Tuesday, October 13, celebrates all women in S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields with the holiday called Ada Lovelace Day. Lovelace was a mathematician and writer and is known as the world’s first computer programmer. She is a leader for women in S.T.E.M., just like how our Girl Scouts are leaders and innovators in their communities. Girl Scouts are creating change and impacting our world for the better every single day!
One way Girl Scouts engage with S.T.E.M. activities is through our annual program called STEAMapalooza (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics), held at the Museum of Discovery and Science, where Girl Scouts and families are able to explore and engage in activities involving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. They get to meet real-life inspiring professionals such as engineers, marine biologists, meterologists, and more, which further reinforces and encourages Girl Scouts that anything is achievable. According to the 2026 report from the National Girls Collaborative Project, “Interaction with diverse women role models can shift girls’ perceptions about who participates in S.T.E.M. and increase girls’ identification with S.T.E.M.”. As an extra helping hand, it is important for parents and educators to be aware of the disparity found in society and help bridge the gap between stereotypes.
Girl Scouts interact with S.T.E.M. through all the various activities that occur during the year with their peers and that they explore on their own, with the guidance of their troops. Girls can earn badges that surround topics like robotics, digital leadership, astronomy, and more!
One badge that is generously made possible with our sponsor Comcast is called STEM in a Box: Cybersecurity Basics. Girl Scouts step into the digital world and think like experts in the field by learning how to stay safe online, including as guarding their personal information. They’re able to achieve this by engaging in hands-on activities with their peers to learn about vital concepts in this world, like passwords, coding, and digital safety, which keep us and the world safe. When Girl Scouts earn this badge, they gain more confidence in a seemingly daunting field and become tech-savvy leaders who can help those around them.
Showing that S.T.E.M. is all around us is possible when Girl Scouts take part in our Shark Tagging with Sharks4Kids programs. This ongoing partnership with Sharks4Kids lets girls see and experience shark-tagging in a FINtastic experience right off the coast of Southeast Florida. Girls get to board a boat and listen to experts talk about why scientists do this, understand the data they collect, and see how the information they find protects and keeps these amazing creatures safe. They then learn how to bait the shark hooks and cast them out into the ocean. This July, 15 girls caught two male nurse sharks, and as an exciting addition, they caught a moray eel! This experience directly helped contribute valuable data to shark conservation efforts.
In Port St. Lucie, girls took part in an event called Girl Scouts Go Nuclear with Florida Power & Light, where they toured St. Lucie’s only nuclear power facility. In this exclusive event with Florida Power & Light, they learned what it takes to be part of the security and safety operations, management, and engineering by witnessing the day-to-day responsibilities of people who hold this role. They also heard about the way that a career in nuclear energy can power and advance their future!
Florida Power & Light
According to a study done in 2022 by the Girl Scout Research Institute, “88% said they learned a lot about S.T.E.M. through Girl Scout STEM programs.” Girl Scouts is an organization that opens the doors for girls to discover S.T.E.M. when they may not have the opportunities and resources readily available to them. Girl Scouts continues every day to ensure that our members can explore, learn more about themselves, become more confident, and discover passions that they have.
Role models of today like Christina Koch, who was a part of the Artemis 2 mission, Dr. Merritt Moore, who is a ballerina and a quantum physics researcher, Kiara Nirghin, who is a tech entrepreneur, and many more women continue to show what is possible. Our Girl Scouts are already leaders and have the power within them, but it helps to see women leaders in their respective fields to spark ideas for possible future career paths.
A huge thank you to all of our sponsors and partners who help make all of this possible: Florida Power & Light (FPL), Amazon.com, Comcast, Fiserv, Truly Nolen Pest & Termite Control, Palm Beach County Youth Services Department, and UKG.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our next STEAMapalooza, which will be happening in May 2027. You are not going to want to miss this thrilling S.T.E.M. event!