Startland Education and Girl Scouts of NE Kansas/NW Missouri partner for our signature MECA Challenge!
This past December, our organization had the opportunity to work with Girl Scouts on designing a MECA Challenge for Girl Scout Cadettes––Girl Scouts who are in the 6th-8th grade level.
Our MECA Challenges are one-day experiences that expose students to the human-centered design thinking process and entrepreneurial mindset. Students walk away from our challenges with newfound skills in pitching, ideation, empathy and more.
The Challenge: "How might we own our Girl Scout experience and leverage our sales knowledge and entrepreneurial mindset so that our cookie sales can fund our GS goals and dreams?"
This MECA Challenge took place at Burns & McDonell’s Headquarters. Check out some images from the event below!
Our Theory of Change
Centering our audiences in design thinking
#FrameAndFocus
We began the challenge day by asking Cadettes and their Troop Leaders to write down words and phrases related to what Girl Scouts has done for them. By centering our challengers in this topic, we prime ourselves to discover new ways of thinking!
Connecting with our community
#Empathy
In partnership with InnovateHer, we invited women entrepreneurs across the city to speak to our Cadettes and offer them insight/advice into entrepreneurship. Hearing from an external point of view allows our audiences to think about how their work applies to a much broader community than themselves.
Challenging youth to share their voice––and for adults to listen.
#Pitching
After converging on ideas for how to amplify their cookie sales, the Cadettes had the chance to share their idea with the audience. Through pitching, we challenge students to build their verbal communication skills, and for adults to take on a more passive role in youth development.
Alloting youth to let their minds run wild with ideas.
#Prototyping
Once they shared their ideas for feedback, the Cadettes were able to take all they’ve learned and sketch prototypes for their final solution. Doing this allows for youth to take something tangible home, and give them even more autonomy in creating their learning experience.
Photos captured by student photographer, Luke Frenzel.
Is your organization interested in partaking in one of our MECA Challenges?
