It's not too late to become part of the top leadership organization
for girls
More than
21,000 girls in central Illinois are members of Girl Scouts
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[November
11, 2013]
SPRINGFIELD -- The Girl Scouts
of Central Illinois organization is still accepting 2013
registrations for girls ages 5-17 who would like to become part of a
troop. Today in central Illinois, more than 21,000 girls participate
in troops and Girl Scouting activities in their communities, and the
number continues to grow.
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Girl Scouts is widely recognized as the top leadership organization
in the world for girls. Today's
Girl Scout Leadership Experience, although embedded in the
tradition of cookies and camping, offers girls more than ever
before. Girl Scouting provides more opportunities than any other
organization to help girls and young women develop their leadership
potential and build practical life skills.
"Girl Scouts has evolved to meet the needs of today's girls,"
said Jamie Stout, director of membership and volunteerism. "We help
build girls of courage, confidence and character by providing the
tools and support to young girls that feed their drive to succeed in
all aspects of life. And we empower and encourage them to become
good stewards to the environment and their communities. There is no
other organization like it in the world."
One core concentration in the organization today is exposing
girls to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the STEM
subject areas, in a way that inspires a future career path. When
today's girls graduate from college, the U.S. will need 3 million
more scientists and engineers, yet women account for fewer than 20
percent of the bachelor's degrees in engineering, computer science
and physics. Research shows that by middle school, girls begin to
shy away from STEM, but when they are able to explore these fields
and careers in a girl-only environment with female role models, this
enhances their skills, confidence and learning.
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Girl Scouts also boasts the top
financial literacy program in the nation for girls -- and it starts
with cookies. The Girl Scout Cookie program has grown into a leading
business and economic literacy program that is run by and for girls.
The cookie program provides an important ingredient for leadership
by helping girls develop five key skills:
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Goal-setting.
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Decision-making.
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Money management.
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People skills.
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Business ethics.
The financial literacy skills taught through Girl Scouts have
proven to be a key factor in shaping financial and personal success
for alumnae. A recent impact study about the value of Girl Scouting
reveals that Girl Scout alumnae have a higher income and
socioeconomic status, a greater level of civic engagement, and are
overall more successful than their non-Girl Scout peers (published
by the Girl Scout Research Institute, 2012).
More than 50 million American women are alumnae of Girl Scouting.
Girl Scout alumnae include nearly 70 percent of the women in the
U.S. Congress today, 64 percent of the women listed in Who's Who of
American Women and 53 percent of all women business owners.
For more information, visit the Girl Scouts of Central Illinois
website at
www.getyourgirlpower.org.
[Text from file received from
Girl Scouts of Central
Illinois]
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