Girl Scouts STEAM Ahead

Robots, hovercrafts and underwater vehicles were all part of the fun during Girls STEAM Ahead, an event hosted by Nauticus on November 14 for Girl Scouts to explore and discover in the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) fields. Throughout the evening, girls took part in a variety of hands-on activities that allowed them to develop their critical thinking skills, expand their curiosity and improve their confidence in a fun and informal environment.

A favorite activity during the evening was a team challenge, during which girls constructed remotely operated vehicles as part of an underwater robotics workshop. The girls used PVC pipes, fans and zip ties to construct their vehicles, and they put them to the test in a large water tank. Other activities included: riding a hovercraft powered by a leaf blower, participating in an erosion simulation, upcycling plastic bags into a kite, visiting the horseshoe crab touch tank, making paper and exploring how light rays travel through the zones of the ocean. Girls also had the chance to operate robots.

In addition to activities led by Nauticus, community groups, including Paradise Creek Nature Park, Granby High School Girls in Engineering, Norfolk Technical Center, NOAA Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services and Norfolk Botanical Garden offered activities for girls during the event.

The next science-themed event hosted by Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast will be STEMagination Expo on January 24 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at A Place for Girls in Chesapeake. All girls are invited to attend, and there will be an additional $15 fee for girls who are not currently registered Girl Scouts. Find more information and register here.

View more photos from the event here.