Now Is The Time For Girls And Volunteers To Join The Fun (NAPSA)—Good newsfor girls across America and around the world: Research shows hands-on opportunities offered by the largest girl-led organization in the world can provide many benefits in practically all aspects of a girl’s life. “When girls lead, the world succeeds. Girl Scouts is the largest organization in the world wheregirls call the shots and take charge of their own future,” explained Anna Maria Chavez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA). “By doing what they’re interested in and choosing fun ways to learn more, girls are developing leadership skills that aren’t offered by any other extracurricular activity.” Join the Fun To that end, GSUSAinvites all girls to join the fun and register for Girl Scouts at www.girl scouts.org/join. It provides countless opportunities to make new friends, try new things, and exercise new skills through activities from building robots, to participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, to playing sports and much more. How Girls Benefit As national studies from the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) show,it’s not just what girls do but how they do it that makes scouting so beneficial. At Girl Scouts, girls get to learn by doing, and they do so in a girl-led environment. This means they’re encouraged to choose their activities, decide which topics they want to explore, and determine how they want to go about exploring them. According to GSRI, at least 75 percent of girls who expe- and the outdoors. GSRI reports girls who experience learning by doing and are part ofa girl-led program are more likely to develop confidence, healthy relationships, critical thinking, problem-solving abilities and other positivelife skills. Girls can learn valuablelife skills and enjoy fun new experiences by joining the world’s largest girl- led organization. rience this type of program become better at conflict resolution, problem solving, team building and cooperation, and developing self-confidence. In addition, nearly three in four Girl Scouts become leaders in more activities with their friends and classmates, as well as in their community. Expert Opinion “Girl Scouts helps girls gain valuable life skills and amazing new experiences they can’t get anywhereelse, all while having fun and makinglifelong friends,” said GSUSA’s Chief Girl Expert Andrea Bastiani Archibald, Ph.D. “The hands-on and girl-led experiences offered by Girl Scouts help girls develop confidence that they can tap into to do incredible things at home, in their classrooms, across the country and around the world. At Girl Scouts, girls learn and thrive in an environment and experiences also help thegirls in school. They learn not to avoid things that are hard for them, but rather to take these challenges head-on, practice creative problem solving, learn from mistakes, and grow—all skills that will help girls succeed throughout school andlife. Such empowering experiences have been shown to boost girls’ where they are encouraged to speak up, offer ideas and opinions, and try new things. And whether they succeed or fail, they are cheered on by othersto try again!” Volunteers Wanted Girl Scouts is open to all girls from kindergarten through grade 12, and anyone over the age of 18 can be a Girl Scout volunteer. Girls can’t experience the benefits of the organization without adult volun- well. Additionally, because learning by doingis best facilitated in teers can makea real difference in girls’ lives. Volunteers come from These learning opportunities social and emotional skills, as small environments, Girl Scouts’ 3:1 adult-volunteer-to-girl ratio gives girls the optimal way to tap into their interests and talents, and the opportunity to explore fun new things including STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), entrepreneurship teers, and each adult who volunall walks of life; they are men, women, young professionals, retirees, college students and more. Both girls and adult volunteers can join at any timeofyear. Learn More For further facts or to join or volunteer, visit www.girlscouts.org/join.
