First Lego League Junior Needs YOU!

New this year, GSCM is hosting a First Lego League Junior team so that girls ages 6-10 can gain engineering and computer programming experience. Now, Brownies and Daisies can explore robotics! Similar to the competitive First Lego League team—for girls 9 to 14 years old—First Lego League Jr. is a STEM series where teams of girls research and design innovative solutions to real world problems. Throughout the season, from September to January, girls on the First Lego League Jr. team will learn about teamwork, the wonders of science and technology, and the First Lego League Jr. Core Values, which includes respect, sharing, and critical thinking.

At the end of the season, teams will present their Show Me poster, which outlines their process over the season, and their innovative solution using basic engineering to build a model using LEGO elements.

Register for the First Lego League Jr. team today, as spots will fill quickly! The first meeting of the season is Saturday, September 10^th at GSCM. Visit www.gscm.org to register or for additional questions about the First Lego League program.

**GSCM is looking for volunteer coaches for the First Lego League Jr. team! No technical experience is necessary to become a First Lego League Jr. Coach, just the desire to learn and explore with the girls. Email STEM@gscm.org for additional information.**

Mark Your Calendars- It’s Cookie Time!  

GSCM is calling all Girl Scouts to attend the new and exciting 2017 Be Unique, Be You Cookie Kick-off! Tickets can be purchased on the GSCM registration site. During the event, learn about the 5 Skills girls gain from participation in the largest girl-led business in the world, the Girl Scout Cookie Program: Goal Setting, Decision Making, Money Management, People Skills and Business Ethics. Financial literacy is also one of the important skills girls gain from participation in the cookie program; a skill that will surely help them now and in the future.

At the event girls will discover the fun of dreaming big while setting realistic and attainable cookie-selling goals. Girls can practice hands-on activities to help market and promote their cookie business. Tips and techniques will be shared to help connect girls to more customers while learning how to communicate their goals and gain customer support.

So register today to meet new friends and share cookie sale success stories! Girls will leave with a renewed excitement about the Girl Scout Cookie Program and the valuable skills they gain by participating in it.

When: September 18, 2016
Time: 1- 5 PM
Cost: $10 in advance online. $20 at the door.
Where: GSCM 4806 Seton Drive Baltimore, MD 21215

For more information and to register,  visit  www.gscm.org.

New Outdoor Videos for Volunteers are Available

We all know the potential benefits of getting girls outside—girls can develop outdoor skills and a life-long passion for nature. (And have fun doing it, of course!) Now it’s even easier for Girl Scout volunteers to introduce girls to the wonders of hiking and camping. Whether you’re a camping pro or just starting out, you can help girls of all ages have a positive experience in the great outdoors.

Thanks to a grant from the Elliott Wildlife Values Project, we’ve created six new outdoor skill-building videos aimed at volunteers newer to Girl Scouts, as well as older Girl Scouts preparing to take younger girls outside.

These videos can help volunteers give girls a sense of empowerment in the outdoors, show them how to use natural resources more wisely (including respecting our environment and wildlife), and help them become lifelong stewards of the land and our natural resources. We encourage volunteers to play these videos during a troop meeting so they can think of ways to plan the most amazing camping trip ever! Or, show one during a service unit camporee planning meeting. We know you’ll find many ways to use them!

The following videos are available online for viewing:

• Step by step: Developing Outdoor Skills in Girls
• Taking the Journeys Outside
• Planning Your Troop’s First Campout
• Introduction to Campsite Set-up
• Introduction to Cooking Outside
• How to Leave No Trace Outdoors

First Aid/CPR Training

We are excited to announce we have a new provider for our First Aid/CPR training this coming year and they are able to provide training for only $40 compared to the previous cost of $60.

Dates are being confirmed now and will be posted shortly in online registration.  The first course is planned for late September in Howard County.

Upcoming GSCM Events:

Girl Scout Cookies & Wine Pairing

Invite your friends and join us for the first GSCM Alumnae Cookie and Wine Pairing of the season.  Exchange taste impressions of Girl Scout cookies with wine and enjoy a beautiful fall evening in our outdoor courtyard. Make new friends and reminisce about your days as a Girl Scout while you enjoy Shortbreads & Chardonnay,  Caramel Delites & Malbec,  Lemonades & Pinot Grigio.  Get ready for a match made in heaven and be one of the first to taste the NEW Girl Scout S’mores cookie with an ultimate wine pairing!

October 13, 2016 | 6:30 pm

 $20 per/person (Must be 21 and over)

Girl Scouts of Central Maryland
Outdoor courtyard | 4806 Seton Drive
Baltimore, Maryland  21215

Purchase tickets today!

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Girls STEAM Ahead

With a new name and new location, this year’s STEAM Festival will bring more hands-on science, technology and engineering to middle and high school girls. The GIRLS STEAM AHEAD event is being held on Sunday, November 13^th at The SEED School of Maryland in Baltimore.

The inaugural Women in STEAM Festival was held last November to coincide with the Maryland STEM Festival—a statewide initiative to bring STEM opportunities to all communities across Maryland. Over 100 girls and their parents engaged with professionals from P&G Covergirl and MaxxFactor Cosmetics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the Society of Women Engineers, and US Department of Homeland Security, to learn more about various careers in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM).

This year’s event will include a greater emphasis on connecting girls and their parents with local opportunities to engage in STEAM, including events, camps, internships, workshops, and trainings. Organizations or individuals working in a STEAM related field with an interest in participating in this year’s event to promote their work to women and girls are encouraged to email STEM@gscm.org . GSCM is still accepting applications for organizations or groups looking to facilitate a hands-on workshop, participate in a career panel, host an information table, or sponsor this year’s event.

We look forward to bringing this event to The SEED School to further inspire the next generation of female leaders in STEAM. See you on November 13^th!