Peekskill High School Hosts Girl Scouts for Science Workshop

It wasn't all fun and games for the more than 100 Girls Scouts who gathered inside the Peekskill High School cafeteria Friday.

There was quite a bit of learning involved as well.

The Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson organized its 5th annual “Engineering is Fun” workshop at the high school. Troops from Peekskill, Buchanan, Cortlandt Manor, Croton, Mohegan Lake, Carmel, Chappaqua, Millwood and Mount Kisco attended the event, which was co-sponsored by IBM and the Home Depot in Mohegan Lake.

“The purpose of the event is to excite girls in Peekskill about science, technology, engineering and math so they can consider a career in those different fields,” Jennifer Turner, leader of the Peekskill based Girl Scout Troop 2055.

The girls, who consisted of students in grades K-5, took part in four different workshops. One workshop, which was organized by Home Depot, had the girls build wooden baskets.

The other workshops centered on lava lamps, makeshift hovercrafts and a competitive puff-mobile challenge.

Susan Puglia, IBM’s vice president of global sales and technical leadership, said it is important to try and instill a love of science and engineering into girls at a young age.

“IBM is committed to getting children more involved in engineering and getting them to see what engineering is all about,” Puglia said. “Hopefully, this will lead to them pursuing a career in math and science—especially the girls.”

Puglia said IBM also visits schools and organizes hands workshop as part of its program for National Engineer's Week. IBM also sponsors “Wow! That’s Engineering,” a program that

Florence Hudson, IBM’s director of energy and environment and board member of the Society of Women Engineers, said girls need opportunities that not only allow them to apply math and science, but will also capture their imagination.

“They need to see that they can do it too,” Hudson said.