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STEMinist In-Person Automotive Adventures: Girl Scouts Overseas Rev Up with New Speedsters Pilot Program
November 25, 2025
USA Girl Scouts Overseas (USAGSO) is hitting the accelerator on STEM learning with its newest pilot program, the STEMinist: Speedsters, powered by a dynamic partnership with the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
The new, in-person program is filled with behind-the-scenes experiences in the world of automotive innovation. Girl Scouts learn to build, design, test and iterate—just like real automotive engineers:
LEGO® Racers: Girl Scouts work individually to create their own cars using trial-and-error thinking. Friendly competition helped them understand friction, balance and force—without even realizing they were learning physics!
Solar-Powered Cars: With paintbrushes in hand, the girls decorated, built and wired working solar-powered race cars. These race cars use a small and simple pulley that attaches to a motor and is powered by the sun. Once the motor spins, the Girl Scouts learned that the wheels go on the run. But how fast will it go? Girl Scouts have to find out!
Balloon Car Assembly Line: Girl Scouts participate in a mock factory line to mass-produce balloon-powered cars. Girl Scouts work on teams, discovering that STEM is also about communication and leadership.
One of the most powerful parts of the new program is that Girl Scouts get to break through their own barriers. Some Girl Scouts are unsure of how to follow diagrams to build or are nervous to create a car from scratch. By the end of the STEMinist: Speedsters program, Girl Scouts are able to teach each other, cheer on their teammates and proudly demonstrate their automotive creations to parents and volunteers.
A highlight of the program is the partnership with the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina. Through this collaboration, Girl Scouts gain authentic insights into racing technology and STEM career pathways. Eliza Russell, Director of Education and Public Programs at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, will be joining sessions virtually, sharing stories about racing innovation, safety and the experiences of women breaking barriers in motorsports.
“Race cars and exploring STEM with racing is exciting. Girl Scouts have amazing questions and innovative thinking to explore the science of speed and what it’s like to work in racing,” Russell shared. “Their curiosity and confidence show exactly why programs like this matter.”
The new STEMinist: Speedsters program is more than just Girl Scouts building cars —it builds courage, confidence, character and curiosity! We’re already gearing up for our 2026 sessions in the Middle East, Europe and Asia and expanding opportunities for Girl Scouts to explore STEM around the world—one engine, one design and one brave Girl Scout at a time. Visit our STEMinist in-person webpage for all the details.
