In late March, Balboa Park became a course of curiosity, teamwork, and discovery as hundreds of Girl Scouts gathered for the annual Incredible Race.
From early morning, teams spread out across the park – maps in hand, clues to solve and challenges ahead – each one designed to push them a little further than where they started.
The Incredible Race isn’t about speed, it’s about experience.
Throughout the day, Girl Scouts rotated through hands-on activities that introduced them to real-world STEM concepts in ways that felt tangible and immediate. They learned how to change a tire. Built and launched paper rocket ships. Practiced balancing on a surfboard.
Each station offered something different, but the goal remained the same: build confidence through doing.
It’s one thing to hear about science, engineering, or problem-solving. It’s another to try it yourself alongside your team, figuring it out in real time.
Modeled after the television show The Amazing Race, the Incredible Race invites participants to move through the park completing challenges to advance. But what makes the event unique isn’t just the format, it’s who participates together.
Teams are made up of Girl Scouts from across grade levels, from Daisies to Ambassadors (K–12), alongside adult volunteers. Some teams stay within their age group, while others bring together girls at different stages.
That mix creates something special.
Younger girls learn by watching. Older girls step into leadership roles. And across the board, participants build connections that extend beyond a single day.
At its core, the Incredible Race is designed to strengthen interest and confidence in STEM.
Throughout the course, girls are asked to think critically, solve problems, and make decisions as a team. They encounter challenges that require both technical thinking and collaboration. They’re encouraged to take risks, try new things and learn as they go.
Along the way, they’re also introduced to the impact of women in STEM, helping connect what they’re doing in the moment to broader possibilities for their future.
These experiences build a sense of capability.
By the end of the day, teams had completed their routes, solved their clues and crossed the finish line.
But what they carried with them wasn’t just the memory of a race.
It was the confidence of figuring something out.
The experience of working through a challenge together.
And the understanding that they are capable of more than they may have realized before.
Events like the Incredible Race don’t just teach STEM, they show girls that they belong in it.
It’s why we do this work. To capture the moments where learning becomes personal, confidence becomes visible and stories like these can be shared far beyond a single day in the park.
