A ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, Sept. 9, marked a new collaborative agreement between the Homewood Science Center and Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana.
The agreement allows the Girl Scouts to use various spaces within the HSC, 18022 Dixie Highway, for meetings, events and offices. Schedules will vary, depending on the need.
The Girl Scouts had a building at 1005 175th Street, but sold that space in Jun 2021. Homewood Mayor Richard Hofeld was happy to welcome the Girl Scouts back to the community.
Moving to HSC took the Girl Scouts out of a light industry area of Homewood and moved their programs into the heart of the village, which is going to be a much better location for both the scouts and the Girl Scout administration, said Nancy Wright, chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of Great Chicago and Northwest Indiana.
“The biggest opportunity we see is being right where everything is. And being part of the community, engaging everyone here,” she said.
One Girl Scout troop already volunteered to decorate the outside of the HSC building in fall colors and decorations, Wright said, and giving Girl Scouts the chance to interact with all the arts and science activities at HSC will be especially beneficial.
“Our partnership is a great example of how nonprofits are strengthened when they work together,” said Edie Dobrez, executive director of HSC. “We are so pleased to share our building with the Girl Scouts because our missions are aligned.”
In addition to office space, the Girl Scouts will use the garage space as the Girl Scout cookie sales distribution site. Sharing that space was the first effort between HSC and the Girl Scouts in winter 2022, and it worked well, said Vicki King, vice president of outdoor programs and property, and customer support.
Looking for Girl Scout supplies? A small Girl Scout shop is now open in the HSC from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. two Saturdays a month. Check the website girlscoutsgcnwi.org for details.
Locating Girl Scouts in a shared space is a test case, King said. The Girl Scout organization found that it really didn’t need a permanent office. Staff typically is out working at various locations, meeting with troop leaders and attending functions. Being able to stop into the HSC building for office time will be sufficient. HSC also offered the Girl Scouts use of a larger meeting room if they want to hold team meetings.
The success of the HSC/Girl Scouts partnership is likely to be replicated at Girl Scout camps in the Chicago area and Northwest Indiana, Wright added.