Girl Scouts former and anew, rejoice—the organization has announced that it’s adding new badges to emphasize science, technology, engineering, math, and the outdoors.
According to an announcement from the Girl Scouts of the USA on Tuesday, scouts will soon be able to complete 23 new badges in STEM-related areas. Girls can earn badges by participating in activities such as programming robots, designing model race cars, writing code, and taking environmentally-conscious camping trips. The addition is the organization’s largest programming rollout in nearly a decade.
The group worked with organizations including GoldieBlox and the Society of Women Engineers in order to create the badges and address “the lack of exposure many girls have to STEM,” Girl Scouts CEO Sylvia Acevedo told CNN Tech.
Before, scouts were able to earn badges for learning how to use a computer and design a website. More recently, Girls Scouts introduced a cybersecurity badge last month in partnership with security firm Palo Alto Networks.
“The new Girl Scout programming builds girls’ skills and encourages their interest in STEM and environmental conservation from an early age—areas girls are not typically encouraged to explore outside Girl Scouting—increasing their confidence in an all-girl, girl-led environment where they feel comfortable to try new things, take appropriate risks, and learn from failure,” the Girl Scouts’ announcement read.
H/T CNN Tech