Rep. Sykes Celebrates Girl Scouts of North East Ohio Grand Opening of STEM Center of Excellence
AKRON, OH — Today, U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) celebrated the grand opening of Girl Scouts of North East Ohio’s (GSNEO) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Center of Excellence. The STEM Center is located at Camp Ledgewood in Peninsula within the boundaries of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Last year, Rep. Sykes presented an $850,000 ceremonial check to the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio (GSNEO) for their STEM Center of Excellence. The $850,000 for the GSNEO STEM Center of Excellence is one of the 12 Community Funding Projects totaling more than $14.9 million Rep. Sykes secured in the 2024 federal spending bill.
“The STEM Center of Excellence will provide an exciting asset for learning and exploration for Girl Scouts and school children in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District – I promised I would help secure federal funding at the groundbreaking for this center, and I am proud to now deliver this resource to invest in our future workforce and the success of young women in our district,” said Rep. Sykes. “I’m proud to have partnered with the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio to get this project started and see it to completion. And the best part is completing this project is actually just the start! Now with the site in place, boundless learning and exploration will take place here.”
This 8,000-square-foot STEM Center offers a wide range of program spaces, including a wet lab, tech workshops, outdoor classrooms, and an observatory for stargazing. A green roof provides an innovative space for studying alternative energy, while the STEM Center’s commitment to sustainable, nature-inspired design reflects the Girl Scouts’ emphasis on environmental stewardship. Since the introduction of new STEM badges in 2017, Girl Scouts has continually enhanced its offerings, ensuring that girls develop critical skills for careers in STEM that this region needs to thrive.
The area’s almost 19,000 Girl Scouts are eager to use this facility and will be joined by girls and boys from all over the region when they visit on field trips. More than 100,000 K-5 students live within a 30-minute drive time of this location, whether in the urban core or rural communities.
The building was designed by SoL/Harris Day Architecture and constructed by the female-owned Regency Construction. It was funded by a number of generous individuals, corporations, foundations, and government donors.
With an $8 million construction budget, this center is an investment in a future workforce. The Girl Scout’s comprehensive program is built on four core program pillars – Life Skills, Entrepreneurship, Outdoors, and STEM – empowering participants with hands-on, age-appropriate experiences in fields like engineering, computer science, robotics, and more. This focus helps build their confidence, competence, and interest in subjects that will shape their futures. This dedicated space is more than just a center – it’s a gateway for a future where youth are not only encouraged to explore STEM, but are fully prepared to lead it. Together, we are cultivating the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and trailblazers.
Camp Ledgewood is open year-round and is located in the village of Peninsula in Summit County, within the boundaries of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The 350-acre camp features low and high ropes courses, zip lines, archery range, hiking trails, amphitheater, 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.