STEM Center of Excellence

The United States is facing a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce crisis. In the next decade, the U.S. workforce will need 1 million new STEM professionals. How can we fill this essential job pipeline?

The answer is simple: Girl Scouts! But we need your help.

To be effective and long-lasting, STEM engagement needs to start early. Kids are saying “I’m not really into STEM” as soon as third grade. But the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) can change that.

The GSLE is built on four core program pillars, including Life Skills, Entrepreneurship, Outdoors, and STEM. With a focus on high-quality, age appropriate programs in engineering, computer science, and outdoor STEM, girls become increasingly interested, confident, and competent in STEM subjects.

Girl Scouts of North East Ohio (GSNEO) is playing a role in changing the workforce pipeline in STEM to meet the urgent need for female voices, engagement, and leadership in the fastest growing sector of the U.S. economy.

GSNEO has added new STEM programming and plans to build a STEM Center of Excellence. The facility, will be built at Camp Ledgewood located in Peninsula, and will provide a living laboratory for a larger group of youth to collaborate with local educators and experience year-round opportunities in robotics, computer coding, botany, chemistry, and more. Click here to view a 3D tour of the STEM Center.

The new STEM Center of Excellence will benefit girls in many ways:

• Girl Scouts who participate in girl-focused STEM programs become better problem solvers, critical thinkers, and inspirational leaders; they earn better grades and scholarships, and they follow more lucrative career paths; plus, they see STEM as the foundation for a meaningful and successful future.
• Girl Scout programming builds girls’ skills and encourages their interest in STEM and environmental conservation from an early age – areas girls are not typically encouraged to explore outside of Girl Scouting.
• Girl Scouts released a number of new STEM badges and the STEM Center of Excellence will enable girls throughout Northeast Ohio to easily participate in these badge programs. There is now a total of over 100 STEM badges available to Girl Scouts!
• The location of Camp Ledgewood is within a half hour drive of 51% of Girl Scout members within our 18-county council.

Project Updates:

The building renderings, general site plans, and floor plans have been completed and vetted during design charettes with adult and girl members, educators, community leaders, and donors by our architect Melinda Scalfaro from Sol Harris Day.

Regency Construction has been chosen to build our dream. The next step is for our architect to begin construction drawings, which we will produce as soon as we reach approximately 75% funding for the project. After construction drawings and bidding, we have an estimate of an 18-month construction timeline.

>> GSNEO STEM Center of Excellence Initiatives - May 2023

For more information about the campaign to support the STEM Center of Excellence, please contact Julie Weagraff, Vice President of Fund Development, at 330-983-0399 or jweagraff@gsneo.org.