Now Is the Time to Join the Fun with Girl Scouts!

As children return to school, Girl Scouts of Orange County is inviting girls to join the fun and register for Girl Scouts. Providing countless opportunities for making friends, trying new things, and exercising leadership skills through activities like building robots, participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, playing sports, and more, Girl Scouts is an exciting way to engage girls all year round.

National studies from the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) show it’s not just what girls do, but how they do it that makes Girl Scouts so beneficial. Girl Scouts is unique because girls get to learn by doing, and they do so in a girl-led environment. This means that, in addition to girls learning in a hands-on and active way, they are encouraged to choose their activities, decide which topics they want to explore, and determine how they want to go about exploring them. Girl Scouts is the largest girl-led organization in the world, and it is a significant contributor to its members’ success in and enjoyment of life.

GSRI reports that at least 75 percent of girls who experience the fun of “learning by doing” and are part of a girl-led program become better at conflict resolution, problem solving, team building and cooperation, and developing self-confidence. In addition, nearly three in four girls who experience learning by doing and are part of a girl-led program say that, because of Girl Scouts, they’ve become a leader in more activities with their friends and classmates, as well as in their community.

“When girls lead, the world succeeds. Girl Scouts is the largest organization in the world where girls call the shots and take charge of their own future,” said Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. “A troop who loves rollercoasters might invite an engineer to join them at their local amusement park to learn about what makes their stomach drop in real time, while another troop might be interested in what happens when you recycle a bottle, and plan a visit to their town’s recycling plant. By doing what they’re interested in and deciding how to learn more, they are developing leadership skills that aren’t offered by any other extracurricular activity.”

Hands-on learning opportunities and girl-led experiences within Girl Scouts supplement the academic learning girls receive in school. These fun and empowering experiences have been shown to boost girls’ social and emotional skills, which are not generally part of a school curriculum, as well as improve academic performance. Additionally, since learning by doing is best facilitated in small environments, Girl Scouts’ 3:1 adult volunteer to girl ratio gives girls the optimal experience to tap into their interests and talents and explore fun new things like STEM, entrepreneurship, and the outdoors. GSRI reports that girls who experience learning by doing and are part of a girl-led program are more likely to develop confidence, healthy relationships, critical thinking, problem solving and positive life skills.

Girl Scouts also provides benefits that directly complement the work girls are already doing in school. Girls who experience learning by doing and are a part of a girl-led program learn not to avoid things that are hard for them, but rather to face these challenges head on, practice creative problem solving, learn from mistakes, and grow—all skills that will help girls succeed throughout school and life.

“As troops come together in communities and schools in every zip code throughout Orange County, they are making BIG plans for the year. Whether they decide to earn the brand new “My STEM Life” badge for middle school girls in OC, gain their first entrepreneurial experience by selling cookies, or give back to their community, Girl Scouts are having fun, trying new things, and making lasting friendships. We encourage girls to check out what being a Girl Scout is all about – and hope that their parents consider joining in the fun as volunteers!,” said Nancy Nygren, CEO of Girl Scouts of Orange County.

While Girl Scouts is open to all girls from kindergarten through grade 12, anyone over the age of 18 can become a Girl Scout volunteer. Adult volunteers are vital to girls experiencing the positive impact of Girl Scouts, and each adult volunteer has the opportunity to make a real difference in the life of a girl. Girl Scout volunteers come from all walks of life; they are men, women, young professionals, retirees, grandparents, college students, and more. Both girls and adult volunteers can join at any time of the year. To join Girl Scouts or learn more about volunteering, please visit: www.girlscouts.org/join.

Girls and their families can find out more about Girl Scouts, participate in fun activities, and earn their very first patch at the Open House on September 19 from 10am-2pm at the Girl Scouts of Orange County headquarters in Irvine, 9500 Toledo Way, Irvine, CA 92618.