Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas is changing the face of workforce preparation in Northeast Texas. Through programs designed to inspire girls to develop their confidence, improve their STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) competence, and connect them to hands-on STEM programs and careers at the new 92-acre Girl Scouts STEM Center of Excellence in Dallas, the Girl Scouts organization is giving girls a unique experience that is changing the way they see their future.
How does your organization help businesses become more effective?
Through our strong corporate partnerships, we have heard again and again that the North Texas workforce pipeline is a concern. There are not enough people qualified for the STEM careers that this region will have to fill over the next 10 years. Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas is poised to address this challenge with the best that Girl Scouts has to offer. Girl Scouts is the largest girl-serving organization in North Texas, giving us the scale and scope to change the pipeline. Girl Scouts provides incredible STEM skill-building, with more than 78 STEM badges, but more importantly, we pair this skill building with our expertise in social and emotional learning to give girls an all-girl environment that nurtures their STEM leadership development. Girl Scouts has mentors in science, technology, engineering, and math for every girl, so girls can be inspired by a STEM professional. Through our commitment to changing the workforce pipeline, Girl Scouts is helping companies in Dallas and across North Texas keep their edge, while engaging their current employees with the future generation.
What differentiates your organization from others in your industry?
Girl Scouts is set apart by our century-old dedication to building girls of courage, confidence, and character. In our girl-only space, girls can safely take risks, fail, and try again. Resilience is key to success in life and careers, and we are instilling that beginning in kindergarten and progressing through grade 12. Our curriculum results in key outcomes, including developing a strong sense of self, becoming comfortable with taking risks, and community problem solving, which prepares Girl Scouts for a lifetime of leadership. We can’t tutor a girl to become an engineer. To be successful in STEM, girls need confidence, comfort with risk, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Girl Scouts delivers that comprehensive experience to girls unlike any other organization. When our more than 25,000 girls are then paired with mentors and leaders, their perspective on their future is changed forever.
What do you enjoy most about engaging in the Dallas Region?
We always say that the first-ever STEM Center of Excellence couldn’t have been built anywhere but Dallas. Dallas loves innovation and rewards it with generosity, and the STEM Center of Excellence was a direct beneficiary of that. Before we had a 21st century living laboratory to show, funders believed in our vision and invested in it. Today, we are fortunate to benefit from the generosity and creativity of our fellow businesses in the Dallas Region. They contribute funds, engage their employees, help us solve business challenges, and become incredible partners that are fully integrated into our mission.
Why did your organization decide to become a DRC member?
It is essential for us to create and maintain relationships with partners in various industries. Being a member of the Dallas Regional Chamber provides us opportunities to network with fellow DRC members, to educate business leaders on the impact that Girl Scouts has in the community, and has also helped us elevate young professionals through exposure to Leadership Dallas, the YP program, and YP Summit.
How has your organization changed in the past five years?
We are changing with our girls and parents; with technology and market interest. In the past five years, we have planted our flag as the expert in girls, a leader in creating a pipeline for women in STEM, and a model for the national Girl Scout organization. Our budget has grown more than 25 percent, giving us the resources and impact to change the lives of girls. It’s an exciting time for Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas.