Girl Scouts of the USA

Contact

420 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10018-2798
Ph. (212) 852-8000 / 1 800 478-7248
Fx. (212) 852-6509/6510
http://www.girlscouts.org



Founded in 1912, the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), has long been preparing girls for leadership roles. As the largest voluntary organization for girls in the world, the Girl Scouts are committed to peaking the interest and listening to the voices of millions of girls, as well as the women and men who serve them. The purpose of Girl Scouting is to inspire girls with the highest ideals of character and conduct, so that they may become capable and inspired citizens. Girl Scouting seeks to accomplish this goal through innovative programs that provide girls with opportunities to explore the world's possibilities while having fun with their peers in supportive, all-girl settings.

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Principal Staff

Kathy Cloninger, CEO
E-mail: kcloninger@girlscouts.org

Florence Corsello, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Business Services

Delphia York Duckens, Senior Vice President, Fund Development

Jaclyn E. Libowitz, Chief of Staff

Deborah Long, Senior Vice President, Governance and Corporate Administration

Laurel J. Richie, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer

Michael Watson, Senior Vice President, Human Resources

Laurie A. Westley, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, Advocacy & the Research Institute

Kelvin Lynn Cothren, Director of Administration, Office of the Chair & CEO
Ph. (212) 852-8624
E-mail: LCothren@girlscouts.org

Sheriza Mohammed, Administrative Assistant
Ph. (212) 852-5004
E-mail: Smohammed@girlscouts.org

Areas of Expertise:

Awareness & Education, K-12, Education & Education Reform, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM), Women's & Girls' Leadership

Member Experts:


Projects & Campaigns

The Girl Scouts have a program with age appropriate and progressive resources based on four program goals for girls. Every girl who particpates in Girl Scouting benefits from the following four program goals:

Developing to her full potential.


Relating to others with increasing understanding, skill and respect.


Developing values to guide her actions and to provide the foundation for sound decision-making.


Contributing to the improvement of society through the use of her abilities and leadership skills, working in cooperation with others.


Below is a sampling of the kinds of newer initiatives that are adjuncts to the core program:

Community Service

All Girl Scouts are encouraged to perform community service projects. Once girls reach the age of nine, and through the age of 17, they can take on projects of increasing complexity and can receive nationally-recognized awards for their achievements.

Cultural, Racial, and Ethnic Diversity

Thinking Day. Held annually on February 22, the Girl Scouts celebrates girls and the diverse cultures in which they live by learning more about sister Girl Scouts and Girl Guides from neighboring countries. Girls at every Girl Scout age level engage in many activities that foster respect for others and respect for themselves.

Environment

The Elliot Wildlife Values project is the environmental education unit of the organization. Under its umbrella, a variety of projects take place. Some examples are:

Linking Girls to the Land. In cooperation with various environmental agencies, Girl Scout Councils plan outdoor recreational activities and environmental education programs, including service projects in natural areas for local Girl Scouts groups.

EarthPACT (plant and animal conservation team) supports partnerships between Girl Scout councils and local environmental education, nature, or science-related institutions to involve girls in field conservation activities and provide career exporation activities.

From Sidewalks to Treetops- Neighborhood Environmental Exploration workshops in Spanish and English teach council staff and administrative volunteers how to use the streets of their own communities as outdoor learning centers for girls. The workshop is also available as a training video in English and Spanish for leaders.
As part of a collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, young adults are provided with ongoing ocean science and exploration experience, including working in the field with scientists, designing projects to continue at home, and an e-mentoring project between girls and NOAA ocean scientists.

Financial Literacy


A curriculum that promotes financial iteracy, an e-learning web site, and grants for locally-administered projects have been launched to teach girls the skills they need to become fiscally responsible.

Girls and Adolescents

The Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) is a center for research and public policy information on the healthy development of girls as they mature toward adulthood. The GSRI, through synthesis of original research and existing material, is building a body of knowledge on girls and key issues affecting them and encourages practical use of the information by policy makers, educators, youth-serving organizations, volunteers, parents, and girls. Girl Scouts has completed a national research study focused on girls ages 11-17 and, based on this research, has designed new ways for girls in this age range to participate in Girl Scout activities. With a new line of resources and new opportunities to connect with other girls and adults, this project gives girls the benefits of belonging to a larger youth organization while individualizing the program to suit specific needs and interests.


Health -- Sports and Fitness

GirlSports 2000. Initiated to encourage healthy living, GirlSports creates opportunities for girls to engage in various sporting events and to cooperate with others to develop leadership and healthy living habits. National participating organizations include the Ladies Professional Golf Association, American Youth Soccer Organization, Amateur Softball Association/USA Softball, US Swimming, United States Tennis Association, USA Volleyball, Women's National Basketball Association, Women's Sports Foundation, and the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sport.

Literacy

Follow the Reader, a Girl Scout/White House Family Reading Project, is a series of activity books in Spanish and English that girls and families use together to explore the world of reading. Local community projects based on the activity books extend the scope of this initiative.

Mentoring


The Mentoring Girls Project, made possible by the Metropolitan Life Foundation, is specially designed to link adults with girls between 11 and 17 years of age.

Science and Technology

The Intel Fair Play Camp Initiative provides project mentoring, career exploration, and assistance with science fair projects to girls at sites across the country.

The Lockheed Martin Science Career Exploration Fund gives girls and young adults experiences in science, ranging from space journey simulations to paleontologist digs.

GirlFACTS (Girls, Families, and Communities Together in Science) encourages girls' interest in science by involving their families as well.

Violence Against Girls

Project Anti-Violence Education (PAVE the WAY). A major federally funded project for Girl Scouts to work with local communities on prevention and intervention to stem the tide of violence in children's lives on both a personal and community level. The project was started in Missouri, and extensive national development is planned to end the current trend of the violent victimization of youth.

 

 

Imagine Engineering Initiative

 

The Girl Scouts of America and Sigma Gamma Rho, a national African-American sorority, have partnered together on the Imagine Engineering Initiative, which encourages African American girls to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers and informs parents and educators on how to stimulate girls' interest in these subjects. For more information on this new initiative, click here.

Reports & Resources

The Girl Scout Research Institute produces original research studies, research reviews,and outcome measurement guides focused on issues for girls ages 5-17. For the latest information on these publications, see the GSRI (www.girlscouts.org/about/ResearchInstitute/GSRIMain.htm).

Other publications of interest include:

Girl Power! With the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Girl Scouts offer constructive resource guides for 9-14 year olds and the adults who most influence them. These guides promote creative problem-solving techniques and practical communication strategies in order to influence positive and healthy decision-making (1998).

Just for Girls Web Pages (jfg.girlscouts.org). Receiving awards for excellence of content, these pages include the extremely popular "Ask Doctor M" column, in which girls can ask questions about their concerns and hear from both a developmental psychologist and her daughter. The web site also contains information on Girl Scouting, updated activities for girls, links to the Girl Scout Virtual Museum, badge work, and profiles of high-achieving contemporary career women.

Videos:

Valientes y Fuertes (Courageous and Strong). Produced in Spanish, the video is an effort to urge adults to support girl-adult interactive partnerships in Spanish-speaking communities (1998).

 

Center News

Nationwide Study Finds That Teenage Girls Have Mixed Feelings About the Fashion Industry
Friday, February 5, 2010 - 12:19pm

February 10, 2010

 

 

NEW YORK, N.Y. —The increased scrutiny of the fashion industry and its use of ultrathin models isn’t without validation, as nearly 9 in 10 American teenage girls say that the fashion industry is at least partially responsible for "girls' obsession with being skinny," according to a national survey released today by the Girl Scouts of the USA.

The nationwide survey, which included more than 1,000 girls ages 13 to 17, finds many girls consider the body image sold by the fashion industry unrealistic, creating an unattainable model of beauty. Nearly 90 percent of those surveyed say the fashion industry (89 percent) and/or the media (88 percent) place a lot of pressure on them to be thin. However, despite the criticism of this industry, 3 out of 4 girls say that fashion is "really important" to them.

