For more than 100 years, Girl Scouts has acted as the #1 leadership organization for girls, providing endless opportunities to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success. Although nowadays there are a wide variety of activities and programs for them to choose from, Girl Scouts is the premier place for girls to discover their full individual potential, develop leadership skills, create healthy relationships, and test their boundaries.
Here are just 7 (out of many!) reasons why every girl deserves a Girl Scout experience:
1. All Girl, All the Time
Most of your daughter’s day-to-day is spent alongside boys – at school, in sports, and at after-school activities. While this is great for developing social skills and making new friends, the experiences of girls and boys in coed environments vary greatly. Due to society’s stereotypes about girls, their interests, and how they should be treated, girls are less likely to take risks or engage in competition in coed environments. At Girl Scouts, they have the freedom to be the most genuine version of themselves by taking risks and discovering their passions without the burden of social pressures. The result? Greater confidence in the knowledge that girls can do anything!
2. Choose Her Own Adventure
Together with their troops, girls are able to pursue the activities that they’re passionate about – whether that be an overnight backpacking trip, a community service project that serves their community, or learning to code at a STEM workshop. When girls have the ability to step up act independently, they grow into confident leaders who can make informed and empowered decisions all on their own. At Girl Scouts there’s something for everyone, and girls have the freedom to tailor our program to fit all of their individual needs and interests.
3. Get STEM-Savvy
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is the future of tomorrow. While research shows that girls are interested in these fields and excel at them, beginning as early as elementary school they become discouraged and don’t often pursue them as careers. Girl Scouts provides a safe and non-intimidating space for girls to explore their interests, ask questions, and engage in hands-on learning outside of school. In fact, 77% of girls say that because of Girl Scouts, they’re considering a career in technology!
4. Find Her Voice
Girl Scouts aims to inspire girls to be leaders in their own lives by building the courage, confidence, and character to raise their voices and be advocates for the issues and ideas important to them. The G.I.R.L. Agenda is a nonpartisan initiative to inspire, prepare, and mobilize girls and those who care about them to lead positive change through civic action. Our program prepares girls to be active and informed members of their communities, instilling them with the necessary skills to build a better future for all!
5. Make the World a Better Place
Girls are encouraged to be a catalyst for change in their communities and the world beyond, whether that be by tackling ocean pollution, supporting local nonprofits, or creating STEM programs for underserved communities. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the most prestigious award in the world for girls, giving them not only a rewarding experience, but also a competitive edge in the college admission process, scholarships, and the ability to enter the military one rank higher. Research shows that Gold Award Girl Scouts display more positive life outcomes regarding sense of self, life satisfaction, leadership, community service, and civic engagement. Girls will establish a lifetime network of other change-makers in their communities, as well as leave a lasting legacy behind!
6. Join the Network
Did you know that nearly one in two adult women in the U.S. has at some point been a member of Girl Scouts? With our alums representing 60% of women in Congress, 52% of female business leaders, and over half of our country’s female governors, clear that Girl Scouts take the confidence gained from our supportive, all-girl environments and use it in the real world! Girl Scouts have incredible role models that have shattered gender stereotypes in their career fields, and automatically gain an inspiring and encouraging sisterhood of girls around the world!
7. Inclusive for All
Girl Scouts was founded on the basis of inclusivity and diversity, where girls from all variations of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, religion, and ability come together and discover what it means to be a G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader). With the Girl Scout Law, girls learn to “be a sister to every Girl Scout” by embracing and celebrating each other’s differences. Our all-girl spaces foster collaboration over competition and teaches girls that when they work together, anything is possible. No matter her background, every girl has a home at Girl Scouts!
Is your girl ready to unlock her potential and discover all that Girl Scouts has to offer? With us, the possibilities are endless. Sign up your daughter or join us as a volunteer to get started on your journey today!
