Kaley Foundation Grant to Boost Milford Girl Scout Programs

A grant from the Kaley Foundation will allow more than 100 girls from Milford and surrounding towns to engage in Girl Scout programs this coming year.

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains (GSGWM) received the $2,000 grant from the Kaley Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee, officials announced last week, according to a press statement.

Patricia Mellor, Chief Executive Officer for GSGWM, said the grant would go directly to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, a unique learning model aimed at helping girls develop leadership skills.

A 2013 study conducted by the Girl Scout Research Institute and the Population Reference Bureau stressed the importance of accessible, results-driven Girl Scout programs. At a time when many girls face challenges in their home and school lives, the Girl Scout Leadership Experience helps them discover themselves, connect with others, and take action to make the world a better place.

Statistically, 64 percent of Girl Scouts consider themselves leaders, compared to 44 percent of a national sample of girls and 52 percent of boys. More than three-quarters (78 percent) of Girl Scouts have had leadership experiences in out-of-school activities, compared with a 55 percent of a national sample of girls and 61 percent of boys.

“All Girl Scout programs, whether experienced through traditional troops, at summer camp, or online, gives girls the chance to take lead, explore, and learn,” Mellor said. She noted that the grant from the Kaley Foundation would specifically be used to support training, program, and curriculum materials, as well as development sessions, directly impacting over 100 girls and more than 50 adult volunteers in Greater Milford.

The Kaley Foundation supports educational, philanthropic, and other charitable causes within the Milford community.