Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey will podcast, learn robotics and experience indoor camping thanks to a new DreamLab that opened in Paramus on June 5.

The 12,000-square-foot DreamLab, the second of its kind in the state and 12th in the country, will offer a variety of labs, workspaces, meeting rooms and other multipurpose spaces to serve North Jersey’s 19,000 Girl Scouts. The organization, open to ages 5 to 18, serves Bergen, Passaic, Morris and Sussex counties and the northern half of Warren County.

The center held a ribbon-cutting on Friday morning with Girl Scout leadership and local dignitaries, including County Executive Jim Tedesco, Commissioner Tracy Zur and Assemblymembers Lisa Swain and Chris Tully.

The Girl Scouts owned the 300 Forest Ave. location for 50 years, primarily using it as office space, but decided to reimagine the space in a $3 million renovation to create new programming space for its members.

Seeing the DreamLab get off the ground was important to Tedesco, whose mother helped found the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey branch. During the opening ceremony, he recounted his days spent at Girl Scout camp in the summers.

“It actually shaped who I am today,” said Tedesco. “It was what helped make me realize that I wanted to give back to my community as I grew up.”

Tedesco said the space will act as a community hub not just for Girl Scouts, but for nonprofits, local schools and organizations.

A few older scouts lead a design team to help the organization plan activities that would best prepare their fellow members for the world, like investing in robotics and other STEM related activities.

“We worked together not only to design a space where girls of all ages can come to enrich themselves, but also select programs that we believe can be highly beneficial and educational,” said 18-year-old Yasmine Lalani, one of the Girl Scout design team ambassadors.

One scout alumni, 19-year-old Isabella Santa Cruz of Glen Rock, even worked with the center to help build a sensory room as a safe space for neurodivergent members.

“Inclusion isn’t just a feature, but a foundation of meaningful impact,” Santa Cruz said. “The sensory room provides a peaceful sanctuary to escape the noise, listen to their inner voices and develop the self-awareness they need to lead.”  

During the DreamLab’s first day, visitors could try out the space’s many features, including a podcast room, 3D printers, a kid-safe power tool called a Chomp Saw and test out Sphero BOLT, a robotic ball that is controlled and programmed with an app.

“I’m really excited for the girls to come in here,” said Nicole Ricci, 23, a Girl Scout alumni helping people try the Sphero BOLT. “It will be a great space for them to be creative and learn.”

Sandra Kenoff, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, is hopeful the DreamLab will inspire the next generation of leaders.

“From the beginning, we were committed to ensuring this space reflects the voices of the girls and the communities we serve,” said Kenoff.