Girl Scouts Think Like Citizen Scientists

By Sharon Karasick Girl Scouts are encouraged to try all sorts of new things in their scouting experience, a commitment reflected in their new motto: ”When she's a Girl Scout, she’s also a G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™. While many troops still embrace the traditional three c’s of crafts, camping, and cookies, Girl Scouts are also exploring new civic engagement opportunities through innovative STEM programming. On the surface, civic engagement might not seem to have much in common with STEM, an acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. But the Girl Scouts’ new partnership with SciStarter offers girls a unique opportunity to participate in authentic scientific research, to share that research with others, and to encourage the people in their communities to take action to help take better care of the world we live in. Girl Scouts of the USA is one of the largest leadership development organization ...