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Look Out World , there are STEM Superstars in the Making !
Earn Your Lab Coat is a program series created by the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council Program Team to give young women the opportunity to explore the fields of STEM ( Science , Technology , Engineering , and Mathematics ). This group of girls receive unique behind the scenes experiences that allow them to expand their knowledge on STEM topics and exclusive opportunities to inspire them to think outside the box .
2019 was the second year of this program series in which over 30 Cadette-level Girl Scouts took part in this unique journey through the many areas of STEM . Along the way , many of our local partners offered their facility and expertise to enhance the experience . Partners such as the City of Orlando Water Reclamation Division , MYTEK LAB , Merlin Entertainments , Orlando Magic , and I-Drive NASCAR played a vital role in offering this group of Girl Scouts unique STEM experiences . The activities ranged from tours of the Orlando Wetlands complete with a nearby water testing facility , to building a robot made from Girl Scout cookie boxes .
“ If you like STEM , then you will love EYLC ! It is a really fun program that lets you do things you wouldn ’ t normally do . Like instead of just going to Madame Tussauds as a tourist , we got to go behind the scenes to see and learn stuff that the regular public wouldn ’ t be able to do .
For me , every field trip and experience was unique and super fun . You will not regret signing up for this program !”, expressed Mareka Pendergrass - a 7th Grade Girl Scout in Orange County , and one of 31 girls who participated in the Earn Your Lab Coat program series .
Once the girls completed the program series , they were honored at a special graduation ceremony where they each received a special patch to commemorate the journey and a Girl Scouts branded lab coat to use in their future STEM endeavors . Earn Your Lab Coat is back for its third year in 2020 . With it , comes more ways to immerse girls into the various outlets of STEM . This year ’ s group will get the chance to explore careers in technology , food science , DNA in medicine , and VR coding .
For more information on Earn Your Labcoat , contact Vkatz @ citrus-gs . org .