www.girlscoutsni.org
2013-14 Impact Report
Table of Contents The Girl Scout Leadership Experience ………… 3 The Girl Scout Focus ………………………………………. 4 Pathways ……………………………………………….……… 5 Discover Outcomes ………………………………….. 6-7 Connect Outcomes ………………………………….. 8-9 Take Action! Outcomes …………………………. 10-11
Each day in northern Illinois, Girl Scouts are becoming leaders. They are participating in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, a model of youth development grounded in research and designed by experts to serve as girls progress from Girl Scout Daisies to Ambassadors. The Girl Scout mission has always been about building girls of courage, confidence, and character. Today, as the premier girls’ leadership organization, Girl Scouts offers girls the tools they need to be successful now and to be the changemakers of the future. This report details the significant impact of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience on girls in northern Illinois.
“Girl Scouts has been an awesome experience and I plan to continue as an adult for many years!” Girl Scout Ambassador
Total Membership 15,386 girls + 4,871 adults = 20,257 total Daisies Brownies
34%
Juniors
25%
Cadettes Seniors Ambassadors
White
24%
12% 3% 2%
Not Reported
9%
Hispanic Multiple/Other
8% 5%
African-American
3%
Asian-American
2%
Native American or American Indian
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72%
1%
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Outcomes of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience Recognizing the changing needs in girls’ leadership development, Girl Scouts brought together youth development experts from top universities, leading nonprofits and the Girl Scout Research Institute—as well as 4,500 Girl Scouts and volunteers—to create the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. This inclusive, empowering model engages girls in discovering themselves, connecting with others, and taking action to make the world a better place. It encourages a new kind of leader—one who values diversity, inclusion and collaboration, and is committed to improving neighborhoods, communities and the world. Girl Scout activities are girl-led, and promote both experiential and cooperative learning. In developing the model, the curriculum team identified 15 anticipated outcomes, or benefits of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Girl Scout programming focuses on these outcomes to help girls develop specific knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors and values that will shape them as leaders. By tying the leadership experience to outcomes, Girl Scouts can measure and evaluate its impact.
Discover (self) 1. Girls develop positive values. 2. Girls develop a strong sense of self. 3. Girls gain practical life skills. 4. Girls seek challenges in the world. 5. Girls develop critical thinking.
Connect (with others) 1 . Girls develop healthy relationships. 2. Girls promote cooperation and team building. 3. Girls can resolve confl icts. 4. Girls advance diversity in a multicultural world. 5. Girls feel connected to their communities, locally and globally.
Girl Scout Voices Every Girl Scout is asked to participate in the Girl Scout Voices Survey each year. This survey gives girls a voice in Girl Scouting, and allows for evaluation and measurement of success of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. The outcomes data in this report represent input from Girl Scouts throughout northern Illinois at all levels in 2013-2014.
Take Action (service) 1. Girls can identify community needs. 2. Girls are resourceful problem solvers. 3. Girls advocate for themselves and others, locally and globally. 4. Girls educate and inspire others to act. 5. Girls feel empowered to make a difference in the world.
LEADERSHIP www.girlscoutsni.org
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The Girl Scout Focus
Environmental Leadership Girl Scouts combines environmental and community action through activities that enable girls to discover their strengths and build new skills while engaging with the natural world. In northern Illinois, Girl Scouts work with conservationists and scientists to complete hundreds of environmental service projects each year. Healthy Living and Relationships Recognizing that physical health, emotional health and self-esteem are all connected, Girl Scouts supports the “whole girl.” In Girl Scouts, girls have the chance to grow in a safe, all-girl environment where they can develop a strong sense of self, healthy living skills and leadership skills to last a lifetime. Local and Global Citizenship Through the world’s largest organization of girls, every Girl Scout has a global voice and can make a local and global impact. Girls engage in activities that enable them to feel connected to their communities, both near and far. Girl Scouts has full consultative status at the United Nations. STEM Starting in middle school and increasing in high school, girls report less self-confidence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects than boys. Girl Scouts provides critical opportunities for improving girls’ engagement in STEM through programming that is experiential, uses real world examples and promotes relationships with role models and mentors in STEM careers.
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Financial Literacy A 2013 Girl Scout Research Institute study revealed that girls know financial literacy is important, yet few understand how it will help them reach their goals, and just 12% feel confident in making financial decisions. Girl Scouts has created multiple ways to help girls become financially savvy now and in the future: The Girl Scout Cookie Program, the Girl Scout Cookie Business Curriculum, the Girl Scout Financial Literacy Curriculum, and Camp CEO.
