How central Ohio Girl Scouts honed their STEM skills in a cardboard boat race

On a Saturday afternoon in early July, Girl Scouts from around central Ohio gathered to compete in a thrilling regatta.

A whistle marked the start of the boat races along the shores of a pond at Camp Crooked Lane, with handmade trophies for some of the top finishers.

All of the competitors wore life jackets, and with good reason beyond just being on the water. Their boats were made of cardboard.

How the Scouts learned from the event

Scouts built their boats and oars beforehand out of cardboard and a limited amount of duct tape, with similarly limited support from parents.

“It was really hard, but I really learned how to build a boat out of just cardboard and duct tape — and a bit of spray paint,” said Ilayda Osher, a Brownie from Upper Arlington who competed in the cardboard boat regatta.

Katie Willis, the leader of an Upper Arlington troop, collected cardboard from online deliveries and local Facebook groups. Willis said they quickly figured out that not all cardboard is created equally.

The Scouts tried out different design shapes to craft the best boat. Lorelei Roe, another Brownie from Worthington, tested out different designs, but settled on a canoe-like shape because she liked it the best.

Lorelei said she thought her boat would sink in the water, but she and her copilot and fellow Brownie, Molly Wolfe, won the race in which they competed.

“Because our boat went really fast, it got barely any water in it,” Lorelei said.

Lorelei and Molly did make a paddling plan before they got in the water, but they had to make a last-minute pivot when they started turning in a circle. “Really good teamwork” also contributed to their success, Lorelei said.

Elizabeth Willis and her teammate. Arya Baro, both from a troop in Upper Arlington, won an official teamwork award from the event. Elizabeth lost her paddle and they worked together to get it back, even though their boat capsized before they made it to shore.

STEM has been a part of Girl Scouts

While the popularity of STEM as a term to describe science, technology, engineering and math has soared in recent decades, these principles have been part of Girl Scouts programming since the organization was founded in 1912, according to Patsy Sullivan, program director for Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland.

“Girl Scouts has actually always had a focus on STEM. Some of the very first Girl Scout badges in 1912 were STEM-focused,” Sullivan said. “It's something that we've always been doing, especially through our camp and outdoor programs.”

Engineering and sailing boats out of cardboard with limited allowable uses of duct tape encourages creativity and teamwork among participants, she said.

“They have to work as a team, both to build the boat and to sail it — and they're learning about construction through trial and error,” Sullivan said.

The Scouts built the boats ahead of time, with limited support from adults.

“Parents are allowed to help, of course, but parents aren't building the boats for them. The girls are building them, so they get to really engage in their own exploration of STEM,” said Ren Ramsey, program manager for signature events for Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland.

How the idea originated

This was the second year the region's Girl Scouts organization has hosted the cardboard boat regatta.

Sullivan said the idea for the regatta came from the facilities director at Camp Crooked Lane, which is located about 6 miles from Mt. Gilead in Morrow County and about 54 miles northwest of Columbus.

Organizers didn’t expect most of the boats to go very far last year, but after seeing how some of the boats were able to come back to dry land intact, they increased the distances.

The event was open to Girl Scouts of all ages, from Brownies to adult troop leaders, Sullivan said.

There were 20 entries with at least two participants each this year, Ramsey said, and they’re hoping even more people sign up when they host the event next year.

What the Scouts learned for next year

Most of the girls who participated said they would come back again in the future, as long as their summer schedule allows.

Some of their paddles became floppy in the water, so they would work to make them more sturdy.

Ella Landusky, also a Brownie from Upper Arlington, said her boat was “way too thin” and that she would make it thicker in the future.

Ella added she would wear another pair of shoes in the future — her premium Crocs sank into the pond.

“Don’t wear fancy shoes to camp!” Elizabeth Willis advised.

awinfrey@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How central Ohio Girl Scouts honed their STEM skills in a cardboard boat race