Girl Scouts, National Grid partner to empower young girls

The Girl Scouts of Nassau County and National Grid have joined forces to forge a partnership that encourages young girls to embrace energy conservation and sustainability.

Members of Freeport Troop 2453 recently met with National Grid officials to learn more about the initiative, which is part of National Grid’s Project C. National Grid has pledged $75,000 to help empower girls and equip them with the tools they need to excel in STEM-related fields.

Since the program’s inception last November, over 270 Girl Scouts have earned patches representing four vital pillars of the program: clean energy, environmental justice, community engagement, and workforce development.

Ten girls from Troop 2453 engaged in various activities that taught them about the importance of clean energy — including presentations of their findings from their home energy assessments — at an April 18 event at the Freeport Memorial Library.

“We are celebrating the partnership between Girl Scouts of Nassau County and National Grid through their Project C initiative,” Randel Bynum, CEO of the Nassau Girl Scouts, said. “It was a great opportunity to bring our Girl Scout troop from Freeport to the Freeport library. During the event, they had the chance to explore two of the four parts of the program, which included clean energy and sustainability, as well as workforce development.”

National Grid officials led an interactive presentation that inspired the girls to pursue careers in STEM, while the girls received their National Grid Project C patches as a mark of their achievements. 

“It’s important for girls to see what other girls are doing and become inspired,” Bynum said. “In Nassau County, we have many strong troops that are doing remarkable things, and sharing information about this Freeport troop and their activities will encourage other girls to make a difference. By doing so, we can achieve our mission of making the world a better place.”

Along with clean energy and sustainability, and workforce development, the program also stresses neighborhood development and community engagement, and environmental justice and social equity. This program is specially designed to align with National Grid’s Project C and encourage girls to take an active role in their environment as they participate in community work.

“National Grid has been a phenomenal partner in making this program a success,” Bynum said. “Through the collaboration, we will continue to provide a number of opportunities to girls that will help boost their confidence and unlock their potential to make the world a better place by prioritizing environmental and sustainable changes in their communities. We are grateful for National Grid’s support.” 

Since the program’s launch on Nov. 15, 2022, the Girl Scouts who participated have earned various patches that represent their achievements in completing a rigorous curriculum. These patches include the clean energy patch, community development patch, environment justice and social equity patch, and the workforce development patch. To earn these patches, the girls engaged in various activities such as creating a video message to raise awareness about environmental justice and social equity, brainstorming ways to implement clean energy in their communities, and inviting a female representative from National Grid’s Women in Non-Traditional Roles organization to speak to their troop.

“I believe that our mission is not only to develop girls of courage, competence, and character but also to make the world a better place,” Bynum said. “To achieve this, it’s important for girls to understand how they can contribute to this effort, and even small acts can lead to significant changes. By learning about clean energy and sustainable solutions, girls can make a big impact.”

Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé was also present at the event at the library, learning more about what the Girl Scouts and National Grid had to offer.

“Through this partnership between the Girl Scouts of Nassau County and National Grid, girls in Freeport and all across Nassau County are gaining valuable skills and knowledge in the fields that will shape our future,” Mulé said. “I truly enjoyed visiting with these young leaders and learning more about their efforts to make our community greener and more sustainable for the benefit of current residents and our next generations.”

National Grid’s contribution also supported the planting of 186 new trees across Nassau County, as part of GSUSA’s Tree Promise initiative. The initiative aims to plant 5 million trees nationwide within five years, contributing to overall environmental progress and the protection and preservation of existing trees. 

Additionally, National Grid sponsored the Unapologetically Fearless Since 1912 event, in which female professionals in non-traditional careers and trades shared their experiences with students in grades 7-12. The company also provided funding for a series of storytelling workshops called Telling Your Story, where the girls worked with expert speakers and teachers to hone their public speaking skills and learn how to share their own unique stories in meaningful ways.

“National Grid’s partnership with Girl Scouts of Nassau County is a testament to our commitment to caring for the environment by giving back to our communities and working with organizations that share similar goals,” said Kathy Wisnewski, National Grid’s director of Customer and Community Management.