Tuesday, July 25, 2017

New STEM and Outdoor Badges

We are excited to announce the release of new badges and Journeys in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and the outdoors! The requirements for the new program content are available on the Volunteer Toolkit.

With the introduction of 23 new badges, which marks the largest program rollout in almost a decade, Girl Scouts can earn badges for designing robots and race cars, going on environmentally-conscious camping trips, writing code, collecting data in the great outdoors and so much more. GSUSA created programming that included contributions from many notable organizations, including: Code.org, GoldieBlox, SciStarter, Society of Women Engineers and WGBH/Design Squad, as well as the outdoor-focused Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.

New Journeys

Outdoor 
Anchored by the new Troop Camping badges, the Outdoor Journey will deepen girls' outdoor skills through badges that lead to a Take Action project and inspire girls to take an interest in environmental stewardship. Available for Daisy, Brownie and Junior troops. Formatted as downloadable PDF on the Volunteer Toolkit for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors.

Junior Think Like an Engineer
Award Badge
Think Like An Engineer 
Girls will learn how to think like a designer by participating in hands-on design challenges and completing a Take Action project. Available for Daisy, Brownie, Junior and multi-level (K-5) troops.

Think Like a Programmer 
Girls participate in interactive computational-thinking activities to learn how programmers solve problems. Girls also complete a Take Action project.  Available for Daisy, Brownie, Junior and multi-level (K-5) troops.

Think Like a Citizen Scientist
Girls learn the scientific method by undertaking a citizen science project that involves making observations, collecting data and working with scientists to receive feedback on research and findings. Girls also complete a Take Action project. Available for Daisy, Brownie, Junior and multi-level (K-5) troops.

New Badges

Brownie Programming Robots Badge
Robotics
Girls design their own robots after learning how they are built and programmed. Available for Daisy, Brownie and Junior troops.

Mechanical Engineering
Girls complete hands-on engineering activities, such as building and testing roller coasters, race cars and robots. Available for Daisy, Brownie and Junior troops.

Daisy Outdoor Art Maker Badge
New Badges for Daisies
Two new Daisy badges: Outdoor Art Maker and Good Neighbor, give the youngest Girl Scouts a chance to get in on the creativity other Girl Scouts already enjoy and discover all about their school, city and state.

Girls' Choice- Troop Camping
Girls from across the United States had the chance to vote on their favorite badge category, and earlier this summer, we released a new set of Troop Camping badges. Available for Daisy, Brownie and Junior troops on the Volunteer Toolkit.