Members of the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland use various materials to build simple robotic arms as they participate in an activity introducing them to the world of robotics. Image credit: AP Photo/Patrick SemanskyMembers of the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland use various materials to build simple robotic arms as they participate in an activity introducing them to the world of robotics. Image credit: AP Photo/Patrick SemanskyIn an attempt to expose young girls to the STEM world at earlier ages, the Girl Scouts are now introducing 23 new badges focused on the science, technology, engineering and math disciplines.

Long-associated with cookies, the organization wants to also be associated with robotics, automotive design and the environment. The 23 badges can be earned in a variety of STEM-related topics from introduction to robotics and engineering to advanced topics such as artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms.

"My troop leader looked at me and saw me looking at the stars, and she taught me that there were constellations, she taught me there were systems and patterns to the stars," said Girl Scouts CEO, Sylvia Acevedo. "Because I got my science badge I developed that courage and that confidence to study science and math at a time when girls like me weren't studying science and math. Girls like me, statistically, weren't even finishing high school."

And, according to Acevedo — who was one of the first Hispanic students, male or female, to earn a graduate engineering degree from Stanford University — many girls are still not pursuing STEM-related professions because they experience a “crisis of confidence” in those fields.

"A lot of girls haven't made that shift from using technology to, 'You can actually be a programmer,'" she said. "That you're the one who can make that coding. For a lot of girls, they need to have that hands-on experience so they feel confident."

According to the organization, girls need to be exposed to STEM by the second grade in order to be motivated to continue with that field.

"It's really all about how do we capture that interest in science and technology," Acevedo said. "The other thing is the girls are learning not just how to do a specific skill but also how to think, how to think like an inventor, how to think like a creator, how to think like a maker. Those are the types of things that we want to ignite in the girls."

Among the badges being added this week are meteorological, race car and aviation design badges. Next year, girl scouts will also be able to earn a cybersecurity badge.