Girl Scouts of the USA Unveils New Playbook to Help Troop Leaders and Supportive Adults Effectively Engage Girls in STEM

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2024

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), the largest girl-led organization in the world, announces a new STEM Playbook, offering guidance, resources and support to all staff, volunteers and caregivers on how to continue sparking girls' interest in STEM. This multifaceted playbook, supported by General Motors, provides adults with ideas to help create hands-on, exciting activities to engage their Girl Scouts in STEM.

Whether girls are passionate about protecting the environment or developing an app that saves lives, Girl Scouts' curated program helps girls explore their passions and reach for the stars. The program considers the topical problems girls care about and equips them to take part in building the solutions. With each STEM badge earned, girls across the country are provided with a multitude of activities that blend technical skills with the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE). Through these badges, Girl Scouts expand their identities as users, shapers and creators while gaining the skills, confidence and ambition needed to address the problems that directly affect their local communities.

With the new playbook in hand, all Girl Scout staff and supportive adults are equipped with resources and expertise to support girls through their very own tailor-made STEM journeys. This playbook serves as a comprehensive guide, walking readers through a wide variety of topics, including the need for women and girls in STEM, barriers that often deter girls from exploring STEM and what can be done to improve accessibility. It provides a resource directory with topical information, examples of careers, Girl Scout programs and other opportunities to grow Girl Scouts' interests and skills. The playbook also uplifts stories of Girl Scouts and Girl Scout councils already making a difference.

"We are grateful for our partnership with General Motors," said Bonnie Barczykowski, chief executive officer of GSUSA. "This new playbook provides the support our troop leaders and volunteers want and need as they engage in STEM activities with their Girl Scouts in exciting new ways."

With Girl Scouts earning more than 5 million STEM badges since 2018, Girl Scout councils have voiced a need for additional resources to support Girl Scouts' participation in STEM experiences. With increased investment in STEM programming, councils can ensure that troop leaders and supportive adults have easily accessible support and resources to confidently usher girls though their individual journeys. Many adults who work with Girl Scouts are not science or engineering experts, and that's okay—Girl Scouts' program is designed for non-experts. Offering resources like this playbook will make the supportive adults in Girl Scouts' lives more comfortable with engaging in STEM activities and make it easier for them to facilitate opportunities for girls to explore their interests and possible career paths.