CitrusPeel_JAN2020_Digital

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“If you like STEM, then you will love EYLC!
It is a really fun program that lets you
do things you wouldn’t normally do. Like
instead of just going to Madame Tussauds
as a tourist, we got to go behind the scenes
to see and learn stuff that the regular public
wouldn’t be able to do.
For me, every field trip and experience was
unique and super fun. You will not regret
signing up for this program!”, expressed
Mareka Pendergrass - a 7th Grade Girl
Scout in Orange County, and one of 31 girls
who participated in the Earn Your Lab Coat
program series.
Look Out World,
there are STEM
Superstars in the
Making!
Earn Your Lab Coat is a program series
created by the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council
Program Team to give young women the
opportunity to explore the fields of STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics). This group of girls receive
unique behind the scenes experiences that
allow them to expand their knowledge on
STEM topics and exclusive opportunities to
inspire them to think outside the box.
2019 was the second year of this program
series in which over 30 Cadette-level Girl
Scouts took part in this unique journey
through the many areas of STEM. Along the
way, many of our local partners offered
their facility and expertise to enhance the
experience. Partners such as the City of
Orlando Water Reclamation Division, MYTEK
LAB, Merlin Entertainments, Orlando Magic,
and I-Drive NASCAR played a vital role in
offering this group of Girl Scouts unique
STEM experiences. The activities ranged from
tours of the Orlando Wetlands complete with
a nearby water testing facility, to building a
robot made from Girl Scout cookie boxes.
Once the girls completed the program series,
they were honored at a special graduation
ceremony where they each received a special
patch to commemorate the journey and a
Girl Scouts branded lab coat to use in their
future STEM endeavors. Earn Your Lab Coat is
back for its third year in 2020. With it, comes
more ways to immerse girls into the various
outlets of STEM. This year’s group will get the
chance to explore careers in technology, food
science, DNA in medicine, and VR coding.
For more information on Earn Your Labcoat,
contact Vkatz@citrus-gs.org.
Media Girl Team Recap
At the start of the year, we
had nearly 60 girls apply
to be a Media Girl. While
the original intent was to
take only 30 applicants,
we opened more spots
to include more girls. It’s
hard to say no to girls. The
Media Girl Team would
take part in a variety of
activities and workshops
to hone their skills in the
media industry.
The members of this
group were comprised of
girls from Brevard, Lake,
Orange, Osceola and
Seminole (still looking for
Volusia applicants). These
girls were able to take
part in a range of photo
shoots that included the
Solar Bears, Medieval
Times and Camping World
Stadium. They later took
part in a variety of Girl
Scout videos and voice
overs used in Citrus
phone recordings.
If you have walked into
the Citrus Council Center
recently, you may see a
few of these girls on the
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renovated décor. You may
have also seen or heard
their voices in some of the
Citrus Council campaigns
throughout the year. These
include the membership
drive, Cookie season, radio
segments, and even the
promotion of G.I.R.L. 2020.
This group of girls have
been able to get a wide
range of hands-on
experience throughout
the year. They’ve worked
behind the camera, in front
of the camera and even on
conceptualizing ideas for
new content. Some have
grown to become very
proficient in media. This
growth has prompted a new
upper level group designed
the challenge the girls
further, known as the Media
Girl Mentor Class.
Girls can apply to become
a Media Girl in September
and the group runs from
October to August. For
more information on the
Media Girls Team, contact
Ncamargo@citrus-gs.org.