Girl Scouts say Raise Your Hand

Girls Scouts Nation’s Capital challenges girls to be bold and brave in school by taking an online pledge (www.gscnc.org/raiseyourhand) to raise their hands in class.

The challenge was inspired by the experience of Girl Scout Alice, a fifth-grade Girl Scout from Washington, DC. “I got the idea for Raise Your Hand after noticing boys were being super aggressive in class, while the girls were shying away and being silent,” said Alice. Studies show that in co-ed learning environments, boys receive more praise than girls when they call out in class, making girls less likely to raise their hands.

With over 100 years of experience in developing innovative programs designed for girls, by girls, Girl Scouts helps girls grow in confidence, find their passion and become leaders. Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital offers the following tips for raising bold, courageous girls who raise their hands:

• Teach her to embrace failure. Girls tend to hold themselves to impossible standards of perfection. Often, girls would rather stay silent than risk a wrong answer. Teaching girls that failure is a part of life helps them approach challenges without fear.
• Encourage teamwork. When girls work cooperatively with their peers, they start to identify their unique strengths and skills. Teamwork teaches girls to value others’ ideas, and gives shy girls opportunities to step up and take the lead.
• Get her outdoors. Research shows that girls who regularly spend time outdoors are better problem solvers and more eager to take on challenges. That’s because time spent in the outdoors gives girls unique opportunities to try new things, take risks and get outside their comfort zone.
• Inspire self-acceptance. As girls get older, they start to face more and more internal and external pressures. In fact, between elementary and high school, girls’ self-esteem drops 3.5 times more than boys’.
• Connect her with mentors. Programs like Girl Scouts connect girls with a supportive network of inspiring role models to help girls reach their full potential.

Girl Scouts’ proven formula of developing girl leadership is reflected in its outcomes: 90 percent all of female astronauts, 80 percent of female tech leaders, every female secretary of state and 75 percent of current senators are Girl Scout alumnae.

Join or become a volunteer by visiting www.gscnc.org. Girl Scouts is open to all girls from kindergarten through grade 12. Financial assistance and volunteer opportunities are available.

About Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital

Girl Scouts provides girls in grades K-12 with opportunities to learn new skills, explore STEM, discover the outdoors, become entrepreneurs, while making new friends and having fun! Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital serves the Greater Washington Region, with nearly 88,000 members—60,200 girls and 27,210 adult volunteers and lifetime members. We believe in the power of every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ to change the world. Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.gscnc.org.