Editor’s note: Parents of Northside School girls will receive an information letter about Scouting.
Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois is making its back-to-school push for girls and adult volunteers to join Girl Scouts, the Country’s preeminent leadership development organization for girls. The more adults who step forward to volunteer, the more girls will get the chance to be a Girl Scout. Girl Scouts is open to all girls from kindergarten through grade 12.
Adults over age 18 may become volunteers; both girls and adults volunteers can join at any time of the year. Girl Scout volunteers come from all walks of life. They are men, women, young professionals, retirees,parents, grandparents, college students, and more. To join or volunteer, please contact 800-925-3327 or 815-235-8777 or visit www.girlscouts.org/join.
With families already thinking about how to allocate their free time during the coming school year, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) has released new data showing the organization’s benefits for both girls and volunteers.
Results of a summer 2014 pulse poll, conducted with over 3500 volunteers and parents of Girl Scouts in the K-5 age range, show positive effects on members of all ages:
- 97% of parents agree Girl Scouts has been a positive activity for their daughter
- 95% agree that she has had fun and exciting new experiences
- 96% agree that she has learned or tried something new
- 94% of parents say that because of Girl Scouts their daughter feels special
- 95% report their daughter has more friends
- 89% feel their daughter is happier.
The data shows it is not just girls who benefit:
- 94% of volunteers have made new friends
- 88% believe their life is better, because they volunteer with Girl Scouts
- two-thirds believe their volunteer experience has helped them professionally
- 95% of Girl Scout volunteers are happy knowing they are making girls’ lives better.
“Girl Scouts has provided a safe, fun, and engaging place for girls and adult volunteers to lead and thrive for over 100 years,” said Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. “We know the majority of volunteers feel their Girl Scout experience has helped them both personally and professionally, but in many places throughout the Country, the lack of volunteers is what keeps girls on waiting lists. Every adult who volunteers for Girl Scouts can help us bring fun, new experiences to at least five girls. Imagine what that can do to shape the next generation of female leaders.”
Girl Scouts gives girls a place to explore topics of interest, in a judgment-free space, outside of classroom confinements. It cultivates cooperative and self-directed learning, as well as the “growth mindset”–the understanding that intelligence and talent can be developed. This help foster a lifetime passion for learning.
The variety of experiences and the “value for the money” that the Girl Scout program provides are also popular selling points. Eighty-nine percent of parents say their daughter gets a greater variety of experiences from Girl Scouts than she does from other extracurricular activities. The majority of parents feel Girl Scouts is a great value for the money compared to other extracurricular activities. Overall, parents consider Girl Scouts one of the most beneficial extracurricular activities for their daughter!