YWIB-Seattle at Camp River Ranch Girl Scouts Encampment

YWIB-Seattle was thrilled to be part of Encampment this year, joining over 100 Girl Scouts, from Kindergarten through middle school, at the beautiful Camp River Ranch with Girl Scouts of Bainbridge Island. The troops visited the YWIB section in four groups, each staying for 30 minutes. After a brief introduction to how we strive to promote STEM education among girls and young women at YWIB, we led hands-on activities centered on the science of DNA, guiding girls through a strawberry DNA extraction experiment in small groups. In parallel, we had a station introducing them to microscopy using pre-stained slides and nature specimens. Watching their excitement as they observed pollen and fern leaves under the microscope and spooled out DNA was a highlight of the day. As always, the cool swag consisting of YWIB patches and funny science themed stickers were quite popular!

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to connect with such an enthusiastic group of young scientists and parents. Hearing several girls name our station as their favorite of the event was incredibly rewarding and a reminder of why hands-on STEM education matters. It was a wonderful day spent outdoors doing meaningful work, and we look forward to continuing to inspire the next generation of women in bio.

Submitted by Sadie Josephs