More Than Cookies: Area Girl Scouts Take Programming on the Move
More Than Cookies: Area Girl Scouts Take Programming on the Move
MARCH 2025 (NEWARK, Delaware) - Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay has proudly served nearly 500 Girl Scouts since October through their innovative "Program on the Move" initiative, expanding local youths access to STEM, outdoor, and other programming, addressing educational inequities for girls in rural communities, and ensuring girls feel confident and empowered engaging in STEM and other male-dominated fields of interest. First launched in 2020, Program on the Move is a free service for Girl Scouts in Delaware and on the eastern shores of Maryland and Virginia.
Common barriers to accessibility of programming in recent years have been transportation to events, cost of supplies, and an increased demand for technology-equipped activities. Enter Program on the Move - an on-demand program delivery service that meets Girl Scouts and volunteers where they are, made possible by proceeds from product programs like the Girl Scout Cookie Program, sponsors like Incyte, and other generous donations from the community. Troops select the location, date, time, and topic of the program, and dedicated program staff at Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay bring the hands-on activities, supplies, and knowledge right to them. Topic selections include Robotics, Cybersecurity, Outdoor Art, Babysitting, and more.
We connected with Troop 286 of Wilmington, Delaware, who recently had a visit from Program on the Move. The group of Girl Scout Juniors (grades 4 and 5) selected Robotics 1, a two hour program that includes working with actual robots and learning how robots help solve global problems. After completing the program, Girl Scouts earned their Designing Robots badge and received a free "Program on the Move" fun patch.
About the program, participating Girl Scouts said:
"I really liked it and enjoyed building the robots. Robots aren't intelligent, they are programmed to be intelligent by us Girl Scouts." - Zyla, Girl Scout Junior
" I liked the first part picking and deciphering what was intelligent and what wasn't, and debating with my friends about it in a nice way." - Sadie, Girl Scout Junior
"I liked the teamwork aspect, and working with my troop on designing our robots." - Elise, Girl Scout Junior
Their parents and troop volunteers also had a positive experience with Program on the Move.
"[We] absolutely loved it. The facilitators are very attentive and grabbed the girls' attention. It's great to see someone keep 4th and 5th graders involved in an activity for the length of our meeting. They're all engaged, working well today, very interested, and asking questions." - Kaleena, Girl Scout Troop Leader
" The staff kept everyone invested. They kept them excited and involved throughout. This program helped them develop robots that made a different - which is great because our Girl Scouts love to be change makers. We love that Girl Scouts consistently introduces girls to STEM at different levels to engage different age groups. From using interactive robots to designing their own." - Marquita, Troop 286 parent
Like many other troops in the Chesapeake Bay area, Troop 286 has invited Program on the Move back for a second visit this spring, where they'll take on Robotics 2 and learn about using coding to communicate with robots. From October 2023 - September 2024, Program on the Move served 700 Girl Scouts across the peninsula. Since October 2024, Program on the Move is on track to exceed 1,000 girls served by the close of the Girl Scout membership year in September 2025.
"It's exciting to see this program grow year over year," says Tiffany Klotz, Director of Program and Partnerships for Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay. "We take pride in knowing we're delivering impactful programming, and providing future female leaders the resources they need to be successful in STEM, the outdoors, and beyond."
Girl Scout Troop 286 and GSCB Program on the Move staff facilitator working on Robotics 1 program
Members of Girl Scout Troop 286 work together to design their own robots during Program on the Move session
Members of Girl Scout Troop 286 work together to design their own robots during Program on the Move session
