LEXINGTON, KY (January 2021) – Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road (GSKWR) received nearly $50,000 in grant funding from Toyota, Lexmark, LGE-KU, Berea College Appalachian Fund, and United Way of the Bluegrass to provide STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) programs to 250 kindergarten through 12th grade girls in the state of Kentucky.
GSKWR offers experiential STEM opportunities through badge workshops, events and virtual programs that allow STEM learning to continue amid COVID-19 in-person limitations. GSKWR’s STEM initiative is a robust community collaboration that offers girls the opportunity to build confidence in their STEM capabilities and succeed in these historically male-dominated disciplines.
Girl Scouts has developed a strong network of community partners locally including Morehead State University, Craft Academy, Nerd Squad, Challenger Learning Center, Kentucky Science Center, Microsoft, Toyota, Lexmark, Berea College Appalachian Fund, UK Healthcare, LG&E and KU Utilities, Kentucky American Water, and Dow Chemical. These partnerships provide necessary funding and also subject matter expert volunteers. “STEM-focused programs are a key pillar of Girl Scouting. We are so grateful for our generous community partners who see the incredible value in STEM education and are willing to invest in Kentucky’s future leaders”, said Susan Douglas, CEO, GSKWR.
According to the Center for Research and Evaluation, in 2019, women accounted for 1 in 4 STEM-qualified jobs. In the next decade, the U.S. workforce will need 1 million new STEM professionals. The national Girl Scout STEM Pledge seeks to add 2.5 million girls to the STEM workforce pipeline by 2025. GSKWR’s critical STEM-centric programs prepare girls to fuel the STEM workforce pipeline in Kentucky. The Council is continuously seeking local STEM experts from the public and private sectors who are willing to mentor and teach local Kentucky Girl Scouts. Individuals or organizations interested in volunteering their time, expertise or resources should contact Tammy Durham, GSKWR’s Director of Grants and Community Engagement at To learn more about Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road, visit: https://www.gskentucky.org
About Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road
Recognized as the premier leadership opportunity for female ambition in Kentucky, Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road (GSKWR) serves over 8,000 girls and young women in 66 Kentucky counties and 1 Ohio county. With opportunities around the world, GSKWR advocates creativity and free choice, encouraging girls and young women to explore their passions and cultivate change through a focus on life skills, STEM, entrepreneurship and outdoor experiences. Through corporate partnerships in the State of Kentucky, GSKWR is creating a critical career pipeline of intelligent women leaders. To learn more about how Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road is creating experiential and leadership opportunities for growth, please visit www.gskentucky.org.
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