Girl Scouts Earth & Space Badge Connections 

The NISE Network supports the Girl Scout goals of increasing science interest, confidence, competence, and value for the girls. Many of these girls may have heard the message that science is not for them; together we can be a voice that tells them they are welcome and encouraged to reach for the stars. Our Earth and Space toolkit activities are a great way to promote a sense of self-efficacy in STEM concepts, as well as support Space Science badge requirements.

Earth and Space Focus: Girl Scout Badge programs have been recently refreshed to better reflect girls’ interests and to focus on twenty-first-century skills; several badge categories make special use of STEM activities including Earth and space science. New Girl Scout Space Science badges have recently been released for kindergarten–5th-grade girls. (In late 2020, new Space Science badges will be released for 6th–12th-grade girls.) Each badge encourages girls to learn more about space science through a combination of astronomical observation and hands-on activities. We have shared descriptions of the newly available badges in the physical 2020 Explore Science: Earth and Space toolkit. Activities from the Explore Science: Earth and Space toolkit can aid you in creating programming to satisfy Girl Scout Space Science badge requirements.

NISE Network resources:

• NISE Network has created a Girl Scout badge connections chart on page 30-33 of the 2020 Explore Science: Earth & Space Planning, Partnership, and Program Guide 
• Online workshop recordings about collaborating with local Girl Scouts are listed below.

More resources:

• Find a Girl Scout contact near you with the Girl Scout Council Finder
  https://www.girlscouts.org/en/about-girl-scouts/join/council-finder.html

• Girls Scouts of the USA Badge Explorer
  https://www.girlscouts.org/badgeexplorer

• SETI Institute Girl Scout Stars
  https://www.seti.org/girlscoutstars

• NASA's Universe of Learning

  • Girls STEAM Ahead With NASA Resources
    https://www.universe-of-learning.org/gsawn

  • Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA Program Cookbook
    https://www.universe-of-learning.org/contents/products/girls-steam-ahead-with-nasa-program-cookbook

• Night Sky Network in partnership with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP)

  • Resources to support the Girl Scout Space Science badges to make meaningful connections with girls

  • Growth Mindset Confidence and Curiosity at the Telescope video series

• GLOBE Observer Girl Scouts Guide
  Girl Scouts can use NASA’s GLOBE Observer app to complete their Think Like a Citizen Science Journey. This page also includes examples of how Girl Scout Troops have adapted GLOBE Observer resources and activities for their journey.
  https://observer.globe.gov/girl-scouts

NISE Network is committed to promoting inclusive, equitable, and accessible opportunities for diverse learners to engage in STEM.

Resources for Engaging Girls and Young Women

Tip sheets

• NISE Network Tip Sheet for Engaging Girls at NanoDays
• NISE Network Tips and tricks for engaging girls in museum programming

Best Practices and Guides

• National Girls Collaborative Project
• National Girls Collaborative Project publication: State of Girls and Women in STEM
• SciGirls Role Model Strategies
• SciGirls Strategies: How to Engage Girls in STEM
• IF/THEN® Collection -This is What a Scientist Looks Like™- designed to shift cultural perceptions of who works in STEM: https://www.ifthencollection.org
• Exploratorium Exhibit Designs for Girls’ Engagement
  A Guide to the EDGE Design Attributes
• ASP Growth Mindset Confidence and Curiosity at the Telescope video series
• Career exploration videos and tools from CareerGirls

Images and Posters

• Free posters for download from A Mighty Girl celebrating women role models in Science, Technology, and Math
• Free posters for download from NASA and the Chandra X-ray Center, at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
• IF/THEN® Collection -This is What a Scientist Looks Like™- designed to shift cultural perceptions of who works in STEM: https://www.ifthencollection.org
• IF/THEN® collections of printable panels and banners
• Women in Optics posters from SPIE the international society for optics and photonics

Celebrating Women in STEM

• Women's History Month (March) and International Women's Day (March 8)
  • National Women's History Project http://www.nwhp.org
  • Women's History Month https://womenshistorymonth.gov/ 
  • International Women's Day (March 8) https://www.internationalwomensday.com/
  • UNESCO https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/womenday
• Women in Earth and space sciences 
  • NASA Women and Girls resources https://www.nasa.gov/women-at-nasa/
  • NASA First Women graphic novels and activities: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/calliefirst/
  • NASA Modern Figures Toolkit
  • NASA Museum Alliance resources (log-in required)
  • Smithsonian Women in Aviation and Space History
  • Women in Astronomy: An Introductory Resource Guide (2022) compiled by Andrew Fraknoi
• 60 Books to Inspire Science-Loving Mighty Girls from A Mighty Girl

Strategy - Partnering with Youth Serving Organizations for Girls

Collaborating with an existing youth-serving organization on STEM activities is an effective way for museums and university outreach programs to connect with audiences they may not regularly reach, particularly underserved audiences. We have compiled profiles of national youth-serving organizations in Museum & Community Partnerships: Collaboration Guide to assist in developing partnerships.

These national youth programs are designed for girls and typically have local branches:

• Girl Scouts: https://www.girlscouts.org
• Girls Who Code: https://girlswhocode.com
• Black Girls Code: https://wearebgc.org
• Girls Inc: https://girlsinc.org
• National Girls Collaborative Project: https://ngcproject.org/about/initiatives/local-collaboratives