Pathways Many people think a Girl Scout troop is the only way to become a Girl Scout – not true! Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois has introduced different Pathways: Troop, Camp, Events, Series, Outreach, and Travel, in which a girl can join or participate in Girl Scouts. The Pathway a girl chooses allows her to be a Girl Scout in the way that is best for her and her family, and she can choose more than one Pathway. Troop The Troop Pathway is for a group of girls that meets on a regular basis over the course of at least 6 months, but we know there are some troops that stay together for up to 13 years and beyond! Girls in troops decide together what they will work on–Girl Scout Journey and badge activities, the Girl Scout Cookie Program, field trips, service projects, and more. Camp The Camp Pathway is for girls who prefer a short-term Girl Scout experience over the course of a weekend, several days, or an entire week. Day camps offer girls the opportunity to experience Girl Scouts without having to stay overnight, and resident camps allow girls to stay the night at GSNI camp properties. Event The Event Pathway is for girls who are looking for a fun and exciting Girl Scout experience for the day. GSNI events are experiences that girls can’t get anywhere else–they are once-in-a-lifetime memory makers! Girl Scout events can be a great way for a girl to enhance her Girl Scout experience.
Series A Series Pathway is a way for girls to explore a special topic of interest to them over the course of several weeks. We know girls and adult volunteers alike can’t always commit to an entire year of troop meetings, but a 6-8 week workshop series after school is a great way for a girl with a busy schedule to experience Girl Scouts. Outreach An Outreach Pathway is a way for girls whose families may not have the resources to participate in Girl Scouts. Outreach groups are paired with trusted adult mentors and typically help girls who are low income, at-risk, or in crisis to benefit from the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Travel A Travel Pathway encourages middle and high school girls to travel the world – Europe, Latin and South America, Australia, Asia, and even within the United States – to broaden their horizons. GSNI organizes several trips per year for girls who want to meet their Girl Scout sisters across the globe.
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Discover Outcomes Discover Outcomes Results 80% developed a stronger sense of self. 75%
developed positive values.
73%
gained practical life skills.
84%
seek challenges in the world.
83%
developed critical thinking skills.
80% of Girl Scouts developed a stronger
sense of self.
It happened when: Each year, Girl Scouts participate in Northern Illinois University’s STEMfest in DeKalb, and Siemen’s “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” day in Aurora. These Girl Scout events help girls build confidence in a field that is traditionally dominated by men. Girls participate in hands-on activities and meet other female role models in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Through Girl Scouts, girls gain confidence in themselves and their abilities, feel they are able to achieve their goals, and form positive gender, social, and cultural identities.
78% of Girl Scouts developed positive values. It happened when: AnneMarie Elsinger, a Girl Scout Ambassador from Woodstock, IL, earned her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. AnneMarie’s project, Sound True for Teens, was based on three skits she wrote, coordinated, directed, and distributed. AnneMarie’s messages focused on positive
values, and addressing tough issues like risktaking behavior, peer pressure, substance abuse, self-identity, family relations, and negative body image. DVDs of these skits and their accompanying discussion questions were shared with local schools, libraries, and youth ministries, and were also featured on YouTube, the Star 105.5 radio station, and on a Facebook page dedicated to the project. AnneMarie said, “Girl Scouts defines who I am as a young, persevering woman. It opened my eyes to the numerous issues that are prominent in my community. I wanted to be able to truly impact people’s lives.”
73% of Girl Scouts gained practical life skills,
such as health and wellness.
It happened when: In July 2014, Girl Scout Juniors participated in the Seed to Table program at Selmi’s Greenhouse in Rock Falls. Girls learned about the
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processes that greenhouses use to go from seed to fullgrown plant and went into the fields to see the different stages of a plant’s life cycle. Girls even picked sweet corn and beans to take home and shared ideas about how to prepare them. Through these activities, girls not only learned about what goes into running a greenhouse and growing the food that they eat, but also brought home skills and knowledge about growing and preparing their own healthy food. In Girl Scouts, girls gain skills that prepare them for positive, healthy, independent future.
83% of Girl Scouts
developed critical thinking skills.
It happened when: In 2014, Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois held our inaugural session of Camp CEO, a brand new camp experience for high school girls. Girls visited local businesses to job shadow, met female professionals in a variety of disciplines, discovered their online identity and how it can help them build their professional network, and practiced résumé writing and interview skills. At the first-ever Champions Dinner in Elgin, each girl hosted a table of female professionals and gained advice on how being a woman in their field has impacted them positively or negatively. They learned about stereotypes in the workplace, and how women need to build each other up instead of give in to competition and gossip. Girl Scouts encourages girls to examine ideas from a variety of viewpoints and further use critical thinking to explore implications of gender issues for their lives and their leadership development.
