In the so-called \u201ctinker room,\u201d Braiya was surrounded by high-tech gadgets<\/a> and her fellow troop members. She was among the 300 attendees to celebrate the opening of the Dallas County Girl Scout Dream Lab<\/a> in southern Dallas<\/a> Saturday morning. <\/p>\n The Education Lab<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our\u00a0Terms of Service<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n The repurposed 10,000-square-foot facility includes climbing walls, a podcasting room, kitchen, outdoor space, a multipurpose room and more. The DreamLab aims to spark curiosity in STEM<\/a> among young women and make inroads with underserved communities. <\/p>\n People mingle during the public opening of the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas\u2019 DreamLab. <\/p>\n Juan Figueroa \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a space built for girls by girls,\u201d said Jennifer Bartkowski, the Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas<\/a>. \u201cWe are thrilled to be able to offer this to the girls of southern Dallas.\u201d <\/p>\n The 113-year-old national organization saw a significant drop in membership during the pandemic. Girl Scouts youth membership dropped from about 1.4 million in 2019-2020 to just over 1 million in 2021, according to the Associated Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n It was a flashpoint for Girl Scouts to reimagine itself, as Bartkowski still sees concerning statistics indicating that girls desire belonging and community. Girl Scouts is committed to serving \u201cmore communities in more inclusive ways,\u201d honing in on \u201cunderchampioned\u201d areas, like southern Dallas, she said. <\/p>\n \u201cFamilies wanted what Girl Scouts had to offer,\u201d Bartkowski said. \u201cBut they didn\u2019t know us, or they didn\u2019t have access to us. We needed to show up differently.\u201d <\/p>\n The opportunity to attend an all-girls private school<\/a> is not always accessible, she noted. But, single-gender spaces, like the DreamLab, are essential for young women to build confidence and explore their interests, she said. <\/p>\n \u201cWe want to make that space available for all girls,\u201d she said. \u201cIf we can do that, those girls are going to become women who run communities, schools, governments and companies.\u201d<\/p>\n Former U.S. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson<\/a> helped secure federal funding for the DreamLab before she died in 2023. This is the second and largest DreamLab in Texas, with the first one located in Flower Mound. <\/p>\n More than 18,000 girls in northeast Texas are involved with Girl Scouts, according to Bartkowski. She hopes to introduce thousands more into the organization by 2030. <\/p>\n On Saturday morning, Girl Scouts crowded into the DreamLab for some fun. Adventurous souls tried tackling a rotating rock climbing wall, which slowly spun as the climber stretched for the blue, pink and purple holds. <\/p>\n Susanne Elliott, 5, of Troop 1608 uses the rotating rock climbing wall during the public opening. <\/p>\n Juan Figueroa \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n Two Dallas Morning News journalists attempted to scale the wall and promptly fell onto the mats. But Susanne Elliott, 5, and her brother Wesley Elliott, 9, found it easy-peasy. <\/p>\n In a large multipurpose room, girls were treated to a sighting of a Texas tortoise named Mystery, brought in by Eric Brittingham, the president of Wildlife On the Move<\/a>, which provides programming for Girl Scouts. <\/p>\n He held the creature with a crumbled bundle of paper towels, which he called a \u201ctortoise diaper.\u201d \u201cThe ultimate party pooper,\u201d he said of Mystery. <\/p>\n Elsewhere, girls played around with circuits and batteries and enjoyed pastries. Others poked their eyes into microscopes.<\/p>\n Carmen Velazquez helps daughters Emily Velazquez, 1, and Mia Velazquez, 9, of Troop 6701 use a microscope. <\/p>\n Juan Figueroa \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n Sitting in a booth, Aanya Lakhani, 15, exclaimed about the blue specks she observed through the lens. <\/p>\n Aanya hopes to be a doctor, but on Saturday morning, she was a podcaster.<\/p>\n![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/FQJK7ZQICBGXRPOFCZ3SNXT7VU.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Susanne](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/JV4HNQUKKZA5JONG4SO2NN4PFY.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Carmen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IUERP4HQHVD6VALOCIZFAFCVCU.jpg\")
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![\"Patches](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/E3FF3R64HZHL5GBHJQQ7MBGDLA.jpg\")
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