March 04, 2024
Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, in Partnership with Suffolk, Launch STEM-Based “Brownies Who Build” Curriculum and Patch Program
The 10-year partnership between the organizations aims to increase the number of women in STEM
Media Contact: Stacy Wilbur
WALTHAM, MASS. (March 6, 2024) – Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) is revealing its newest STEM curriculum in partnership with Suffolk, one of the largest and most innovative construction and real estate enterprises in the country. “Brownies Who Build,” an expansion to “Juniors Who Build,” which launched in 2023, was created to help Girl Scouts ages 7-9 understand the steps of the construction process, potential construction careers, and steps to building something themselves.
Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are critical to successfully navigating today’s modern and connected world. As a result, there has been exponential growth in STEM occupations; over the last thirty years, employment in STEM careers has grown 79% and is projected to continue to increase. Despite this rapid growth, women remain vastly underrepresented in the STEM workforce. Women comprise about half of the total workforce but only 34% of the STEM workforce and have lower median salaries than their male counterparts. At the collegiate level, women hold the majority of bachelor’s degrees overall (57% in 2019) but a significantly smaller share of STEM bachelor’s degrees (39% in 2019).
Data from the Girl Scout Research Institute demonstrates the impact of exposure to STEM education achieved through participation in Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts are more likely than non-Girl Scout girls to pursue an interest in STEM careers and topics – including app development, robotics, coding and cybersecurity, and Girl Scouts maintain their interest in STEM throughout adolescence, while girls who have not participated in Girl Scouts demonstrate a decreased interest in STEM after middle school.
The “Brownies Who Build” curriculum takes Girl Scouts through a five-step process of constructing a school, with options to choose an activity for each step. Upon completion of the program, Girl Scouts will be armed with knowledge of design and coordination, cost and estimation, planning, site management and safety, and trades coordination.
“For over 100 years, Girl Scouts have taken the lead in providing opportunities to girls to discover, connect, and take action through STEM. Starting with the Electrician badge in 1916, Girl Scouts has provided fun, hands-on, and educational STEM activities to girls, facilitated by supportive adult volunteers,” said GSEMA CEO Barbara Fortier. “We thank Suffolk for their generosity, partnership, mentorship and commitment to providing Girl Scouts with this unique skill-building experience.”
The new curriculum is part of Suffolk’s 10-year partnership with GSEMA which seeks to diversify and strengthen the STEM pipeline by providing the resources and education that young women and girls need to pursue STEM careers. Suffolk’s “Rebuild the Ratio” initiative aims to bring 10 percent of all Girl Scouts in eastern Massachusetts through the curriculum in an effort to inspire interest in construction-related careers and to help bridge the gender equality gap in the industry.
"Our alliance with GSEMA and our Suffolk ‘Rebuild the Ratio’ initiative underscore our pledge to bridge the gender divide in construction and STEM vocations," stated Keith Couch, General Manager of Suffolk’s Northeast Region. “As we strive to realize this bold vision, we encourage other organizations and industries to inspire young women to pursue rewarding career paths in STEM.”
The organizations will kick off the “Brownies Who Build” curriculum with an in-person event on March 9 at Suffolk, where troops will receive a tour of Suffolk’s Boston headquarters, engage in a hands-on STEM activity, and participate in a career panel with some of Suffolk’s female leaders.
About Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts
Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) is 31,500 strong, with 20,000 girls and 11,500 volunteers in 178 communities in eastern Massachusetts, building girl scouts of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. GSEMA is the largest girl serving organization in Massachusetts and the 10th largest Girl Scout council in the United States. Girl Scouts is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. For more information on Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, please visit their website, www.gsema.org, or follow their social media channels, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, for the latest updates on the organization.
About Suffolk
Suffolk is a national enterprise that builds, innovates and invests. Suffolk is an end-to-end business that provides value throughout the entire project lifecycle by leveraging its core construction management services with vertical service lines that include real estate capital investment, design, self-perform construction services, technology start-up investment (Suffolk Technologies) and innovation research/development.
Suffolk – America’s Contractor – is a national company with more than $5.5 billion in annual revenue, 2,600 employees, and offices in Boston (headquarters), New York City, Miami, West Palm Beach, Tampa, Estero, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Portland, Maine. Suffolk manages some of the most complex, sophisticated projects in the country, serving clients in every major industry sector, including healthcare, life sciences, education, gaming, transportation/aviation, federal government and public work, mission critical and commercial. Suffolk is privately held and is led by founder, chairman and CEO John Fish. Suffolk is ranked #8 on ENR’s list of “Top CM-at-Risk Contractors.” For more information, visit www.suffolk.com and follow Suffolk on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
