The Girl Scouts of Suffolk County awarded $25K grant

The Girl Scouts of Suffolk County (GSSC) has been awarded a one-year grant of $25,000 from the Advisory Board of the Long Island Community Foundation (LICF). The grant aims to aid GSSC in increasing girls’ success in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and careers. These funds will be matched by an anonymous donor who has committed a $100k grant towards raising funds for STEM+ Arts programming to support the myriad of STEM programming and opportunities for girls throughout the council GSSC offers. In addition, GSSC has currently raised over $78,000 of the funds needed for the $100k match.

“Many girls are interested in STEM-related topics but may not feel comfortable participating in related activities in school or extracurricular settings,” said GSSC president and CEO Tammy Severino. “Providing girls from across Suffolk County with access to STEM programs in an environment where they feel comfortable and encouraged is incredibly important. We are so grateful for this Long Island Community Foundation grant as it will aid us in this vital mission.”

Studies show that 74 percent of teen girls are interested in STEM, with nearly half (47 percent) noting that they would feel uncomfortable being the only girl in a group or class relating to their field of interest. Girl Scouts of Suffolk County provides Girl Scouts of all ages with STEM and Arts-related badges and programs to participate in throughout the year. The grant funding will support and expand various STEM-focused areas offered throughout GSSC’s yearly programming and help re-imagine the Discovery World STEM Center at Camp Sobaco in Yaphank to include a new space dedicated to arts & media. 

The Discovery+ STEM Center is a 4,500-square-foot facility offering STEM services to Girl Scouts, local school district youth agencies, and underserved populations throughout Suffolk County. The facility offers hands-on science and technology education opportunities for students and Girl Scouts to participate in. Amenities include various utilities such as a microscope exploration station, engineering apparatus’, tactile puzzles and problem-solving games, a computer lab, and more. 

To learn more about GSSC or the Discovery+ STEM Center, visit: https://www.gssc.us/.