Timken and Girl Scouts Open New STEM Pathways for Young Innovators

In Northeast Ohio, a powerful partnership is reshaping how girls discover, explore, and imagine their futures in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The Timken Company and Girl Scouts of North East Ohio (GSNEO) have joined forces to deliver hands‑on STEM experiences that encourage exploration, build confidence, and help girls see themselves as the next generation of innovators.

Research shows that girls begin forming beliefs about who “belongs” in math and science as early as third grade. By creating hands-on experiences for girls in grades 2-5, Timken and GSNEO are engaging with girls at the critical time when confidence can either flourish or fade.

For both organizations, the mission is clear: introduce girls to meaningful STEM experiences early and show them that STEM is a place where they belong.

A Shared Commitment to Future Leaders

Timken’s global corporate social responsibility commitment to expand access to STEM education aligns naturally with the Girl Scouts’ mission to build courage, confidence and character.

“This partnership is inspired by the shared commitment to developing our next generation of innovators, problem solvers and leaders,” said Angel Williams, manager of sales training at Timken and GSNEO board member. “Our goal with this work is to create moments that have a lasting impact on how girls see their own potential.”

Timken’s multi-year partnership with GSNEO began with helping to equip the STEM Center of Excellence at GSNEO’s Camp Ledgewood, which opened in May 2025. Designed to spark curiosity through hands-on learning, the STEM Center gives girls opportunities to experiment, create and solve problems through activities ranging from chemistry and biomimicry to 3D printing and laser cutting.

Building on this commitment in 2026, Timken sponsored four manufacturing camps, including “3D Makers in Motion”, “Innovation Lab”, “Make It! Mold It!”, and “Fab Camp.” These experiences combine hands-on learning at the STEM Center with visits to Timken’s corporate headquarters where girls connect classroom concepts to real-world manufacturing.

“When girls meet Timken’s engineers and professionals — especially the women in those roles — they suddenly see STEM as a place where they belong.“

Sarah Wallace
Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio STEM Center Director

Led by Timken volunteers — mostly female STEM professionals — girls toured research and development labs, assembled bearings, experimented with materials, created laser-etched keychains and met women working in technical careers across the company.

During a manufacturing camp hosted by engineer volunteers at The Timken Company, Girl Scouts from the North East Ohio chapter discovered how bearings are used in many of the products they use every day.

For most, it was the first opportunity to step inside a modern manufacturing facility and interact with women building successful careers in STEM. They explored different career paths, asked questions and saw firsthand how the concepts they were learning can be applied to real-world challenges.

According to Sarah Wallace, GSNEO STEM Center Director, “When girls meet Timken’s engineers and professionals — especially the women in those roles — they suddenly see STEM as a place where they belong. This partnership gives girls the chance to picture themselves in careers they may never have imagined, and this recognition can change the trajectory of their future.”

Sparking Curiosity

Many Timken employees helped bring the STEM camps to life. One of those volunteers was Erin Amarello, Timken aerospace business manager. A former Girl Scout herself, Amarello supported the first of the four manufacturing camps and witnessed the excitement the experience generated.

A few moments stood out to her. “As a group of girls arrived at Timken’s headquarters, one exclaimed, ‘This is going to be so fun!’ and then later, after learning how bearings are assembled, another asked, ‘Can we build bearings all day?,’” Amarello said.

For Amarello, the power of hands-on learning was evident. “These experiences stick with girls,” she explained. “When they can touch it, build it and see it for themselves, STEM becomes something they can connect with and envision themselves doing.”

Wallace notes that experiences like visits to Timken are transformative because they connect exploration with opportunity.

“Most girls arrive with a limited view of what manufacturing looks like,” she explains. When they walk through Timken’s facilities, meet engineers, researchers and technicians, and see advanced technology in action, it creates a lasting impression.” That’s when curiosity starts to turn into possibility, she says.

Envisioning the Future

Williams describes Timken’s long-term vision of working alongside organizations like GSNEO to help prepare the next generation of young women to lead, innovate and shape the future of STEM.

Girl Scouts from the North East Ohio chapter spent a day learning about engineering and manufacturing from employee volunteers at The Timken Company.

“Imagine a future where a young woman applies to Timken and says, ‘I came here on a Girl Scout field trip when I was 11 — my interest in STEM started here,’” said Williams.

Wallace also sees broad possibilities ahead.

“Introducing girls to emerging fields like robotics, advanced manufacturing and sustainability is an important part of our future at GSNEO,” she says. “Our goal is to continually evolve programming so girls can explore the technologies and industries that will shape tomorrow’s workforce.”

Together, Timken and Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio are doing more than just teaching STEM. They are changing perceptions, expanding access, and shaping the future of the region — one girl at a time.

Discover other ways Timken employee volunteers are helping spark curiosity, build skills and create pathways to future STEM careers.