It was Saint Augustine who wrote “The world is a book, and those who do not travel only read one page.” So why not open a new chapter?

While Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana provides amazing travel opportunities, for those interested in different travel experiences should explore Girl Scouts Destinations. Girl Scout Destinations are the ultimate adventure for individual girls ages 11 and older! With different trips every year, there’s something exciting for every individual. You will not only acquire new life-changing experiences, but you will also make friends from all over the country as you travel with Girl Scouts from different states.

This past summer, some of the girls in our council went on their own Destinations adventures; three of our Girl Scouts participated in Space Camp at the US Space and Rocket Center in Hunstville, Alabama, one to the Costa Rica rainforest and one all the way to Europe! We hope you enjoy the stories from Space Camp attendees Maysa, Simone and Emma and become inspired to take a trip yourself.

Maysa getting ready for Space Camp!

Maysa

On June 17th, I flew to Huntsville, Alabama to attend Space Academy at the US Space and Rocket Center. I am so glad I found out about this camp thanks to Girl Scouts Destinations. From the activities and missions to the trivia and fun facts, Space Academy was a great opportunity and the experience inspired me to see space careers differently and take action to make the world a better place.

During my week at Space Academy I was involved in so many exciting projects including space missions, rocket launching, and special theme nights. I had two space missions; a lunar mission and an orbiter mission. During the lunar mission, I was in the Orion capsule as LMS 6. During the orbiter mission, I was in mission control in the position FOO. The missions were very important learning experiences and we earned points for Commanders Cup based on our team’s successful execution of them. The missions helped me understand the importance of the different roles individuals play in a space mission and also the tremendous responsibility one takes on to fill these roles. We also launched rockets that we built and designed in groups of four. This project helped us get to know our teammates and be creative. My teammates were sister Girl Scouts from all over the world. They came from many different places, including New Zealand, Canada, and almost every region of the U.S. With us all being Girl Scouts on a Destinations trip, we got to do a special swap party that allowed us to get to know each other and share some special things about where we all came from.

Going to Space Academy inspired me to see something differently. Specifically, before this destinations trip, I had no idea of the many careers in space exploration and at NASA beyond being an engineer or astronaut! There are all kinds of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) careers that are needed at NASA, including chemists, botanists, even teachers! My destinations trip to the US Space and Rocket Center inspired me to continue to take action as a Girl Scout and as a student who loves math and science. Taking action in this case means taking advantage of every opportunity available for me to learn all I can about STEM. Currently, I aspire to be a biochemist. As a biochemist, I would make the world a better place with my work by exploring chemical compounds and molecules of different organisms and how they react in various combinations. Biochemists have very important jobs that include research to find cures for diseases as well as solving simpler problems like how to make safer and more effective beauty products.

I am very grateful for the scholarship that helped make this Destinations trip possible for me. Thanks to Girl Scouts, I continue to be inspired to follow my dreams. I would love to do another Destination and see what else I can learn and discover. Learn more about the scholarship here.

Simone looking snazzy in her astronaut uniform!

Simone

For my destination, I went to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. The trip taught me many things about outer space, the devices used in space, and what people do there. Prior to this trip, I thought the only people who went into space were astronauts who collected different samples and  bring them back to earth. Now that I was able to experience space camp, I learned that people who go into space are scientist who doesn’t just collect samples, but actually do experiments and others from different fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) also get to go into space. This trip has allowed me to see things as a puzzle and each person/item is a piece.

Once again THANK YOU for this wonderful opportunity.

Emma participating in one of the many activities offered at Space Camp.

Emma

This trip inspired me to see different careers of the women in STEM careers. Before, I used to think that it was great that we had so many women in the STEM field, but it wasn’t until my trip to Space Camp that I got a better understanding of their careers and learned about my passion for mine.

Now, because of all the smart women I met, I realize, that it is good that we have so many women in STEM, but we need more. The Space Program in the U.S.A could benefit so much from having more women involved. So many women, in history (from the Space Program), played a pivotal role in helping the U.S. get to the moon and beyond. Some examples are Katherine Goble Johnson and Mary Sherman Morgan. I feel that with more women in NASA, the program will speed up, and help us to get to Mars and beyond much sooner!

If you’re interested in going on a Destination, check out the GSUSA website.

Learn more about the 2019 Space Camp Destination, click here.