BANGOR, Maine — "There's lots of different things to do and it's all different kinds of concepts," Girl Scout Genevieve Casper said while walking through the stretch of tents outside of the Cole Land Transportation Museum in Bangor.
Casper was one of the more than 100 girls from across Maine who made their way to the museum Saturday morning for a day full of building, creation, and innovation.
"We're really hoping to inspire the next generation of future STEM enthusiasts," event organizer Kirsten Powell-Williams said.
Powell-Williams said the Girl Scouts of Maine worked with several STEM-focused organizations to provide girls with hands-on learning opportunities free of charge.
"A lot of it is that hands-on creativity and working through that engineering process and really overcoming challenges, too," Powell-Williams explained after seeing some girls learn about circuitry.
Hands-on opportunities like a boatbuilding exercise hosted by the Maine Maritime Academy. Russ Cottrell, assistant director of admissions for the academy, said girls were able to learn how to construct a ship that's light enough to float, but sturdy enough to take on weight.
"You can see the wheels start moving and going and then they'll change their design as they go along and then when you see them float it, it's amazing the reactions you get," Cottrell said.
And just a few tents over, Society of Women Engineers' Maine Chapter President Evelyn Beebe taught kids about oxidation by letting them write invisible messages with lemon juice.
"Continued exposure helps them think, 'I can do it,' and, 'this is fun actually,'" Beebe said
The event wasn't just about learning technical skills—it also provided moments of competition. Girl Scout Hannah Price Harley showed off her LEGO cars, explaining how the weight of the vehicles affects their speed. She even invited NEWS CENTER Maine to join her for a race.
"This car’s heavier than this one. Heavier goes down, and less heavy goes up," she said.
And from the event, Hannah and other girls like Genevieve and Valentina walked away from it feeling inspired about their futures in STEM.
"I think you could definitely find some good jobs that you might like when you get older," Genevieve said.