Every girl deserves a place where she can be her best self and unleash her inner G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™. And that place is Girl Scouts!
Girl Scouts has a track record of more than 100 years of providing extraordinary experiences just for girls. And although girls can choose from many activities and youth programs, there’s only one that’s proven to grow girls into the leaders we need today, tomorrow, and always.
Here are our ten favorite reasons (because we have many!) why all girls deserve a Girl Scout experience.
1. Girl Scouts is a girl-only space, and while that sounds obvious, we mention it because there’s a good reason! Girls have unique developmental needs, and participating in a program tailored to those needs has well-documented benefits. Girl Scouts is, and always has been, the expert on girls.
2. Girl Scouts is SO much more than a single-gender youth program; it’s the only one that’s girl-led! Girls choose the exciting, hands-on activities that interest them most—whether that’s earning badges, exploring the great outdoors, learning business skills while selling Girl Scout Cookies, or making a difference in their community. And together, they learn by doing.
3. All girls deserve the opportunity to participate in fun, confidence-boosting activities in a judgment-free space, and that’s why Girl Scouts will always be an inclusive, supportive community where girls are free to be who they want. There’s a place for every girl in Girl Scouts, and that’s why you’ll find us in urban, suburban, and rural communities in schools, community centers, and places of worship.
Our CEO Sylvia Acevedo said it best: “Our role is to support and encourage every girl, not insert ourselves into her spirituality, question her birthplace or family’s country of origin, or concern ourselves with her economic status. We’re not interested in her family’s political beliefs. No matter who she is, she has a home and a safe place at Girl Scouts.”
4. Girl Scouts offers hands-on, girl-centered learning in STEM, which can be a game-changer for many girls. Research shows that Girl Scouts who said they didn’t like math or science at the start of their STEM programs became more positive about these subjects after participating, and 77 percent said that because of Girl Scouts, they’re considering a career in technology.
5. It’s a fact: companies today seek employees with essential people skills who are prepared to be inspirational, empathetic leaders. Through Girl Scouts, girls discover the importance of teamwork, become creative problem-solvers, and glow with positivity, empowering others to be their best G.I.R.L. selves too—the kind of leader every workplace deserves.
6. Girl Scouts believe in leaving a place better than you found it, and becoming civically engaged is the first step in fighting injustice and making positive change a reality. There’s nothing more empowering than being a catalyst for change, and through the G.I.R.L. Agenda, girls learn to make their voices heard and to mobilize their community to make the world a better place.
7. That all-girl environment we mentioned earlier? It’s the most inspiring sisterhood she’ll be part of! Girl Scouts are continually leading amazing initiatives that improve their communities, whether they’re championing ocean conservation, fighting child marriage, or enacting a smoking banin their home state. With 1.8 million fellow change-makers to join her, she’ll discover there’s nothing she can’t accomplish!
8. The Girl Scout Gold Award is her chance to make a sustainable, positive impact on her community. But the experience also directly benefits her as she learns valuable community organizing and project-management skills, making her stand out on college applications, earning her scholarships, and enabling her to enter the military one rank higher. Talk about paying it forward!
9. Girl Scout alums break glass ceilings, and it’s easy to see why: the confidence and persistence needed to smash through barriers in the workforce and bust gender stereotypes is rooted in having a girl-only space where girls know anything is possible.
10. Building girls of courage, confidence, and characterisn’t just mission statement fluff; it’s what we live and breathe at Girl Scouts, and the outcomes speak for themselves. Research shows that, compared to their peers, Girl Scouts are more likely than other girls to be leaders.
Bottom line? Girl Scouts is the best leadership development organization for every girl because it’s the place for her to do more than just well—it’s her place to thrive!