BRYAN, Texas — The intense heat has most of us dreading to go outside in the sun... But some local girl scouts said it's perfect weather for science. They're harnessing the sun's power to set sail.
All summer long, the Girl Scouts of Centeral Texas have been building solar power boats. During the Turbo Trefoils Solar Regatta event this weekend, they put on the finishing touches and try them out.
"You're doing good," the leaders said.
Rebecca Strickland said making the boat from scratch was really fun.
"I liked the part where you like cut it because you got to like make your creation," she said.
The project not only gave the girls hands-on stem learning... But also some valuable life lessons.
"I learned that whenever something is not going your way, don't get upset," her older sister, Autumn, said.
Ella Phillips and other girls were able to race their boats. She said Girl Scouts is about trying new things and building your knowledge.
"Even though your first try might look really good, it doesn't mean it's perfection," she said.
Women make up more than half of all college graduates, according to the Pew Research Center, but represent only 28 percent of the stem workforce.
Emily Dawson says projects like this can help change that.
"Our girls have the best ideas and if we just step back and listen to what they have to say, we can learn a lot from them," she said.
Using the heat, they also made sweet treats by assembling solar power ovens for s'mores.
"This looks yummy," Phillips said before biting into her s'more.