BEDFORD– The General Motors Bedford Casting Operations plant recently hosted local Girl Scout Troop #2269 and provided an opportunity to experience the automotive development process through an interactive educational STEM activity.
Girl Scout Brownies and Daisies from the Bedford area, ages 7-9, paired with GM plant volunteers to earn automotive badges 1-3 in design, engineering, and manufacturing. Using cardboard boxes and small battery motors, teams designed vehicles on paper, engineered various components such as axles from straws and wheels from bottle caps, and manufactured their vehicle with the help of build instructions and adult supervision. Throughout the build activities, teams applied several STEM principles, including problem-solving, critical analysis, teamwork, and communication.
“We actively promote STEM activities to Girl Scouts and want to relay that technology and science are for girls and that they can grow up and do these things,” said Coey Ohwow-Godsey, Girl Scout Troop Leader #2269. “Today, we are making cars out of boxes, but who knows what it will be in the future? Thank you again to the GM Bedford team for this great opportunity!”
The Bedford plant has a long history of partnering with local organizations in the community and jumped at the chance to work with the local Girl Scout troop. By empowering young girls early with hands-on automotive engineering experiences, GM plant leaders hope to inspire the next generation of STEM talent.
“We are very excited to have the opportunity to expose Girl Scouts to engineering opportunities at a young age and show them what General Motors has to offer when they are older,” said Corinne Romanowski, plant planner at Bedford Casting Operations.
