Engaging Learning Experiences with the Girl Scouts of Kansas
Velma Wallace’s love for Girl Scouts is still alive and evident today, and it will be for years to come thanks to the generous support provided by the Dwane L. and Velma L. Wallace Foundation.
Through the support received from the Wallace Foundation, Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland (GSKH) is able to provide a wide variety of fun and engaging learning experiences across the state that give girls the chance to try new things, make new friends, get outdoors, and develop leadership skills in a supportive and safe environment.
Girls across the state are learning about the exciting world of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) through Girl Scouts. Extracting DNA from a banana and learning how to clean up oil spills were just two of the education activities that more than 40 sixth through 12th grade girls took part in during the Girl Scout STEM conference at Emporia State University last fall. Girls are also achieving great things with robotics. Girls in Robo Troop earned first place in Intermediate at the 2015 Shocker Mindstorms Challenge on March 7 at Wichita State University! This special-interest Girl Scout troop uses STEM skills to construct robots using Lego NXT kits. Then, they try to score the most points by running the robots through an obstacle course during competition.
Girl Scout of Kansas Heartland knows experiencing the outdoors is a great way for girls to explore leadership, build skills, and develop a deep appreciation for nature. With the support from the Wallace Foundation, our council is giving girls from underserved areas the opportunity to experience the outdoors in a new and exciting way by attending Girl Scout summer camp. In 2014, through our Girl Scout Clubs Outreach programs, we were able to provide 180 girls with the opportunity to swim, develop their archery skills, hike, and participate in team-building activities – at two different camps – at no cost to themselves or their families. Additionally, our council provided many more outdoor and camping venues to our members through a partnership we established with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism that provides FREE access, for all Girl Scouts, to basic camping areas at all 26 Kansas State Parks.
The Wallace Foundation is also providing ways for Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland to expand our capacity to better serve our girls and volunteers with the launch of a new Customer Engagement Platform this year. The advanced technology and improved business processes implemented through this new platform will allow our council to more effectively recruit, engage, support and retain volunteers and girl members.
-Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland
