Girl Scouts to take STEM experiences on the road
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News from Girl Scouts of Montana & Wyomings
BILLINGS — Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming (GSMW) is getting ready to take Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) experiences on the road to girls in K-12.
GSMW has completed their Mobile STEM Learning Center project and will begin providing this valuable resource to nearly 80 communities across Montana and Wyoming. The cargo-style van is equipped with solar to power the myriad of technology available to youth, including 3D printers, microscopes, virtual reality headsets, drones, and more.
One goal of the Mobile STEM Learning Center is to show possibilities, provide knowledge, and give hands-on STEM experience to girls at an early age. While more than half of the U.S. workforce is female, less than one quarter of STEM careers are held by women. From their initial interest in STEM as a child to majoring in a STEM subject in college to pursuing a STEM career as an adult, the gender disparity needs to change at every stage of girls’ and women’s STEM engagement.
The second goal is to address STEM “deserts” created by uneven distribution of STEM opportunities across the country. Approximately 67% of the population in Montana and Wyoming is rural. This translates to hurdles that can include a lack of access to honors courses, high-level technology business exposure, as well as limited access to quality curriculum and vigorous and engaging math and science courses.
The Mobile STEM Learning Center has been a passion project of Briana Rickman, Director of Fund Development for GSMW, for the past couple of years. “Not only is STEM a strategic priority of the Girl Scout organization, but for myself as well,” she commented. “Having grown up in rural Wyoming, I realize the barriers and lack of resources available to those smaller communities. This project can help us bridge both gender and geographical gaps by ensuring that girls of every age in rural areas have opportunities to explore STEM possibilities as a future career.”
The Mobile STEM Learning Center will allow GSMW to create and optimize an environment where girls explore freely, expand their perspectives, and hopefully pique their interest and confidence to explore STEM even more. To view the van’s tour dates or to learn more about this project, you can visit www.gsmw.org or contact Briana Rickman at brianar@gsmw.org or 406-252-0488.