A substantial majority of those surveyed say they would prefer that the fashion industry project more "real" images. Eighty-one percent of teen girls say they would prefer to see natural photos of models rather than digitally altered and enhanced images. Seventy-five percent say they would be more likely to buy clothes they see on real-size models than on women who are super skinny.

In addition to celebrities and fashion models, the study also showed that peers (82 percent), friends (81 percent), and parents (65%), are strong influences in how teenage girls feel about their bodies. Girl Scouts of the USA, who partner with the Dove® Self-Esteem Fund to offer self-esteem programming for girls nationwide, will be focusing their core leadership program to address the issue through its uniquely ME!, program.

“The fashion industry remains a powerful influence on girls and the way they view themselves and their bodies,” said Kimberlee Salmond, Senior Researcher at the Girl Scout Research Institute. "There is little question that teenage girls take cues about how they should look from models they see in fashion magazines and on TV and it is something that they struggle to reconcile with when they look at themselves in the mirror."

The Girl Scout survey comes amid continuing controversy over super thin models, so-called "size zeros." Critics say the models are dangerously underweight and have charged that the fashion industry's preference for waif-like women has led to models engaging in obsessive dieting and extreme weight loss, as well as set a poor example for teenage girls. Fashion shows in Madrid, Milan and elsewhere now ban models below a certain body-mass index.

This topic, along with the survey results, will be the focal point of a media event held at Bryant Park Hotel on February 10th 2010, one day before New York City's legendary Fashion Week begins. With celebrity panelists and expert guests, Girl Scouts of the USA hopes to address the impact of fashion on girls.

The health implications of the preoccupation with super thinness are serious. Nearly 1 in 3 girls say they have starved themselves or refused to eat in an effort to lose weight. In addition, 42 percent report knowing someone their age who has forced themselves to throw up after eating, while more than a third (37 percent) say they know someone their age who has been diagnosed with an eating disorder.

The survey, conducted by the youth research firm Tru, also found most teenagers consider weight loss measures—even some of the more extreme— acceptable. Twenty-five percent say it's acceptable for girls their age to take appetite suppressants and/or weight-loss pills, and nearly 1 in 5 consider plastic surgery and/or weight-loss surgery acceptable.
 

About Girl Scouts
Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls with 3.4 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouts is the leading authority on girls' healthy development, and builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. The organization serves girls from every corner of the United States and its territories. Girl Scouts of the USA also serves American girls and their classmates attending American or international schools overseas in 90 countries. For more information on how to join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate to Girl Scouts, call (800) GSUSA 4 U (800-478-7248) or visit www.girlscouts.org.
About the Dove Self-Esteem Fund
The Dove Self-Esteem Fund was established as an agent of change to inspire and educate girls and young women about a wider definition of beauty.  It is committed to help girls build positive self-esteem and a healthy body image, with a goal of reaching 5 million girls globally by the end of 2010.  The Fund is part of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, a global effort designed to widen today’s stereotypical view of beauty. 

The Dove Self-Esteem Fund is a global project, which consists of a network of local country initiatives linked in strategy and direction by a global steering group.  In each country, the Dove Self-Esteem Fund supports a specific charitable organization to help foster self-esteem. In the U.S., it supports the Girls Scouts of the USA to help build confidence in girls 8-17 with after-school programs, self-esteem building events and educational resources.
Ten Girl Scouts Honored as 2009 National Young Women of Distinction
Friday, February 5, 2010 - 11:38am

January 13, 2010

 

 

NEW YORK, N.Y.—Girl Scouts of the USA is proud to announce its 2009 National Young Women of Distinction honorees. Each of the ten young women has earned her Girl Scout Gold Award—the highest award in Girl Scouting—and has been selected as a National Young Woman of Distinction for demonstrating extraordinary leadership in the completion of her community action project. The Girl Scout Gold Award is earned by fewer than six percent of all Girl Scouts.

Each honoree spent one to two years on a community action project that has had far-reaching effects in her community and beyond. Among the honorees this year are authors, advocates, and environmentalists with projects based in a wide range of locations—from India, Africa, and China to neighborhoods in Louisiana and California.

The young women will be honored at a special awards ceremony on February 27 during the Girl Scout National Corporate Leadership Meeting in St. Louis.

