SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Girl Scouts Heart of Central California (GSHCC) has rolled out a new mobile STEM Center. The purpose according to Beth Peters, the STEM initiative Girl Scout manager, is to reach Girl Scouts in urban and rural areas that are not able to make it to the permanent STEM centers in Sacramento and Modesto.
“This is our third STEM center but it’s the first one we have on wheels. So, we took out most exciting STEM activities and we’re hitting the road with them to serve all the girls in our 18 counties,” says Peters.
GSHCC serves 17,500 girl members and 9,000+ volunteers in 18 counties in Northern California. The customized 30-food RV features hands-on training activities in Engineering, Robotics, Astronomy, Computer Programming, and Virtual Reality. The RV also features a 3D printer.
“The 3D printer is pretty cool. We have basic and advanced workshops in the Sacramento STEM center. So...initially when we had a 3D printer in there, I wasn’t sure how well it would work because it takes a really long time to print, but our specialist here figured out the best way to teach them and they learn how to design something that only takes 15 minutes to print. So, it’s something small but they get a feel for designing in 3D,” explained Peters.
Hannah Wise, 10, from Sacramento, says she is glad other Girl Scouts will experience the STEM workshops.
“I’ve learned to be nice to everyone and it’s really fun and you can do lots of different things and be creative,” said Wise.
It’s estimated that women are 47 percent of the American workforce, but only hold 28 percent of STEM jobs.
The Mobile STEM Center will be in the following counties throughout the summer/fall:
Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Mariposa, Merced, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba.
For more information on the Mobile Center’s schedule, or how to enroll a Girl Scout, you can go to www.girlscoutshcc.org/STEM
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WATCH MORE: Inside the Girl Scouts' new mobile STEM center