The Green Machine partnered with the Girl Scouts of River Valleys to host a LEGO Robotics camp from July 17th to the 21st. The camp was geared towards Girl Scouts of all ages, and attendees ranged from grades 3 through 8. The camp was held at a Burnsville church and supervised by Girl Scouts mentors along with Green Machine students.

Team members divided up tasks in order to help the girls complete their challenges for the week. Girls new to robotics worked on the basics of building NXT and EV3 robots, while returning campers focused on more complex challenges, including building robots capable of navigating mazes and uneven terrains.

The girls were tasked with building their robots based on plans that they sketched out on their first day at camp. After they had completed a functioning robot, they moved on to programming it using NXT and EV3 LEGO programs.

The robotics portion of the camp ran from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm each day. During the afternoons, campers went swimming in the local pool, on a field trip to the Bakken Museum, and spent time on crafts, including customized tie-dyed t-shirts. At the end of the week, the girls showcased their robots to their parents and peers.

The Girl Scouts program recently refreshed and introduced 23 new STEM badges, which raises the visibility of Science, Technology. Engineering, and Math. The Girl Scouts of America also partners with FIRST nationally to offer more ways to learn while engaging girls in fun, hands-on STEM.

“We introduce Girl Scouts of every age to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to help them see how they can actually improve the world—whether they’re discovering how a car’s engine runs, learning to manage finances, or caring for animals,” says the Girl Scouts’ official website. The Girl Scout LEGO camp, run in part by The Green Machine, has helped the scouts work towards this goal in a friendly, low-pressure environment.

The Green Machine has been volunteering at this Girl Scout camp since 2010. The team plans to return next year to continue to help inspire young women and girls to get engaged in STEM activities.