84% of Girl Scouts seek challenges in the world. It happened when: One of the primary ways Girl Scouts can seek challenges is at Summer Resident Camp. A 2014 study by the Girl Scouts Research Institute, “More than S’Mores,” found that girls who regularly spend time outdoors are more ready to seek challenges, overcome fears, solve problems, and take part in environmental stewardship—all important traits in twenty-first century leadership. One of GSNI’s campers who attended Camp Dean in Big Rock, last summer said, “Girl Scout camp will change your life. You will learn things you never did before and have so much fun doing it.“
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Connect Outcomes Connect Outcomes Results 85% developed healthy relationships. 72% promoted cooperation and team building. 74% could resolve conflicts. 81% advanced diversity in a multicultural world. connected to their communities, 91% felt locally and globally.
85% of Girl Scouts developed healthy relationships.
It happened when: Each year, girls ages 12-17 in residence at the Norman C. Sleezer Home and the SITE Alternative School in Freeport, are able to participate in Girl Scouts as a positive intervention activity. Girls at these sites are often there because they have been arrested, expelled, cited for drug or other substance abuse, or have severe psychological problems. By the time they arrive at the Sleezer Home or SITE school, girls lack confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth. Participating in Girl Scouts is a way for girls to learn to form and maintain meaningful and caring relationships, communicate effectively, protect their rights in relationships, and know when to seek help from others.
72% of Girl Scouts promoted cooperation and team building.
It happened when: In addition to Summer Resident Camps, many girls experience the outdoors through volunteer-led Service Unit Day Camps. At the Summer
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2014 Ojibwa and Cheyenne Day Camps held at Mary Anne Beebe Center in Harvard, girls put teamwork in action on the Adventure Walk Low Ropes course, working together to complete the course’s four steps. Throughout the week, older Girl Scouts worked together as Program Aides and assisted younger Girl Scouts to help camp run smoothly, from teaching girls new songs and activities to leading each unit.
74% of Girl Scouts could resolve conflicts. It happened when: Since 2012, Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois has offered the Be a Friend First (BFF) program in the Rockford Public Schools for all 6th grade girls. In 2014, more than 800 girls participated in the program and learned how to avoid being a victim of bullying, advocate for others who are being bullied, and
especially to stop bullying and violent behavior. Girls at middle schools across Rockford have developed awareness campaigns to educate other students on peaceful conflict resolution.
81% of Girl Scouts advanced diversity in a multicultural world.
It happened when: Denise and her 11-year-old daughter, Kesiime, live in Uganda. Denise wanted to send Kesiime to the United States for the summer to gain experience in Girl Scouting and American culture. Denise said, “I thought it would be a life changing experience for her to be part of a Girl Scout camp when she’s in Illinois for three months. She loves to cook and is interested in the ‘What’s Cookin’’ camp. I am hoping that it will be a great experience for the other girls as well—meeting someone from Uganda, East Africa. Camping is not something that is very culturally acceptable in Uganda. Probably because our idea of ‘roughing it’ is someone else’s real life, so it’s not an experience that she would ever get at home. This was my first time sending Kesiime alone across the world. Thank you for reminding me that the world is small and kind.”
91% of Girl Scouts felt connected to their communities, locally and globally.
It happened when: Everyone knows that each year Girl Scouts sell thousands of boxes of cookies. But what many people don’t know is that many of those cookies make their way to military bases all across the world in our Gift of Caring program. Girls spend time learning about military personnel from their communities and the places they are stationed. Then when customers purchase boxes and donate them to the armed forces, girls decorate the boxes, include personal notes, and even do supply drives to send cookies and other items to soldiers overseas. Troop 3223 sent cookies via Gift of Caring, and received the following message from Major Sargent Wiley:
“Thank you so much for the cookies! We gave this batch to the passenger terminal folks, so they can bless the Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and civilian employees that pass through their workspace on a daily basis. Your kindness and generosity are greatly appreciated by all of us, and we cannot thank you enough for a little taste of home while we are so far away.”
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Take Action! Outcomes Take Action! Outcomes Results 85% could identify community needs. 67% became resourceful problem solvers. could advocate for themselves and others,
71% locally and globally.
