From Girl Scouts of Central Texas, this month's Get Involved Spotlight nonprofit:
Girl Scouts is the premiere leadership organization for girls that is primarily girl-led. Girl Scouting has always been about more than cookies and camp—it’s about building the leaders of tomorrow and beacons that will improve our communities and our lives. Girl Scouting provides girls with opportunities that they may not otherwise have.
Girl Scouts are courageous, savvy, and confident. They face problems head-on and don’t shy away from challenges. Within every thriving community, there is always a group of Girl Scouts leading the way. And behind every successful Girl Scout, there is a proud volunteer.
Did you know?
• 92% of female astronauts were Girl Scouts
• 68% of all Congresswomen were Girl Scouts
• 80% of all female business owners were Girl Scouts
Mission Statement: Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.
Programs: Girls can engage with us in a variety of ways: troops, camp, events, special interest groups, travel, and virtual experiences. Within each of these areas are a variety of programs. For example, camp has many different sessions with a different focus area; there might be a sailing camp, an explorer camp, a STEM camp. In each program, girls engage in leadership-building experiences that unlock their full potential. Every Girl Scout experience is unique because a girl’s journey through Girl Scouting is almost entirely girl-led.
Gils Scouts Beyond Bars is one example of the types of programs that GSCTX offers. Children of incarcerated parents are seven times more likely to end up in prison. The GSBB seeks to break the cycle of intergenerational crime. GSBB embraces the traditional Girl Scouting Mission—to build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. Additionally, GSBB has specific goals:
• Reduce the trauma suffered by the family as a result of separation due to the parent or child’s incarceration
• Preserve the parent/child relationship during the incarceration/addiction treatment through visitation or therapeutic communication opportunities
• Reduce the likelihood that the daughters will participate in “at-risk” behavior by exposing them to enrichment programs which build character, leadership skills, self-esteem, social skills, and provide them with positive role models through mentoring
• Teach the girls peaceful conflict resolution skills and anti-bullying strategies
• Teach the girls independent living strategies to increase self-sufficiency during adulthood
• Empower the girls to make their world a better place through their actions and contributions
Through GSBB, Girl Scouts of Central Texas is able to provide this special population of girls with individual mentoring from strong women leaders in the Travis and Williamson County area, individual and family counseling, mother-daughter prison visits, and transition and post re-entry support.
GSBB is in need of women mentors that are interested and prepared to make a rewarding commitment to a young girl. If you are interested in becoming a mentor or would like to refer a family please use the contact information below:
Renesej@gsctx.org
512-490-2332
Volunteer Needs: We cannot serve the girls if we do not have the volunteers. Without our volunteers and mentors, many of the programs that empower young girls and provide them with the opportunities to embrace leadership and community service would not happen at all. The possibilities for engagement are numerous. The impact is immeasurable. We have girls who want to join us but we do not have enough adults to help us serve them.
Tight schedule? No problem. Girl Scouts offers flexible ways to participate:
From a weekend event to a year-long engagement, the choice is yours:
· 1-3 hrs./ week for 1 year – Troop Leader/ Volunteer
· 1-2 hrs./week for 6 months — Mentoring Volunteer
· 2-4 hrs./week for 4-6 weeks – Series Volunteer
· 6-8 hrs./ select weekends – Camp Volunteer
· 2- 3 hrs./ one time — Events Volunteer
Without our volunteers and mentors, many of the programs that empower young girls and provide them with the opportunities to embrace leadership and community service would not happen at all. Become a role model for Girl Scouts today and help girls discover the strong and capable woman inside.
The possibilities are numerous. The impact is immeasurable.
Invest in a girl. Change the world.
Joining is easy—go to www.gsctx.org/join and sign up for a life changing experience.