"Earning the Young Women of Distinction designation is truly a remarkable achievement, and these young women exemplify leadership in all its forms," said Kathy Cloninger, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of the USA. "They saw a need in their communities and around the world and took action. Their extraordinary dedication, perseverance, and leadership, is making the world a better place."

We would like to thank the Ford Motor Company Fund and the Kappa Delta Foundation for supporting the 2009 Young Women of Distinction and helping us build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
 
The 2009 National Young Women of Distinction are:
 
Hosanna, 17
Silver Sage Girl Scout Council
Twin Falls, Idaho
Originally from Fiji, Hosanna moved to the United States following a coup d' état in her homeland. She founded 2-Way Street to empower, enable and encourage refugee and at-risk immigrant youth to develop a sense of community identity in the United States. With the support of adult and student mentors, community organizations, schools, and various agencies, youth participate in service, educational and mentorship programs to foster civic responsibility. 2-Way Street's motto is, "It takes all of us to do what we are called to do." Hosanna and 2-Way Street motivate youth to reach their full potential, providing a valuable asset to both youth and their respective communities.
 
 
 
Malia, 16
Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles
La Cañada, Calif.
After researching a high-traffic area where trucks were repeatedly involved in collisions, Malia discovered that the California Department of Transportation had erroneously noted that trucks were not allowed on the route. Malia also learned that GPS devices were directing trucks to the hazardous area and there were no road signs to warn drivers of the impending steep mountain area. She advocated for a law to ban trucks from the route by letter-writing, petition-signing, public speaking, and testifying before the state legislature's transportation committee. After her research, another truck accident occurred—killing two people and injuring a dozen others. In August 2009, a law to ban trucks on Angeles Crest Highway was passed because of her efforts.
 
 

Angeles, 16
Caribe Girl Scout Council
Guaynabo, P.R.
An avid soccer player, Angeles created Clinicas de Soccer en Juan Domingo, a sports program for children with limited resources in an underserved community in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. "My goal was to make a difference in the lives of young people," she said. The program involved the participation of parents, physical education teachers from the local public schools, and donations from the private sector. Students not only learned how to play soccer, but also Yoga and the benefits of good nutrition. She has indeed made a difference in their lives. Three talented students have been able to continue soccer lessons in a private league and the soccer clinics are continuing to provide services in the same place where Angeles first began her work.

 

Shannon, 16
Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey
Basking Ridge, N.J.
SHARE—SHannon's  After-school
Reading Exchange—was founded out of a desire to empower girls in East Africa to reach their highest potential through reading. Shannon noted that "collecting book donations and renovating the SHARE classroom was relatively easy; the challenge was convincing the mothers to allow their daughters to stay and read afterschool—and not being immediately available to do the household chores of collecting water, farming, and caring for siblings." So she partnered with Community Solutions for Africa's Development (COSAD), an international nonprofit, and in 2008, Shannon created the first SHARE room in the Kiteyagwa Primary School in Bukoba, a rural village in Tanzania. To date, SHARE, whose slogan is, "Today a reader, tomorrow a leader," has expanded to three Tanzanian schools, helping approximately 150 girls improve their reading and English language skills.
 
 

Maris, 17
Girl Scouts of Louisiana East
New Orleans, La.
Touched by the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, Maris decided to contribute to the continuing revitalization efforts in her hometown. Her project addressed the lost tree canopy in New Orleans. She organized and led efforts to plant 26 caliper trees in New Orleans East, a section of town north of the Intercoastal Waterway. It was the first tree-planting mission of its kind in the area. Maris partnered with Parkway Partners, a New Orleans-based group dedicated to urban forestation. Her work not only beautified the area, but also fostered awareness of the increasing need to replace trees in post-Katrina New Orleans.

 

 

Leah, 17
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana
Chicago, Ill.
Project Laughter is a multimedia art form using theater, video and reading to bring humor to hospitals and school programs in and around Chicago. As creator of Project Laughter, Leah wrote an original play—The Wonderful and Amazing Adventures of Princess Clementine—and staged it with members of her school's theater troupe. "The play is about the journey a young girl took to learn to love herself and discover her place in the world," Leah said. She created a DVD of her performances and then wrote, illustrated and hand-bound the story of Princess Clementine. The DVD and book can be used for educational purposes, lifting the spirits and opening the minds of children throughout Chicago.

