Joining the Girl Scouts is a rite of passage for many. A new center in Newark is hoping to expand the program to more kids, especially since it’s the first in the country that’s located in an urban environment.
The Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey opened the Girl Scouts Leadership Center today, a first-of-its-kind hub designed to serve thousands of local girls with hands-on STEM, leadership and life skills programming. Girl Scout membership in Newark has surged by more than 750 percent since 2018 and now includes more than 1,100 girls.
A group of 11 scouts from the Newark area were hands-on with the development of the center, serving as community design leaders. They met weekly to propose murals, design the multifunctional spaces, and create a layout that would accommodate not only the scouts but also outside event rentals.
The 5,000-square-foot ADA-compliant facility will host Second Saturday events for badge-earning and troop connections, STEM workshops, creative exploration, physical activity and entrepreneurship education. The center also has a retail store, an executive conference room and a kitchen.
The ribbon cutting was held today, and the public is invited to a festival tomorrow (April 12) from 11 am to 3 pm with food trucks, interactive Girl Scout experiences, entertainment, family-friendly activities, building tours and more. For more information, email leadershipcenternwk@gshnj.org
The Girl Scouts Leadership Center is located at 375 McCarter Highway in Newark. The main entrance is on the corner of Murray and Broad Streets. Parking is on-site.
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