills, confidence and interest in technology, science and engineering.
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland utilizes the Logic Model, a 360-degree feedback system for evaluation. Techbridge is evaluated as it unfolds from the participants’ perspective, from that of the session presenters as well as from all adult volunteers, and then from GSCM staff. The process is as follows: (1) Pre and Post-testing of Participants: A pre-test and post-test is applied to all girls participating in the program to evaluate their interest, knowledge and behaviors in the subjects/categories covered by that specific outreach program component before and after the session delivery. The tests will include questions with multiple choice options and personal feedback/opinion; (2) Staff Evaluation: A written evaluation tool is completed by the Program Specialist for each of the programs to be delivered. This evaluation is based on observations and will indicate the level of understanding and interest in the subjects demonstrated by the participants; (3) Community Partner Survey: A written evaluation tool is completed by the partner contact person. This evaluation assesses the perceived quality and effectiveness of the program. The tool includes multiple choice questions and personal feedback/opinion; (4) Program Presenters & Adult Volunteers: After each session, program presenters and adult volunteers complete a survey tool that rates their perceived impact of the program on the participants. It asks for critical feedback, recommendations for changes to the program content and suggestions for other presenters, activities and/or opportunities available that may broaden their experience. Once all of the results are obtained they are sent back to Techbridge and are then analyzed by a third party independent evaluator. The results are then summarized and given back to Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. This helps keep the results concise and removes our bias in interpretation of the outcomes.
Overall, GSCM has found that girls are showing a greater interest in science-related programming now that the Council has a new Urban Program & STEM Center and there is increased focus and publicity around these programs. Girls who once stated that they want to be fashion designers or pursue other career interests are fully engaged when participating in Techbridge and it appears that they are recognizing the value of knowing how STEM impacts their everyday lives. Prior to the Council’s STEM Center opening, girls were not signing up for the limited number of STEM programs offered and did not seem to have any interest in STEM career.
How many people have been impacted by your project?
101-1,000
How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?
101- 1,000
How will your project evolve over the next three years?
In 2011, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland piloted the Science in the Kitchen program. In the fall, GSCM will have fully integrated STEM programs into the curriculum, carefully balancing what girls want to do with the skills they need to be successful in STEM careers. Listening to girls’ feedback has always been central to the development of GSCM programs and STEM programs are no different. GSCM will be doing additional surveys for girls to help determine the next steps. GSCM will pilot new program modules to pique girls’ interest, like Science of Ceramics because surveys have shown that girls want to be expressive while learning the science behind them. In Girl Scouting, girls want to have fun so it is incumbent on staff to figure out how to blend art & science so that all goals are met.
Sustainability
What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland’s STEM program delivery is going exceptionally well; however, transportation is becoming increasingly difficult to manage. The Council’s goal is to bring girls, especially girls from at-risk communities, to GSCM’s Urban Program & STEM Center so that they can more fully engage in GSCM’s programs yet, the increasing cost of transportation limits the number of times that this can occur. Additionally, it is somewhat challenging to initially engage the girls in this STEM program as they tend to shy away from it because it is perceived as school work and/or not fun. Once, the girls participate in the first set of programs their interest is then piqued and they are more likely to want to sign-up for the next level of STEM activities.
Tell us about your partnerships
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland is one of only five councils that participate in this program from the Chabot Space and Science Center. In Fiscal Year 2011, Techbridge (via Chabot) provided $12,500 to GSCM to expand program options for girls. These funds are available for Council use through 2013. Techbridge developed three program-in-a-box options for girls to expand and explore STEM-related careers. In addition, in August 2011 a team of two GSCM members (STEM Coordinator and one STEM-affiliated volunteer) will be attending training to roll out their two new programs boxes this fall.
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland’s provides opportunities for Chabot to increase their involvement and/or diversify their involvement in this program by providing on-site career field trips for the girls, having their personnel deliver programs either on a one-time or several times basis and/or provide materials and professional expertise as the Council develops new STEM program modules.
Current annual budget of project, in US dollars
$50,001‐100,000
Explain your selections
What isn't restricted to the program, a percentage is earmarked to all programs - with STEM programming being the primary focus.
How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?
STEM programs, particularly Techbridge, are Girl Scouts of Central Maryland’s major program initiative for the coming year. We plan to apply for an AT&T grant as well as for funding from several local funders, specifically for STEM programs for at-risk girls. Additionally, the Council has volunteers and partners who are actively engaged in the programs and are thoroughly committed to making the partnership a success.
Partnerships and Accountability
Please tell us more about how your partnership was formed and how it functions. What specific role does each partner play? What unique resources does each partner bring to the initiative?
Since the launch of the Girls Go Techbridge project in 2008, thousands of Girl Scouts have experienced science and engineering through Chabot’s Space and Science Center’s programs-in-a-box. These programs, which are based on some of their most successful science and engineering projects, include lesson plans, materials, career exploration activities, and resources for families.
In 2009, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland applied to and joined [then called] Girls Go Techbridge partnership, expanding this project to the East Coast. The hands-on activities and detailed leader guides helped to energize and re-assure leaders who may have otherwise shied away from exploring a science-based unit with their troop. One leader shared “I am science and technology challenged and I found this program easy to follow along and I feel confident in teaching the girls.”
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland uses Techbridge kits at their annual Science and Technology Summit for Cadettes and Seniors, at summer resident camps with Juniors, at the October 2010 ribbon cutting of their council’s STEM Center, and at single Saturday workshops offered around the jurisdiction. Girls in after-school enrichment settings and detention centers have also explored the Girls Go Techbridge boxes because the units can be easily led by community volunteers with little training or science background.
How are you building in accountability for students' successful STEM learning outcomes? Please provide a summary and examples.
As before mentioned, our results are compiled by a third party to remove any bias. However, we strive to see interests in the fields of STEM grow and from our own observations, we can see that when girls return for the next phase of programming or sign up for the new options as they are introduced/created.
Needs
Investment, Human Resources/Talent, Marketing/Media, Innovation/Ideas.
Please use this space to elaborate on your selection above and/or to add needs that may not be listed.
Our programs are constantly evolving, and for that we require exposure and innovation. Once we have that capital can be used to recruit the right individuals to lead these efforts and build the programs exponentially.
Offers
Collaboration/Networking.
Please use this space to elaborate on your selection above and/or to add offers that may not be listed.
We will be happy to share in ideas as well as provide insight into existing programs.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| brownielilsisw_techbridge.jpg | 120.42 KB |
| girlswrkw_techbridge.jpg | 140.49 KB |
| friendstechbridge.jpg | 114.73 KB |
- Login to post new content in this forum.
Comments
WISE loves working with our local Girl Scouts, so seeing this idea was great to see. Especially the freedom that you are planning to give the girls to craft their own ideas and fit STEM into their lives on their own terms.
Thanks Veronica! WISE sounds like a great program as well - it's too bad you aren't closer. We'd love to partner with you as well.
it an awesome idea.. i hope you get a opportunity to keep this idea going whether or not you are chosen for the contest.. it's a great idea... i also have an idea that is on the stem page.. that has to do with the girl scouts if you checked it out i'm sure you would like to support me like i like to support you http://www.changemakers.com/stemeducation/entries/the-proposal
thank you again for the great idea...
Post new comment