Girl Scouts of North East Ohio (GSNEO) opened Chickadee Program Center at Camp Ledgewood in Peninsula. Two events for Girl Scout members, including volunteers and their families, were held to give members a chance to view the new program center.
The Chickadee Program Center, named after a native Ohio bird, has large rooms and a kitchen to host programs and activities, as well as volunteer trainings. The FabCab is a mini digital fabrication lab with equipment used to create rapid prototypes, providing Girl Scouts the resources to explore the entire engineering design process and earn badges through their experiences.
The building was designed by architect Rick Parker of Brandstetter Carroll, Inc. and constructed by the female-owned Metis Construction, LLC. It was funded by combining donations and proceeds from the sales of council properties to create the GSNEO master plan.
“Why that’s so important is right now in the world, for business, the global supply chain has been disrupted,” says Sylvia Acevedo, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, who attended the opening last month. “What that means is the products and services we used to be able to rely on — that supply chain has really been struck; it’s not just that, it’s also our labor and workforce. What are we going to do to develop the workforce of the future? The world is being redesigned and recreated around technology — line by line, code by code. You need to have a tech-literate, English-speaking workforce locally.”
Costing approximately $3 million to construct, the new Chickadee Program Center is part of a $6.2 million investment at Camp Ledgewood, including new cabins, a commemorative brick plaza recognizing some of the most loyal Girl Scout supporters, a bell tower, bridge and fire pit, the installation of Wi-Fi throughout camp, critical infrastructure improvements like water and septic systems, and more.
Camp Ledgewood is open year-round and is located within the boundaries of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The 350-acre camp features low and high ropes courses, zip lines, an archery range, hiking trails, an amphitheater and observatory, and Lake Loomis for canoeing, kayaking and nature studies. The camp is accredited by the American Camping Association (ACA) and has an average of 3,400 Girl Scout visits each year.
“Inspiring girls to unlock their inner G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader) to reach their full potential is a priority for Girl Scouts of North East Ohio,” says Jane Christyson, GSNEO CEO. “The new program center gives our members flexible space for training, special events and other gatherings that allow us to offer unparalleled leadership experiences.”
— Submitted by Girl Scouts of North East Ohio, girlscouts.org.