The Girl Scouts of the USA, with 1.8 million scouts, is unveiling a major push this week into furthering the interest of girls in science, engineering, technology and math through 23 new badges.
Scouts as young as kindergarten will be able to dig deep into robotics, with help in the younger age groups from the girl-focused toy company GoldieBlox. Other offerings among the new badges focus on the outdoors, including meteorology and conservation.
Next year, "cybersecurity" badges will be offered. Scouting Vice President Jennifer Allenbach oversaw the new programming effort. She says engaging girls in STEM before second grade goes a long way in nudging them into those fields for schooling and careers.