 
 
Monisha, 17
Girl Scouts of Northern California Cupertino, Calif.
Monisha's compassion for children with disabilities was the motivation for the Indian Disability Center. "People who are visually impaired in poor countries like India are often the most persecuted and have the least chance of climbing out of poverty," she said. "The odds are stacked against them from birth, as there is nothing to help them gain an education, continuing the vicious cycle of poverty." Monisha discovered that less than five percent of reading materials are in an accessible format such as Braille or talking books. She established a free learning center in the region of Chennai, India, exclusively for people who are visually-impaired. At the center, they can use assistive technologies to browse the Internet, access important educational and informational materials, or simply check e-mails and keep in touch with friends and family.
 
   
 
Morgan, 17
Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
Atlanta, Ga.
Morgan wanted to help victims of abuse so she started both the Victim Support Initiative, which provides 500 brochures filled with helpful information for victims of abuse and are distributed by the DeKalb Police Department's Special Victims Unit, and Change in a Bag, which provides abuse victims a fresh change of clothing. Morgan also founded Stronghold Atlanta to help women and children who are victims of domestic violence. When people enter a hospital or shelter after reporting abuse, their clothing is taken for evidence and they are given a hospital gown to wear or offered clothing from a rummage closet. Stronghold Atlanta provides new or gently used outfits for use by the victims.
 
 
 
Vivian, 16
Girl Scouts of Central Texas
Austin, Texas
Following a devastating earthquake in Sichuan, China, on May 22, 2008, Vivian focused on the children affected by the disaster. She created Adopt-a-Pal, with a goal of fostering fellowship between American teens and Chinese children who lost their parents or were disabled during the earthquake. She recruited American teenagers fluent in Chinese to serve as pen pals with the Chinese children. She prepared the volunteers to write letters to address the specific needs of the children, and she sent them a 71-pound care package that included high-quality backpacks, MP3 players, journals and school supplies. The pen-pals continue to write to each other.

 

 

Hanna, 18
Girl Scouts North-Central Alabama
Birmingham, Ala.
Hanna's personal struggle with dyslexia inspired her to help others. She wrote an online book, Hanna and Her Dinosaur, which chronicles Hanna's early experiences with the disability. "I hope that my book helps many children receive the early intervention needed to be successful in life." Hanna also wanted to provide parents with the top signs and symptoms of dyslexia. "Dyslexia is often viewed as an 'invisible disability.' What's more, many school systems fail to recognize dyslexia as a disability, preventing children from receiving the help they need." Hanna's online book is a universal educational tool for people of all ages.

 

 

Learn more about the highest awards in Girl Scouting.
 
About Girl Scouts
Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls with 3.4 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouts is the leading authority on girls' healthy development, and builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. The organization serves girls from every corner of the United States and its territories. Girl Scouts of the USA also serves American girls and their classmates attending American or international schools overseas in 90 countries. For more information on how to join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate to Girl Scouts, call (800) GSUSA 4 U (800-478-7248) or visit www.girlscouts.org.

 

Opportunities, Grants & Fellowships

Grants/Scholarships

The Juliette Low World Friendship Fund (JLWFF). Named in honor of the founder of the Girl Scouts, this fund fosters foreign exchange programs, special projects to fight illiteracy, hunger, and disease (often in cooperation with the United Nations), and provides aid for any Girl Scouts or Girl Guides worldwide abated by natural disaster.

Multimedia

Video

Untitled
See video
Girl Scouts Transforming Leadership

 The video details the Girl Scout Experience, in essence reconceptualizing leadership as we know it.

Muslims Join U.S. Girl Scouts
See video
Muslims Join U.S. Girl Scouts

 

"It appears as though the U.S. might live up to its 'melting pot' moniker, as many Muslim girls have joined the American Girl Scouts. Priya David reports from Minnesota." 
 
- From CBS