Groundbreaking STEM Summit has backing of Girl Scouts of the USA

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- America needs a workforce skilled in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and a notable group of companies and organizations is uniting to ensure that the nation gets the message. This summer, thousands of education, policy and industry thought leaders will convene in Dallas, Texas for STEM Solutions 2012, a groundbreaking leadership summit that will bring the best minds and best practices together on a national stage to open the conversation and develop solutions to the STEM skills shortage.

Among the STEM stakeholders who have signed on to get behind the Summit is Girl Scouts of the USA. As one of the conference's Co-chairs, the Girl Scouts will provide topical input, expertise and support throughout the planning stages, as well as during the conference.

The organizers of STEM Solutions 2012 identified Girl Scouts of the USA as a change maker involved in shaping the economy's future. The organization's national program portfolio threads STEM learning throughout its unique leadership journeys and innovative skill-building opportunities in The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting. Girl Scouts explore and develop STEM skills and qualities that will serve them all their lives.

According to the Girl Scout Research Institute study, Generation STEM: What Girls Say about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, 74 percent of teen girls are interested in STEM subjects and the general field of study, and they are drawn by the creative and hands-on aspects of these subjects. Girls are also aware that gender barriers persist as 57 percent of all girls say that if they "went into a STEM career, they'd have to work harder than a man to be taken seriously."

Girl Scouts of the USA partners with a broad array of key stakeholders such as corporations, foundations, government, academia and nonprofits to access the resources and expertise that enable the organization to design and deliver robust STEM learning experiences for girls. According to Frank Signorello, Manager, STEM Program Initiatives for Girl Scouts of the USA, "By working with STEM Solutions, Girl Scouts will raise awareness and strongly advocate for legislation at the national, state, and local levels to promote STEM education and careers, particularly among girls."

Event organizers, U.S. News & World Report, Innovate+Educate and STEMConnector™ have enthusiastically welcomed the Girl Scouts' involvement. "To say we were extremely pleased when Girl Scouts of the USA signed on is an understatement," said Brian Kelly of U.S. News & World Report. "Their deep-seated commitment to the STEM initiative, as well as their unique expertise and creative approach to finding answers, make them an invaluable addition to our leadership team. We are encouraged by their support and grateful for their many important contributions."

To learn more about how you can help shape our nation's future by participating in STEM Solutions 2012, visit www.USNewsSTEMSolutions.com. Furthermore, Girl Scouts of the USA has negotiated a special program rate for its network of contacts who register using code GSU022.

U.S. News STEM Solutions 2012—A Leadership Summit is a mission-critical event focused on the shortage of science- and tech-related skills in the American workforce. U.S. News & World Report, together with Innovate+Educate, STEMConnector™ and more than 40 key organizations will bring together for the first time on a national stage major corporations, leading educators, top policy makers and education technology companies to create a collective that will fill jobs now and advance the future STEM workforce. Held June 27 – 29, 2012 at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

U.S. News & World Report is a print and digital publisher of news and information in the areas of politics, policy, education, health care, personal finance and other topics of consumer interest.

Innovate+Educate is a national non-profit led by Fortune 500 companies with a goal of aligning STEM education and workforce efforts on a state-by-state basis.

STEMConnector™ is a resource center and network that helps bring together the many STEM projects around the country with a website of more than 3,000 organizations dedicated to STEM education; jobs and diversity are key priorities.

About Girl Scouts: Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls with 3.2 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouts is the leading authority on girls' healthy development, and builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. The organization serves girls from every corner of the United States and its territories. Girl Scouts of the USA also serves American girls and their classmates attending American or international schools overseas in 90 countries. For more information on how to join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate to Girl Scouts, call (800) GSUSA 4 U or visit www.girlscouts.org.

SOURCE Girl Scouts of the USA