At the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts), this vision comes alive every day through our non-formal education programmes that bring diverse groups of young people together to learn, grow, and lead.
Today, we are spotlighting two WAGGGS programmes; STEM Changemakers and Surf Smart 2.0 which together are equipping girls and young women not just to learn about science and technology, but also to lead as innovators, problem-solvers, and changemakers shaping the world around them. While STEM Changemakers sparks curiosity and hands-on learning in science and technology, Surf Smart 2.0 equips girls and young women with the digital confidence to carry that curiosity safely into the digital world.
Science: Curiosity that Drives Change
For WAGGGS, STEM education goes far beyond the classroom. The STEM Changemakers programme weaves together three elements that reinforce one another: interactive STEM activity sessions that make complex concepts accessible, fun and engaging, a collaborative STEM Challenge that inspires creativity and teamwork, and a Take Action task that encourages girls and young women to use their learning to make a difference in their own communities.
By linking STEM with advocacy and leadership, the programme ensures that girls and young women don’t just see themselves as learners of science but as future innovators, decision-makers, and global leaders.
Complementing this is WAGGGS Surf Smart 2.0 programme, which aims to broaden the idea of science and technology to include digital literacy and critical thinking about the online world. STEM today isn’t only about experiments and equations but also about understanding how algorithms, data, and AI shape our lives. By learning to spot misinformation, protect their privacy, and harness AI responsibly, girls and young women develop the same curiosity and critical thinking that STEM Changemakers sparks.
Technology: Skills for a Digital World
Technology is central to how young people learn, connect, and advocate for change. In July 2025, the STEM Changemakers programme delivered a Training of Master Trainers at WAGGGS Sangam World Centre in India. Bringing together leaders from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Taiwan to learn how to deliver the STEM Changemaker programme at a national level directly to girls and young women. They practiced facilitation techniques that build inclusive, girl-centred spaces ensuring STEM is accessible to every girl and young woman.
And just as the Sangam training showed how leaders can then scale the impact of the STEM Changemakers programme direct to girls and young women, Surf Smart 2.0 is doing the same by scaling the impact of digital confidence and safety across thousands of girls globally.
Delivered in partnership with Norton, a global leader in cybersecurity Surf Smart 2.0 has already reached has already reached 880,000 young people worldwide. Its upcoming new modules on AI literacy goes hand in hand with the problem-solving and teamwork at the heart of STEM Changemakers programme, helping girls and young women not only understand how AI works, but also how to use it creatively, responsibly, and safely.
Where STEM Changemakers equips participants to collaborate on real-world solutions, Surf Smart 2.0 ensures those same skills can be applied online — whether that’s designing advocacy campaigns, countering misinformation, or tackling online harassment and gender-based discrimination.
Together, both programmes show that technology is not just about coding or connectivity, it’s about giving girls and young women the skills and confidence to shape the digital world on their own terms.
Innovation: Creating Solutions for the Future
At the core of both programmes lies innovation. STEM Changemakers, in particular, is grounded in the belief that STEM isn’t just about equations and experiments—it’s about finding solutions to real-world challenges.
Through the Empower and Explore phases of the STEM Changemakers programme, participants strengthened their critical thinking, teamwork, and creativity before putting these skills into action in the STEM Innovation Challenge. Using design thinking, they develop practical solutions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), from environmental protection to community wellbeing. Their projects show how STEM can be a tool for social change as much as for scientific discovery.
At the same time, Surf Smart 2.0 extends this spirit of innovation into the digital world. With its brand-new modules on AI literacy; the programme will be helping girls and young women understand how to get the most out of AI tools while staying safe online. Between April 2024 and March 2025 alone, Surf Smart 2.0 reached over 219,000 girls and young women, giving them practical skills to thrive in the digital age. The programme, free to access on WAGGGS’ online hub Campfire, also supports girls and young women to design their own advocacy campaigns on issues like online harassment, privacy, and gender-based digital discrimination.
Looking Forward
Together, STEM Changemakers and Surf Smart 2.0 reflect WAGGGS’ holistic approach: giving girls and young women the confidence to experiment with science, digital skills to thrive in a connected world, and the leadership to turn ideas into action. Whether they are inventing STEM-based solutions or reimagining the internet, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts are proving that innovation is about more than tools and technologies — it’s about the vision to build a better world.
This International Day of Science, Technology, and Innovation for the South, we celebrate all the girls and young women who are solving problems, reimagining their communities, and leading us all toward a brighter, more inclusive future.