It began over 100 years ago with one woman, Girl Scouts’ founder Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low, who believed in the power of every girl. Today at Girl Scouts – Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, we continue the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.

Girl Scouts is the leading organization that provides girls with a fun and safe environment to overcome fears and try new things, making them greater challenge-seekers, more academically proficient students and, eventually, more successful adults.

Girl Scouts take the lead by trying new things every day — no matter their age or ability. Through the program’s wide range of activities, a second-grader might try Girl Scout camp for the first time, whereas a ninth-grader might explore college financial-aid options or discover her inner scientist at robotics camp.

According to the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI), 84 percent of girls in a recent study say they learned or did new things in Girl Scouts, and 80 percent reported that in Girl Scouts they were able to do things that they could not have done in other places.¹ Through experiences like these, girls become more active and engaged learners, develop a positive sense of self and learn more resourceful problem solving.

When girls participate in Girl Scouts, they benefit in five important ways²:

Strong Sense of Self

When girls are more self-aware and confident about their learning capabilities, they form positive identities, they try harder and persist in the face of challenges.

Positive Values

Girls participating in Girl Scouts act ethically, honestly and responsibly and show concern for others.

Challenge Seeking

Whether they are building a campfire or at their first sleepaway, Girl Scouts provides a safe place for girls to face their fears and take appropriate risks. They are encouraged to try new things even though they might fail and to learn from mistakes. Girls who step up and take on challenges grow into women who are more successful.

Healthy Relationships

Through Girl Scouts, girls gain experience working as part of a team and often as leaders. Through these processes, they learn to develop and maintain healthy relationships, including the ability to communicate their feelings directly and resolve conflicts constructively.

Community Problem Solving

Taking action is the Girl Scouts approach to making the world a better place. Whether collecting food for a homeless shelter or providing used equipment so children can participate in youth sports, girls desire to contribute to the world in purposeful and meaningful ways. Through Girl Scouts, girls learn how to identify problems in the community and create “action plans” to solve them.

When girls exhibit these five attitudes and skills, they become responsible, productive, caring and engaged citizens — all attributes that will help them become successful, well-adjusted adults.

The GSRI found the variety of activities offered through Girl Scouts — from planning and leading projects to participating in community service and outdoor experiences — allows girls to gain skills and confidence that also help them do well in school. For girls, they just know they are having fun, making friends and trying new things.

To learn more about what being a Girl Scout means to girls and parents, check out videos from each perspective at www.girlscoutsdiamonds.org/top5.

For more information about Girl Scout activities in your area, visit www.girlscoutsdiamonds.org or contact staff at a local Girl Scout office by emailing membership@girlscoutsdiamonds.org. Girl Scouts – Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas serves over 9,000 girls and 3,700 volunteers and encompasses all counties in Arkansas except Crittenden and includes Adair, LeFlore and Sequoyah counties in Oklahoma as well as Bowie and Cass counties in Texas.

¹Girl Scouts of the USA, Summer 2014 Pulse Poll

²Girl Scout Research Institute, September 2016