74% could educate and inspire others to act. felt empowered to make a difference
89% in the world.
85% of Girl Scouts could identify community needs.
It happened when: Girls in Troop 4532 from Oswego, have been working for more than a year to earn their Girl Scout Bronze Award, the highest award given to Girl Scout Juniors. The girls began by exploring their community and identifying community landmarks. In doing so, they discovered that the Boy Scouts were represented with a mural in the downtown square, but there was nothing to represent Girl Scouts in Oswego. They chose to have a clock installed downtown featuring the Girl Scout logo. The troop met with Village of Oswego staff, then the Village Board, which approved the project. The girls knew they would have to raise more than $8,000 for the clock, so they participated in the Girl Scout Product and Cookie programs, conducted recycling drives, petitioned local businesses to sell handmade Girl Scout ornaments, made earth-friendly
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T-shirt bags for sale, worked with Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois to present to the Rotary Club of Oswego, and joined forces with other local Girl Scout troops to pool their resources. The troop not only identified a community need, but learned to work with community government, businesses, groups, and other citizens to fill that need.
67% of Girl Scouts became resourceful problem solvers.
It happened when: Girls from Aurora, participated in the first-ever Get Moving, Get Making Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) series last summer. Girls enjoyed making things they’re excited about—crafts, furniture, robots, even computer programs. They explored new and different materials and recycled
old materials to give them a new life. Program staff encouraged girls to “tinker” - take things apart, and try and put them back together again in new ways. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn’t, but what’s important is that they tried new ideas, learned from their experiences, and had fun while doing it. Even better, 75% of girls said they would be interested in a career in science or math after the program, compared to only 50% before the program.
71% of Girls Scouts could advocate for
themselves and others, locally and globally. It happened when: In Girl Scouts, older girls are often called-upon to be role models for younger girls, such as in the Volunteer-in-Training and Counselor-in-Training programs. These girls can earn special awards, badges, and honors for helping younger girls achieve their goals. In the words of one Girl Scout Senior, “I like that Girl Scouts gives me appreciation for other girls, all girls are strong and need to be respected. When volunteering for a younger troop, whenever I notice a girl is being left out, I go and talk to her then some other girls about things that they might have in common, because it’s not fair to leave people out, everybody needs to be respected!”
89% of Girl Scouts
felt empowered to make a difference in the world.
It happened when: Girl Scouts doesn’t stop when a girl graduates from high school. According to a 2012 study by the Girl Scout Research Institute, Girl Scout alumnae are more likely to be involved as volunteers, mentors, and community leaders than non-Girl Scouts. One great example of this leadership is the large number of women who return to Girl Scouts as volunteers. As one Girl Scout alumnae and parent put it, “I love that my daughter is having an amazing experience in part to the leaders of her troop. I love that I can watch her enjoy being a Girl Scout and have as much fun as I did. I love seeing girls and women be brave, courageous and empowered.” In Girl Scouts, girls are inspired to use their leadership skills to effect change in their lives and their world and feel their contributions are valued in the larger community.
74% of Girl Scouts could educate and inspire others to act.
It happened when: Kathleen O’Shea, a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient from Barrington, addressed the issue of reading needs for children living in homeless shelters, who traditionally have limited access to reading materials. Her Gold Award project addressed this need by creating approximately 100 audio recordings of children’s books, both in English and Spanish, and donated the recordings, books and felt story boards to WINGS and Shelter, Inc. Kathleen recruited area community members such as the mayors of Hoffman Estates, Rolling Meadows and Barrington, area business members, and teachers to record the readings for the audiobooks. She also created a pamphlet “Tips for Parents/Guardians How to Read with Children” and shared her project plan outline with 15 homeless shelters in the United States.
“I love that my daughter is having an amazing experience in part to the leaders of her troop. I love that I can watch her enjoy being a Girl Scout and have as much fun as I did. I love seeing girls and women be brave, courageous and empowered.”
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Elgin Service Center 12N124 Coombs Road Elgin, IL 60124 847-741-5521 Freeport Service Center 5040 Bus. Rt. 20 West Freeport, IL 61032 815-235-8777 or 800-925-3327 Girl Scout Express 200 Applebee Street Barrington, IL 60010 847-620-5043 Rock Falls Service Center 229 First Avenue, Suite 1 Rock Falls, IL 61071 815-997-5100 Rockford Service Center 2820 McFarland Road Rockford, IL 61107 815-962-5591 or 800-242-5591 Sugar Grove Service Center 200 New Bond Street Sugar Grove, IL 60554 630-897-1565
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