Girl Scouts and Lafayette faculty, staff, and student volunteers smile for the camera at the College’s first Girl Scout Badge Day. | Photo by Adam Atkinson
By Stella Katsipoutis-Varkanis
About 60 Girl Scouts from the Lehigh Valley and eastern Pennsylvania visited the Lafayette campus Saturday, Feb. 22, for the College’s first Girl Scout Badge Day. At the event, scouts in grades K-12 learned about engineering, STEM careers, financial literacy, coding, book art, and the college selection process with the guidance of Lafayette faculty, staff, and students. By day’s end, each Girl Scout had earned two badges.
Daisy scouts earned their Automotive Design and Engineering badges through sessions taught by Lafayette faculty and students. | Photo by Adam Atkinson
“It was a great opportunity to welcome our community to explore the College and learn from our talented faculty, staff, and students. It makes a big impact on the scouts to learn from experts as they consider potential career paths,” says Kelly Huth, assistant director of internal and community communications, who organized the event along with Jodi Fowler, associate director of civic leadership programs at Landis Center, and Christiane Tomik ’03, instructional technologist, as well as co-sponsors from across Lafayette’s campus. “As a troop leader and mom, one of the things I love about Girl Scouts is opportunities like these for the girls to gain hands-on experience and build important life skills.”
Huth—who drew inspiration from a similar event she participated in as a college student and member of community service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega (APO), which was founded at Lafayette—says the day wouldn’t have been possible without the help of its co-sponsors: Landis Center for Community Engagement, Alpha Phi Omega, Engineering Division, Office of Admissions, Lafayette College Libraries, Office of Financial Aid, and LaFarm. “I’m grateful to all who volunteered their time to make the event a success,” she says. Many of the volunteers, Huth explains, had a connection with the Girl Scouts, either as current or former leaders, or as former Girl Scouts themselves.
A Girl Scout practices book binding techniques with the help of Lafayette’s Skillman Library. | Photo by Adam Atkinson
Katie Simpson ’26, president of the APO chapter at Lafayette, says leading badge sessions was a full-circle experience for her as a former Girl Scout of many years: “I would have loved to be able to go to a college campus and earn badges, so I was excited to help make this happen.”
Girl Scout Badge Day garnered a high level of engagement from everyone involved, from scouts to volunteers. “It was especially rewarding to see so many faculty, staff, and students come together to teach things they’re passionate about, creating an enriching experience for the participants,” Fowler says. “The feedback we received from troop leaders and parents was a testament to the work everyone put in to make this event successful.”
Held in Hugel Science Center, Rockwell Integrated Sciences Center, Acopian Engineering Center, and Skillman Library, breakout sessions introduced scouts to educational material through various interactive projects. Scouts delved into engineering by building and racing cars; coding by creating trail mix recipes; book art and binding by making their own books; and more.
“Beyond the hands-on activities, the event also helped break down barriers for Girl Scouts who may not have had the opportunity to engage with higher education environments before,” Fowler adds. “Bringing troops together from the Lehigh Valley and eastern Pennsylvania also enriched their experience and helped build a greater sense of community by giving them a chance to meet others outside of their usual circles.”
Lafayette students shared their expertise and worked with scouts grades K-12 to help them earn their badges. | Photo by Adam Atkinson
Scouts weren’t the only ones to benefit from their participation. Volunteers strengthened their leadership skills, forged greater community bonds, and gained experience working with children and teens. “They saw the impact of their involvement in real time,” Fowler says.
Ultimately, Huth and Fowler hope Girl Scout Badge Day highlights the importance of collaboration between the College and the broader community, and in creating a unique space for shared learning and engagement. “My hope is that the scouts left feeling inspired,” Huth says, “and that Lafayette community members felt empowered by sharing their talents and expertise.”
