Girl Scouts adding Space Science Merit Badges

There are many initiatives out there encouraging children to get involved with computer science and STEM classes (science, technology, engineering and math), including a recent boost in funding from the White House for public education. In this vein, the Girl Scouts recently teamed up with the SETI Institute (an organization co-founded by Carl Sagan dealing with the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) to offer STEM classes and space merit badges. This is also an example of the effort to close the gender gap in these subjects and get more girls interested in topics often associated with boys. The five year program is called Reaching for the Stars: NASA Science for Girl Scouts and includes the first ever space science badges for Girl Scouts.