Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois Delivers NASA Created STEM Program

Girl Scouts test a solar powered water pump during the
"Powered and Pumped Up" program in Glen Carbon

This summer, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) hosted a traveling STEM program that explored the idea that humans could live on Mars, provided a sustainable water system could be engineered.  More than 100 girls between the ages of 11-16 participated in the "Powered and Pumped Up!" challenge that was created by NASA's Glenn Research Center.  During the program, which was delivered during GSSI's STEM Day Camp, as well as through stand alone programs in Effingham, Carterville, Glen Carbon and Godfrey, girls planned, built, tested and improved a solar powered water pump. While developing a prototype water pump, girls learned about light intensity, lenses and manipulation of light, and how mirrors can be used to focus energy, along with other scientific concepts. 

Girl Scouts use mirrors to manipulate light during the
"Powered and Pumped Up" program in Carterville

GSSI was one of 13 youth-serving agencies in the Midwest to receive a grant to incorporate the NASA program into their summer curriculum. By the end of the summer, “Powered and Pumped Up!” will also be delivered in Effingham, Carterville and Glen Carbon. STEM is one of four areas that form the foundation of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, along with Outdoors, Life Skills and Entrepreneurship. 

Girl Scouts build a solar powered water pump during the
"Powered and Pumped Up" program in Godfrey

This fall, Girl Scouts of the USA pledged to bring 2.5 Million girls into the STEM Pipeline by 2025. The organization recently launched 30 new badges and Journeys to power girl leadership in key 21st century issues including environmental stewardship, robotics, cybersecurity and engineering. 

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Girl Scout Troop from Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Serves as Pages for Illinois House of Representatives

Girl Scout Troop #370 from Edwardsville/Glen Carbon has an awesome tradition! Each year, the girls choose a unique way to bridge to the next level, including zip lining and white water rafting. This year, the troop bridged by serving as Pages for the Illinois House of Representatives! They were even announced on the House floor! 

Edwardsville & Glen Carbon Area Girl Scouts Host Hygiene Drive

Girl Scout Troops #333 and #39 in Service Unit 108 in the Glen Carbon/Edwardsville area organized a donation of almost 1,100 pounds of personal hygiene items for the GlenEd Food Pantry in April. Girl Scouts in the area have collected personal hygiene products as a community service project for more than 15 years. 

On April 21, Girl Scouts went door to door in area neighborhoods putting out approximately 1,300 collection bags for items like soap, toothpaste, and toilet paper. The following weekend, they collected donations, sorted items and made deliveries to the food pantry.  

This year's collection drive was organized by Troop #333, which is comprised of girls in 6th grade.  The girls even mobilized local businesses to serve as collection sites, including Afterwards Books, Traveling Tails and The Cyclery. 

This large amount of donations really motivated the Girl Scouts to connect with more local businesses and visit neighborhoods next year. Be on the lookout for the Girl Scout hygiene drive for the GlenEd Food Pantry next spring.

Girl Scout Troop #333 Holds Hygiene Drive

Recently, Girl Scout Troop #333 planned and completed a hygiene drive for the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Community.  On one Saturday (April 22), Girl Scouts from Service Unit #108 distributed information to many households across several neighborhoods about hygiene items needed.  

On the next Saturday (April 29), we collected items and brought them to our service unit office to be sorted by category.  These items included shampoo, soap, detergent, toothpaste/toothbrushes, and deodorant.  We spent three hours collecting and sorting, and then dropped off these items at the Glen-Ed Food Pantry.  The Glen-Ed Pantry weighed all the items, and our total was 1,019 pounds of donations!  The troop was so excited to see how much was donated, and the Pantry was very grateful for the needed items.  

In the future, we hope to expand our range of collection to local elementary schools and businesses in the community.

Submitted by Kyra Miller, 11 years old, Troop #333

Sarah Goldacker from Glen Carbon Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Sarah Goldacker from Glen Carbon has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called An Old Spin on a New Trick: Teaching Art to Senior Citizens, Sarah wanted to share her love of art with others in the community in a way that would benefit their well-being. Having a desire to help the elderly, Sarah learned that art classes can help to cope with the onset of dementia. In the hope of relieving boredom and increasing cognitive ability by learning new skills, she knew that teaching art classes at nursing homes is what she wanted to do for her project. 

Through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Sarah learned that giving back to others benefits all those involved. “Through this project I not only found a way to give my art back to people, but I really grew as a person,” said Sarah. “My people skills are far better now that I’ve done this project, and I like to think I’ve made an impact on each person I taught,” she added.

Sarah is the daughter of Don and Debra Goldacker. She is a senior at Edwardsville High School. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a degree in Art and Design. Sarah has been a Girl Scout for 13 years.

The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn, recognizes a Girl Scout's commitment to excellence as she develops skills and values to meet present and future challenges in her life. To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, a Girl Scout Senior or Girl Scout Ambassador must design and carry out a project that fulfills a need within a girl’s community, creates change, and is sustainable. The project must be completed with a suggested minimum of 80 hours of work. Only about 5 percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award.

Volunteers Needed for Robotics Tournaments

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois needs volunteers that are interested in helping at high energy, exciting robotics tournaments -  no robotics experience is necessary.

At the Southern Illinois First Lego League Qualifying Tournaments, volunteers are needed as robot game field resetters, referees, judges and to help with team check in and guiding them to the judging locations. This is your opportunity to see first-hand why there is so much excitement about First Lego League Robotics. The tournaments will be held on Saturday, November 22 at Amelia Carriel Junior High in O’Fallon and Saturday, December 6 at Carriel Junior High in O’Fallon and Albert Cassen Elementary school in Glen Carbon.

Please contact Mary Buchanan at mbuchanan@gsofsi.org for more information.