The First-Ever All-Girl Scout Class in the Nation Graduates from Solar Preparatory School for Girls

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Stephanie Hijazi
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shijazi@gsnetx.com

DALLAS – Girls Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) has partnered with schools for years, but Solar Preparatory School for Girls in Dallas is different--it is the only school in the country where every student is a Girl Scout, and every teacher is trained to be a troop leader. The school launched with pre-K through second grade in 2016, adding a new grade each year up to eighth grade. This year it celebrates its inaugural graduating class.

Of the 72 Solar students graduating, seven will attend neighborhood schools, while 65 graduates plan to attend programs or schools that require an application. And 100% will earn their Girl Scout Silver Award this spring.

The Dallas ISD single-gender school focusing on science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math now serves girls in pre-K up through eighth grade, with 50% of the students coming from families who live below the poverty line. The school has 650 students, and its student population a more diverse than Dallas ISD overall.

Through the unique partnership between GSNETX and Solar Prep, all girls are a member of Girl Scouts at no cost to families. And because approximately half of their students are bused into school and would be unable to participate in an after-school program, incorporating the Girl Scout curriculum during the school day allows 100% of students to participate.

"By bringing our programming into places where girls already are, we're removing obstacles and making it possible for them to access Girl Scouts on a regular basis easily," said Jennifer Bartkowski, CEO of Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas. "The partnership exemplifies GSNETX's commitment to breaking down barriers of entry, such as financial resources and transportation, in order to grow as an inclusive organization."

At Solar, everything is about empowering girls, but the big difference between the regular and Girl Scout curriculum is that "Girl Scouts take action," said Cecelia Burrows, Interventionist at Dallas ISD. "The girls are not just learning. They're learning to go out into the community and make a difference as they develop practical life-long skills like financial literacy, goal setting, communication, and leadership."

Solar Prep students engage in project-based learning while earning Girl Scout badges. The second-grade scholars, for example, earn their Wonders of Waters badges while studying water conservation and the water cycle and then present their learning through different media platforms like podcasts or newscasts.

By partnering with GSNETX, including their priority access to the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas’ STEM Center of Excellence, where girls can participate in STEM and outdoor activities, and removing boys from the classroom, Solar provides girls with safe spaces that empower them to explore their interests. GSNETX hopes that this year’s highly ambitious, inspirational graduating class will lead to the organization's model expanding across North Texas and the country.

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We Are Girl Scouts

Whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges. Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas serves girls and adult volunteers across 32 counties. To change the workforce pipeline in STEM and meet the urgent need for female voices, engagement, and leadership in the fastest-growing sector of the U.S. economy, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas opened the STEM Center of Excellence in 2018. The STEM Center is a 92-acre state-of-the-art camp just outside of Dallas where girls can experience programs in astronomy, robotics, coding, computer science, and more. Recently, the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas Board of Directors was recognized with Dallas Business Journal's Outstanding Directors Award and received the Luminary Award from SMU's Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development. Learn more at gsnetx.org or call 972-349-2400.

May 08, 2023