WALKER, Mich. (WOOD) — The Girl Scouts are planning to create a new program center in West Michigan called a DreamLab.

The location has not been revealed, but the organization says it is looking to renovate an existing building in Kent County.

“It’s a $2 million project, and we are 56% funded,” said Vivian TerMaat, the CEO of Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore. “We are building what is called a Girl Scout DreamLab. So this is a Girl Scout concept and it premiered a couple years ago in Denver, at our sister council in Denver. And it was designed by Girl Scouts, for Girl Scouts.”

The West Michigan Organization says making the DreamLab as accessible as possible is crucial.

“We’re looking at things like how close are we to a bus line,” TerMaat said. “One of the strengths of Girl Scouting is that it is for all girls in all ZIP codes.”

The lab looks to be a welcoming place that will help girls learn new skills.

“Rather than an office where they can meet and experience programs, it’s first and foremost a program center for girls. So there’ll be a STEM area, there’s a media booth where they can create podcasts, do all kind of incredible stuff there, and then there’s some general meeting spaces as well,” TerMaat said.

The CEO of the local organization says the new programming center will help them keep up with an increase in membership.

“We have been growing here in western, northern Michigan for three years. We’ve seen phenomenal growth, so the demand is there for what we offer,” TerMaat said.

The organization works to teach girls leadership, confidence and other skills that will benefit them long into adulthood.

“We envision this as being something that is another value add for folks who realize the incredible impact that Girl Scouting has on lives of girls and their families,” TerMaat said.

The organization hopes to break ground on the DreamLab in the summer of 2025.