Why Girl Scouts?

Who do you want the girl in your life to become? Whether she is 5 or 17, you want her to become self-confident, strong, and compassionate. You want her to respect herself and others, make good decisions, be open to new challenges, and use her skills and talents to make her world a better place. You want her to build strong friendships, be a leader, and put her values into practice in her everyday life. You want her to become her best self.

Social pressure, image issues, and uncertain security—there are so many potential hurdles to girls' well-being. For almost 100 years, Girl Scouts has been helping girls realize their full potential and everything that the Girl Scout Leadership Experience provides.

What Do Girl Scouts Do?
Girl Scouting provides girls with opportunities to address the important issues in their lives. Girl Scouts do almost anything girls like to do! Girl Scout activities are open to all girls who are members of Girl Scouting, are based on the Girl Scout Promise and Law, and the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, follow health and safety standards, and are done with the support of caring, trained adults. Girls ages 5-17 enjoy experiences based on the progression of activities available in Girl Scout books, awards, online at A World for Girls, and other Girl Scout resources.

Based on expert research and developed through years of experience, Girl Scouting provides engaging and worthwhile activities that respond to the needs of today's girls, with flexibility that respects their busy lives—and yours!

Your Time, Your Life
Your calendar is full. Your to-do list is jam-packed. You want to help out, but it's almost impossible to find the time. Don't panic. You don't have to give up your life to support your girl.

Because there are only so many hours in a day, girls, along with their parents and guardians, have to balance many growing and diverging interests, commitments, and responsibilities in a world of PDAs and PTAs. You'll be surprised at how flexible Girl Scouting is today. You can choose how little or how much time and energy you can give—an hour, a day, or maybe just a "thank you" to your Girl Scout's troop or group leader.

Customize Your Role
From being the "head cheerleader" who encourages and supports her daughter in Girl Scouting, to accompanying the girls on a field trip to a local museum, to helping raise the funds and traveling with a group to a Girl Scout World Center in India, you can use your skills and explore your interests. Here are a few of the many ways you can support your Girl Scout:

Suggest a fun day trip
Set up a phone tree
Coordinate transportation for an outing
Be a guest speaker
Teach girls a new skill
Design a troop photo album or Web site
Join girls on a field trip
Learn first aid at a Girl Scout council sponsored training session so that you can support girls on their outings
Become an advocate in your community for Girl Scouting
Tell your girl you're proud of her

Facts

Girl Scout Mission
Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
Nearly 100 Years
Founder Juliette Gordon Low organized the first Girl Scout Troop on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia.
An American Institution
Girl Scouts of the USA was chartered by the U.S. Congress on March 16, 1950.
Still Growing Strong
Today, there are 3.2 million Girl Scouts—2.3 million girl members and 880,000 adult members working primarily as volunteers.
Empowering Girls
In Girl Scouts, girls discover the fun, friendship, and power of girls together. Through a myriad of enriching experiences, such as extraordinary field trips, sports skill-building clinics, community service projects, cultural exchanges, and environmental stewardships, girls grow courageous and strong. Girl Scouting helps girls develop their full individual potential; relate to others with increasing understanding, skill, and respect; develop values to guide their actions and provide the foundation for sound decision-making; and contribute to the improvement of society through their abilities, leadership skills, and cooperation with others.
At Home and Abroad
Girls at home and abroad participate in troops and groups in more than 92 countries through USA Girl Scouts Overseas, and over 100 local Girl Scout councils offer girls the opportunity for membership across the United States.
An International Family
Through its membership in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), Girl Scouts of the USA is part of a worldwide family of 10 million girls and adults in 145 countries.
A Pivotal Part of Women's History
More than 50 million American women enjoyed Girl Scouting during their childhood—and that number continues to grow as Girl Scouts of the USA continues to inspire, challenge, and empower girls everywhere.