Thirty New Badges Help Power Future Women Leaders
Starting this Fall, girls ages K5-18 will have even more opportunities to earn badges and experience new hands-on programming in robotics, space science, mechanical engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, environmental stewardship, and college exploration. Girl Scouts of the USA released thirty new badges designed to prepare girls to empower themselves and unleash their inner strengths, while giving them a foundation to pursue non-traditional careers and advocate for their communities.
Proven Leadership Outcomes
The 2017 report from the Girl Scout Research Institute, The Girl Scout Impact Study, shows that participating in Girl Scouts helps girls develop key leadership skills they need to be successful in life. Compared to their peers, Girl Scouts are more likely than non-Girl Scouts to be leaders because they:
- Have a strong sense of self (80% vs. 68%)
- Have positive values (75% vs. 59%)
- Seek challenges and learn from setbacks (62% vs. 42%)
- Develop and maintain healthy relationships (60% vs. 43%)
- Exhibit community problem-solving skills (57% vs. 28%)
Importantly, what girls gain through Girl Scouting positively affects all areas of their lives. For example, Girl Scouts do better than their non-Girl Scout peers in the classroom, earning better grades and aspiring to higher educational attainment, and are more likely to seek careers in STEM, law, and business – industries in which women are underrepresented.
The unique Girl Scout environment provides fun, exciting, and essential experiences that carry into girls’ future careers and life success; the KPMG Women’s Leadership Study of more than 3,000 professional and college women shows that early exposure to leadership has a a significant impact on a woman’s perceptions of her ability to lead. Additionally, 76 percent of women today wish they had learned more about leadership and had more leadership opportunities while growing up, demonstrating how imperative it is for girls and volunteers to join Girl Scouts.
“We believe that every girl should have the opportunity to reach her full leadership potential,” said Christy Brown, CEO, Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast. “Only Girl Scouts can provide the safe girl-led environment where girls learn to face challenges head-on, embrace failure as a learning opportunity, create lasting relationships, and find dynamic solutions to social issues – all while building the skills and courage they need to take the lead every day and empower themselves for life.”
Sign her up and volunteer today at gswise.org.
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