Brown’s Society of Women Engineers bring X-treme Gingerbread Competition to local Girl Scouts

The council's leadership center was buzzing with excitement as the young Girl Scouts settled into teams of three and four and eagerly lined up at the tables stocked with an array of marshmallows, pretzels, gumdrops, chocolates and various other gummy candies and sweet treats. Boxes of graham crackers and cans of frosting were neatly arranged, waiting to be transformed into edible yet structurally sound masterpieces. With one hour on the clock, the teams, which included scouts ranging in ages from kindergarten to fifth-graders, set out to build the ultimate gingerbread house guided and encouraged by the Brown students, who served as co-architects and advisors.

At the hour's close, Brown's engineering students judged each house on design, creativity and mechanical integrity. In addition, the sweet structures, one by one, faced a final test: each would need to withstand a simulated earthquake created by a shake table. While each gingerbread house ultimately collapsed under the additional pressure, some took as long as 25 seconds of shaking before coming to a final fall.

Circe Ernest, a third-grader with Troop 44 in Warwick, watched her team's gingerbread creation collapse in nine seconds and said she learned that the house's foundation is vital for stability.

"I learned that you need a good structure to hold up all of the decorations and icing," Ernest said. "I also learned that teamwork is the best solution."

Amy Burt, program manager for outdoor experience and STEM for the Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England, said the fun culinary battle is about much more than demonstrating expert craftsmanship. The event exposes young girls to practical aspects of STEM while fostering critical thinking, problem-solving and resourcefulness.

"The gingerbread competition provides enriching STEM experiences interwoven with elements of fun, camaraderie and a friendly competition, all sweetened by the joy of creativity and sugar," Burt said. "The Girl Scouts absorb these experiences, developing essential skills like resilience, problem-solving and a sense of accomplishment, valuable not only for future educational pursuits but also for personal interests and hobbies. Those skills will play out well after today's event ends."