SACRAMENTO, Calif. 4/23/2015– Girl Scouts Heart of Central California (GSHCC) was awarded a $15,000 sponsorship from Intel to support a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) initiative through GSHCC’s Outreach Program. With support from Intel, 800 girls at underserved elementary schools in the Sacramento area will participate in no-cost after school Girl Scout programs that include hands-on, cooperative STEM activities. Along with relevant and age-appropriate STEM lessons and concepts, girls in the GSHCC Outreach Program learn the importance of personal development, the value of goal-setting, and the spirit of teamwork.

STEM programs for girls are necessary now more than ever. According to Girl Scouts’ 2012 study, Generation STEM: What Girls Say about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math,  while a majority of today’s girls have a clear interest in STEM, they do not prioritize STEM fields when thinking about their future careers. GSHCC’s goal is to make STEM programming available to all Girl Scouts, and with Intel’s sponsorship GSHCC has been able to expand and successfully integrate STEM programming into more after-school Outreach Programs. We want all girls in our after-school Outreach Programs to have the opportunity to engage in hands-on, high quality STEM activities in a cooperative learning environment.

“STEM programming is an important initiative for Girl Scouts Heart of Central California,” said Dr. Linda E. Farley, GSHCC CEO. “We’re grateful for Intel’s generous sponsorship and for supporting GSHCC’s initiative to offer STEM programming to our Girl Scouts. Together, we’re building our next generation of female coders, engineers and scientists.”

Established in 1990, the GSHCC Outreach Program provides lunchtime and after-school Girl Scout programs for girls who would not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in Girl Scouts due to barriers of cost and an acute shortage of adult volunteers in their communities. Upholding Girl Scouts’ century-long commitment to inclusivity, Girl Scout Outreach troops are led by staff members and serve girls in a variety of settings including schools, public housing, juvenile halls, homeless shelters and migrant camps.

For more information about how to join, volunteer or donate to Girl Scouts Heart of Central California, visit girlscoutshcc.org.

About Girl Scouts

Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts is the premier leadership development organization for girls. The local council, Girl Scouts Heart of Central California, stands behind its mission to build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, girls Discover their interests and talents, Connect with others, and Take Action to improve the world around them. The council is headquartered in Sacramento and serves nearly 27,000 girls in 18 counties* in Central California. For more information on how to join, donate or volunteer with Girl Scouts Heart of Central California, visit girlscoutshcc.org.

*Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Mariposa, Merced, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba.

About Intel

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices. As a leader in corporate responsibility and sustainability, Intel also manufactures the world’s first commercially available “conflict-free” microprocessors. Additional information about Intel is available at  newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com, and about Intel’s conflict-free efforts at conflictfree.intel.com.