Girl Scouts could get very own video game badge, STEM-approved

Girls are gamers, too -- and not just the Nintendogs type. Though video games have commonly been ascribed a boys' club distinction, the Girls Scouts of Greater Los Angeles and Women in Games International are looking to undo that widespread misperception. Working in conjunction with E-line, the publisher behind the government's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) initiative, the two groups are seeking to create a nationally recognized video game badge; a first for the Girl Scouts. Guidelines for the proposed badge are still in process, with WIGI molding requirements to fall neatly in line with the STEM program, even going so far as to use the same development tool, Gamestar Mechanic. If and when the program gets final approval from the Girls Scouts of America, it'd be the third such video game badge available to our nation's young troopsters, as both the Cub and Boy Scouts currently offer one. So, no Rosa, it would seem the Girl Scouts do need those stinkin' patches.

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WOMEN IN GAMES INTERNATIONAL AND GIRL SCOUTS OF GREATER LOS ANGELES PRESS 'START' ON CREATION OF VIDEO GAME PATCH
Initiative Aims to Spur Young Girls' Interest in STEM Subjects; Lead to Girl Scouts of the United States of America Badge

LOS ANGELES (April 17, 2013) – Women in Games International (WIGI) and the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles (GSGLA) announced today they are working together to create the first video game patch for Girl Scouts. WIGI, hopes the patch will serve as the first step toward creating a nationally recognized Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) badge. Both GSGLA and WIGI hope the initiative will give Girl Scouts an incentive to pursue an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects, and show them possible career options in the video game industry.
WIGI's patch will use Gamestar Mechanic, E-line's development tool used for the National STEM Video Game Challenge. Their platform and curriculum for game design has already helped more than 350,000 youth. E-line will help WIGI provide a tailored STEM-aligned program to meet all of the Girl Scout patch requirements.
WIGI and GSGLA are working together to accommodate patch workshop requests and to train interactive entertainment industry professionals in the Los Angeles area to guide girls through the patch program.
"Our ultimate goal is to create a STEM-aligned video game badge for the Girl Scouts of the United States of America," said Amy Allison, vice president at WIGI. "Creating this badge will get young girls excited in technology and science and let them know that they, too, can have a career in the video game industry."
"Girl Scouts has a long history of developing pioneers in the fields of science and technology, so we are excited about collaborating with Women in Games International to ignite girls' interests in STEM-related subjects," said Lise Luttgens, Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles chief executive officer.