The Girl Scouts of America organization is typically known for their its “C’s” — cookies, camping and crafts. But for Amy Dosiak, the CEO for the Girl Scouts of Atlanta, there are three additional “C’s” that young girls gain from the Girl Scout program — how to thrive in college, their careers, and better their community life.
On Nov. 5 girls who take part in the program will journey to the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Henry County for the first time to show off their Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills for its annual Expo aimed at closing the gender gap within the STEM field.
“When girls hit middle school, research tells us that their confidence hits a nose dive,” Dosiak said. “But their ability to take on challenging things and have grit and resilience is all built in the Girl Scouts program. It is business imperative that we do that.”
Credit: Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
Credit: Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
During the one-day event the girls will be given the opportunity to participate in more than 20 STEM activities, demonstrations and performances that will include the organization’s first Girl Scout Science Fair.
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. the Atlanta-based Scouts, along with their families, will take a nose dive into what it takes to solve crime with the DEA — where they will visit the DEA’s narcotics trafficking helicopter and speak with women agents about DEA careers — then learn how to create and race a miniature car made with solar batteries and electric motors.
The event will also feature an educational demonstration on how to avoid dangers on the road, tire maintenance and other non-mobile activities such as making nitrogen ice cream, urban forestry art and understanding germs in space, ultraviolet impact and more.
The Expo has been an event highly anticipated by the Roberts family. Angelica Roberts — whose girls, Jaliyah and Janiya, are Girl Scouts in Henry County — finds a significant value in introducing her girls to the field of STEM at an early age.
Credit: Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
Credit: Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
“I wanted to be a Girl Scout when I was younger,” the McDonough resident said last Thursday. “There are a lot of stem programs for women of color that pay good once you get into the actual field, so exposing them early gets them into thinking about those things and knowing that you just don’t have to be behind a computer.”
For 10-year-old Jaliyah the Expo means strengthening her knowledge in engineering. She is looking forward to being a part of the solar workshop at the Nov. 5 Expo.
“The solar system is cool to learn about, and with engineering — I like fixing things and I feel it is good for me.”
Her sister, 13-year-old Janiya, shared similar interests.
“(The program) gives me the things that I need that I probably would never have done if I wasn’t a part of the Girl Scouts,” she said. “It introduces me to a lot of different things, and it helps me think about my career life.”
Credit: Henry Herald
Credit: Henry Herald
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