in September, GE Johnson Construction Company hosted the 3rd Annual Build Like a Girl Day for the Girl Scouts of Colorado (GSCO). The event was held virtually due to social distancing requirements.
GE Johnson has partnered with the Girl Scouts of Colorado for the past three years, hosting a day for the Girl Scouts to learn about careers in construction, construct a project, and tour a construction project. Over 100 girls registered this year, which is almost double the number of registrants from previous years. Since the event is usually held in Colorado Springs, this year’s virtual event allowed for girls from more than 25 different cities in Colorado to participate.
The girls were instructed on how to build bee hotels, given a lesson on pollinators and the positive effect they have on the environment from employees at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and received a virtual tour of the recently completed hippo and penguin exhibit at the zoo, all presented online.
Jim Johnson, GE Johnson president and CEO, kicked off the day by welcoming the girls and introducing them to the exciting possibilities the construction industry has to offer. “This is really such a great industry, we get to use math, science and computers and really build something we get to see that represents all the work we’ve done that day,” stated Jim.
Aimee Artzer, community partnerships manager for Girl Scouts of Colorado said, “The annual Build Like a Girl program with GE Johnson is an amazing opportunity for Girl Scouts in Colorado to get real, hands-on woodworking experience from the experts themselves. In years past, this program drew in Girl Scouts from the Pikes Peak region and beyond to the GE Johnson Logistics Facility in Colorado Springs. In 2020, GE Johnson and Girl Scouts of Colorado worked together to adapt the program to a hybrid virtual/take home. This change removed the geographic barrier and allowed Girl Scouts from all over Colorado to participate! Girls not only had fun but were also challenged to problem-solve and ask for help online instead in person.”
What is Build Like a Girl Day?
Girls Scouts’ mission is to unleash the G.I.R.L. – Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader – in every girl to prepare them for a lifetime of leadership! GE Johnson proudly supports this mission.
This is one of many workforce development efforts for GE Johnson to inspire the next generation of construction leaders. Build Like a Girl is special because it exposes younger girls to what the construction industry has to offer. This is especially important
given that only 9.1 percent of women make up the construction industry. Even more, it empowers girls to take charge and build something that will be a part of the community
Photo courtesy of GE Johnson
