Girls, get your STEM on

Girls in grades K-12 will have the opportunity to check out the Girl Scout STEM van for free on Sept. 18, when the Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming will bring their science, technology, engineering and mathematics programming to town from 3:15 to 5 p.m. outside of the Weston County Library. 

“The Mobile STEM Learning Center is a new resource to GSMW (Girls Scouts of Montana and Wyoming) that will provide valuable programming to girls across 78 communities across Montana and Wyoming,” a press release from the organization says. “The cargo-style van is equipped with solar to power the myriad of technology available to youth, including 3D printers, microscopes, virtual reality headsets, drones and more.”  

According to the release, the learning center will “show possibilities, provide knowledge and give hands-on STEM experience to girls at an early age.” 

“While more than half of the U.S. workforce is female, less than one-quarter of STEM careers are held by women. From their initial interest in STEM as a child to majoring in STEM subjects in college to pursuing a STEM career as an adult, the gender disparity needs to change at every stage of a girls’ and women’s STEM engagement,” the release says. 

With approximately 67% of Montana’s and Wyoming’s populations being rural, this translates to hurdles when it comes to STEM-related activities and exposure, the release says. 

“The Mobile STEM Learning Center will allow CSMW to create and optimize an environment where girls explore freely, expand their perspectives and hopefully pique their interest and confidence to explore STEM even more,” the release says. 

Additional tour dates and more information on the project can be found at gsmw.org.