Girl Scout STEM van coming to Kalispell

Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming will be bringing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programming to Kalispell on Monday, June 26 with their Mobile STEM Learning Center.

Kalispell’s local RoboScout Squad will also be present with their competition robot, McQueen. Programming will take place in the Gateway Community Center parking lot near the Northwest Montana United Way office located at 1203 U.S. 2 W, Suite 52. The event takes place from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

All programming is free and open to girls in grades K-12.

The Mobile STEM Learning Center is a new resource to Girl Scouts that will provide valuable programming to girls across 78 communities across Montana and Wyoming. The cargo-style van is equipped with solar to power the myriad of technology available to youth, including 3D printers, microscopes, virtual reality headsets, drones, and more.

The Mobile STEM Learning Center will show possibilities, provide knowledge, and give hands-on STEM experience to girls at an early age. While more than half of the U.S. workforce is female, less than one-quarter of STEM careers are held by women. From their initial interest in STEM as a child to majoring in a STEM subject in college to pursuing a STEM career as an adult, the gender disparity needs to change at every stage of girls and women’s STEM engagement.

Approximately 67% of the population in Montana and Wyoming is rural. This translates to hurdles that can include a lack of access to honors courses, high-level technology business exposure, as well as limited access to quality curriculum and vigorous and engaging math and science courses.

To view additional tour dates or to learn more about this project, visit www.gsmw.org or contact Briana Rickman at brianar@gsmw.org or at 406-252-0488.