Girl Scouts From Across the Region Attend CRTC Equity Event

Almost 60 Girl Scouts from across southern New Hampshire came to the CRTC on Saturday to earn their Woodworker, Car Care or Entertainment Technology badges as part of a CRTC Equity event aimed at introducing more girls to STEM opportunities.

CRTC Construction Trades, Automotive Technology and Computer Engineering programs coordinated with the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains to organize this event that drew Girl Scout Troops from as far away as Exeter, NH. Carrie Green, the Regional Director of Girl Leadership Experience praised the event saying that the partnership with the CRTC helps to promote the STEM focus that is becoming a hallmark of the modern Girl Scout organization.

“We are so grateful that the CRTC has given these girls this kind of opportunity,” she said. “This is a wonderful partnership that I’m hoping can continue beyond this event.”

Twenty-seven fourth and fifth grade girls worked with Computer Engineering teacher Lisa Marcou, learning some basic computer skills to build game apps and develop simple computer animation sequences. Construction Trades teacher John Hubbard hosted sixteen sixth, seventh and eighth graders in his program, where they spent the morning building bird houses. And Automotive Technology teacher Scott Mayotte spent the morning teaching a dozen ninth and tenth graders how to check tire pressures and engine fluids, research automobile performance and safety rankings, and change flat tires.

The CRTC is continually looking for ways to attract nontraditional by gender students to its programs in order to ensure both student diversity and equal access to the multiple career fields students prepare for here. Events such as this Girl Scout badge workshop help to both engage younger girls in STEM-related career activities and expose them to the career pathway opportunities available at high school CTE programs across the state.