Girl Scouts and Stevens have joined forces to promote the STEM fields among young girls and ignite a passion for hands-on work. Two different events occurred with the two organizations; the first being a workshop in Stevens’ Makerspace and the second being a part of the “See Her, Be Her” career fair. The occurrence of these two events was meant to create an open and inviting environment where the girls could gain a rapport with ingenuity and creativity.
At the first event in March, the scouts were given the task of creating hovercrafts! With the assistance of Director of the MakerCenter Paul McClelland and Stevens students, they were able to utilize genuine materials and software to make their designs. One of the orchestrators of the event, Rekha Manohar, Associate Director of External Relations in the Schaefer School, stated that the purpose of the event was to “build confidence early, so when they encounter these environments later, they’re not intimidated.” While this event in the Makerspace was the first of its kind, the success surely spoke for itself, and it could potentially be the first of many more workshops to come.
The “See Her, Be Her” career fair would follow two months behind the pilot workshop, where the scouts experienced all of the wonderful career opportunities available to them. Whether a first responder, scientist, or anything in between, the young girls had the chance to witness all of it, sending the message that the sky was truly the limit. For the second year in a row, Stevens would host the event organized by the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey on Stevens campus. The Girl Experience Manager for Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, Johanna Nurjahan, reported that, “when girls step into spaces where they can build, code and create, they begin to see themselves as engineers, innovators and leaders.” With the knowledge set before them, these girls can visualize a life of creation and push the bounds of what we knew possible.
Throughout their collaboration, the Girl Scouts and Stevens have worked to create a positive environment for all girls in male-dominated fields. They hope to continue to host more of these inspiring events, where they may continue to bring joy and awareness of STEM fields to young girls in the area.
