Local Girl Scouts take journey to learn about women’s health
Are you considering a career in the health field?
Do you simply want to know more about health issues that may impact you and the ones you love? Members of Girl Scout Troop 423 recently began a journey to discover more about women’s health issues.
So far, their journey has included learning about various risk factors for heart disease. They recently hosted a “Love My Heart” event where they shared their knowledge with girls from other troops, as well as their family and friends.
In addition to creating health displays about risk factors, preventive steps and nutrition, they learned about smart grocery shopping, building a better salad, stress reduction, blood pressure, cholesterol, how to make a smoothie, and how to perform hands-only CPR.
Their journey will not end with learning about heart disease. This journey will also include learning about how fads and beauty practices impact health, other tests that help women stay healthy, techniques to keep you emotionally healthy, taking a closer look at various women’s health issues, and getting the word out about women’s health topics.
Each girl will seek to earn their Women’s Health Badge while learning about how to stay healthier and keep those around them healthier. They will also explore potential careers of interest and complete the “It’s Your World – Change It” journey.
If participating in meetings where you can learn about careers, gain knowledge that will help you to be able to improve the world around you sounds interesting, Girl Scout Troop 423 meets every Tuesday at the Darlington County Institute of Technology from 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Girls in this troop are in grades 6-12.
To join this troop, contact Aurelia C. Burgess at aureliaburgess.ab@gmail.com or 843-687-1049.
Though Troop 423 serves older girls, there are other troops in the area that serve girls in 5K-5th grades.
For additional information about a troop for younger girls or if you would like to start a troop at your church or school, contact Benita Jacobs at 843-669-5174 or visit online at girlscoutsesc.org.
In another recent event, the Darlington County Institute of Technology, Girls University, and Girl Scout Troop 423 partnered to sponsor an “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” workshop.
During this two-hour event, girls envisioned being a part of an aerospace engineering team as they designed and tested paper airplanes. This workshop emphasized collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity.
The purpose for hosting the engineering and other STEM workshops is to increase female participation in STEM careers. In 2015, women made up less than one-quarter of those employed in STEM occupations in the United States. Those numbers reflect a substantial gender gap in engineering and computer occupations especially for women of color.
Asian, black and Latina women made up slightly less than 10 percent of working scientists and engineers. In 2016, women in the United States represented only 4.2 percent of architecture and engineering occupations.
These workshops are designed to motivate, inspire and educate girls about the endless opportunities associated with STEM. Seventeen girls participated in the Introduce a Girl to Engineering workshop held at the Darlington County Institute of Technology.
The focus for this year’s workshop was aerospace engineering. The girls were divided into teams with each girl responsible for a specific task within the team. Each team was to design an airplane. They had to determine which resources they needed to purchase for their airplane.
Teams built and tested their airplanes and made modifications as time allowed. They also had to give a sales presentation. The girls seemed to really enjoy the project.
Aurelia Burgess, troop leader for Girl Scout Troop 423, said she “was excited that the activity was really thorough. It required the girls to collaborate with their peers, engage in critical thinking, be creative, and communicate within their small group and to the entire group. As Assistant Director at the Darlington County Institute of Technology, I work with students every day and it is clear that students need to develop these skills for success at they go through high school, college, and to their future careers.”
The Girl Scout organization was started 107 years ago on March 12, 1912. In honor of the occasion, Mayor Gloria Hines proclaimed March 10-16 as Girl Scout Week to coincide with similar pronouncements made nationwide.