Community Troop Spotlight: Churchland Elementary
At Churchland Elementary School in Portsmouth, an empowering initiative for girls in grades 1-5 is taking place: the Girl Scout Community Troop program. This program is designed to meet girls where they are, such as churches and after-school care settings, and to provide easier access to a range of Girl Scout activities. Through the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast (GSCCC) Community Troop program, Girl Scouts earn badges in robotics, coding, and other innovative areas that spark curiosity and foster skills that will help them excel in the future. Beyond earning badges, being a Girl Scout opens doors to new possibilities and empowers girls to take on challenges in the four Girl Scout Program Pillars: STEM, Outdoors, Entrepreneurship, and Life Skills. GSCCC’s Community Troop Programs aim to serve all girls regardless of their circumstances, and the program funding at Churchland Elementary School is directly supported by United Way of South Hampton Roads and individual donors from GSCCC’s Help a Girl Fund.
The six-week program at Churchland Elementary School is led by Daniela Ragsdale, the community troop manager for Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast. Daniela’s role is pivotal in guiding Girl Scouts through their Girl Scout journeys. Under her leadership, the troop has worked on projects that introduce them to fields like robotics and programming, giving them a head start in areas that are often underrepresented by women. Daniela’s passion for mentoring and creating a supportive environment makes a big impact.
“I think it is important to introduce the girls to STEM activities to help them gain confidence in the subject and become curious about it,” Daniela said. “Robotics and mechanical engineering are careers usually targeted to men. By exposing the girls to the different activities and experiences, they discover that they are able to do these kinds of jobs, and maybe, it will push them to pursue a career in the STEM field.”
Throughout the six-week series, the troop will earn Robotics, Coding, and Engineering badges. At their most recent meeting, Brownies and Juniors earned their Programming Robots Badge. With the guidance of older Girl Scouts, the Daisies earned their What Robots Do Badge. The troop got to experience coding with Jack, a fully programmable robot mouse designed to introduce children to the world of robotics and coding. The Girl Scouts created step-by-step paths for Jack to follow, learning sequencing, problem-solving, and basic programming skills along the way.
Zuri, a Brownie in third grade, is quickly learning the joys of becoming a Girl Scout. “I think the best part of being a Girl Scout is learning and being with my friends and Ms. Daniela. I think this was my first time using robots, and I want to do it again,” she said.
As they navigated their robotic mice through various challenges, they not only learned about technology but also practiced teamwork, persistence, and creativity—values that are central to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. The Community Troop program is making a tangible difference by giving these Girl Scouts the confidence and tools they need to pursue STEM careers, something that might have seemed out of reach without this opportunity.
Beyond earning badges, Daniela says she sees the girls in her community troops grow in many ways. “At the beginning of the program, the girls are usually quiet, reserved, and they prefer to keep their thoughts or ideas to themselves. Week by week, we demonstrate to our Girl Scouts that this is their ‘safe space,’ that there is no idea that is too crazy or too little. We want them to know that they can be themselves and share that with others. At the end of the program, we see changes in their confidence. The kind of friendships they build are meaningful and caring. They love the space we share with them to discover and learn new things.”
What makes the Girl Scout Community Troop program so special is its ability to reach girls in underserved communities, where resources for extracurricular STEM activities are often limited. For many of these girls, participating in a troop like this is a game-changer, offering exposure to new interests and careers that they may not have encountered otherwise. Daniela’s dedication and the program’s structure help bridge the gap, providing these girls with the skills, experiences, and confidence they need to dream big and achieve even bigger. With programs like this, the future of girls in STEM looks brighter every day.
