Girl Scouts of all ages met virtually last month to participate in Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana’s (GSGCNWI) first-ever Hackathon sponsored by Motorola and InventorCloud!

Girl Scouts of all ages rose to the occasion of different STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics) challenges, designed to spark their creativity and brilliance. Daisies were tasked with using recycled materials and their ingenuity to create works of art and accessories for their stuffed animals; one girl created a pool and hot tub out of egg cartons and plastic containers, another built a robot costume and a mini swing!

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Brownies and Juniors were challenged to create prosthetics for dolphins or ducks, and spent the day sketching, testing, and improving their designs, eventually presenting their final designs and explaining their thought processes, all while engaging with a group of inspiring women in STEAM who provided feedback on each project.

Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors took on a UN Sustainable Development Goal, coming up with an original solution in the areas of Quality Education, Health and Wellbeing, and Gender Equality. Several girls worked on educational solutions to global issues, which included everything from crowdsourcing peer tutors from around the world to support learners during COVID-19 (“Pens to Hearts”) to the “Homework Helper” app.

Other girls focused on mental health and wellbeing: Girl Scout Ariella created a “Happy App,” which encourages users to take breaks during the day to do something that makes them happy, Rachel proposed an app for girls to share stories, struggles, and support through middle school, and Girl Scouts Sarah and Natalie created a snack organizer to make kids aware of healthy snacks in a fun way. And Girl Scout Mac created an app designed to raise awareness and share information about the LGBTQ+ community, so people could find support around gender identity and sexuality. The thought and creativity that went into each solution were truly astounding and uplifting to see!

GSGCNWI would like to give special thanks to Motorola, who supported our Hackathon with funding and volunteers, and InventorCloud, who provided funding and the challenges. 

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Girl Scouts is an integral part of the mission to add 2.5 million girls to the STEAM pipeline in the next five years. At Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, we are committed to motivating a new generation of young women and girls to explore future careers in STEAM.

Our unique programming in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics) helps girls turn their big ideas into real action and make an impact on their community.

Register for a STEAM program today!

Strength, resilience, togetherness, and the support of the community—that’s what Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana is all about. So in this uncertain world, you can count on one thing for sure: today, tomorrow, together, we are on your team. Join Girl Scouts or renew your membership today!