Girl Scouts of the USA
Explore the mission, empowerment programs, and transformative impact of Girl Scouts of the USA—building confident, capable, and compassionate leaders since 1912.
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What Is Girl Scouts of the USA?
Girl Scouts of the USA is the world's preeminent organization dedicated to building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place through leadership, adventure, and community service.
Founding and History
Girl Scouts of the USA was founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, who envisioned an organization that would help girls develop practical skills, leadership abilities, and a sense of social responsibility. What began with just 12 girls in Savannah, Georgia has grown into one of the world's largest and most influential girls' organizations.
Throughout its history, Girl Scouts has been at the forefront of girls' empowerment, adapting programs to meet contemporary needs while maintaining core values of sisterhood, courage, and integrity. The organization has championed girls' education, leadership, and social engagement across generations.
Today, Girl Scouts continues its mission of building girls into leaders who are courageous, confident, and committed to making a positive difference in their communities and the world.
Key Facts
- 👩🤝👩
Global Sisterhood
Millions of girls and women connected through shared Girl Scout experience.
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Girl-Centered Leadership
Programs designed to build confidence, leadership skills, and agency.
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Badge Program
Earning badges in diverse areas from STEM to life skills to outdoor adventure.
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Social Change
Girls engage in community service and advocacy for causes they believe in.
Mission and Core Values
The Girl Scout Mission
Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. Through girl-centered programming, girls develop leadership, pursue their passions, and take action to create positive change in their communities and around the world.
💪 Courage
Girl Scouts encourages girls to be brave, take on challenges, speak up for what they believe, and face obstacles with resilience. Girl Scouts helps girls develop the courage to pursue their dreams and advocate for change.
✨ Confidence
Through achievements, skill-building, and supportive mentorship, Girl Scouts builds girls' confidence in their abilities. Girls learn to trust themselves and recognize their potential to lead and succeed.
❤️ Character
The Girl Scout Promise and Law provide an ethical foundation emphasizing honesty, respect, integrity, and responsibility. Girls develop strong character through living these values in their daily lives.
🌏 Leadership and Service
Girl Scouts develops leaders who take action in their communities. Through service projects and advocacy, girls learn to identify issues they care about and work to create meaningful, lasting change.
Girl Scout Programs and Levels
Girl Scouts offers age-appropriate programs from kindergarten through high school, each designed for the developmental stage and interests of participants.
Daisy Girl Scouts (K-1st Grade)
Daisy Girl Scouts introduces young girls to friendship, fun, and first achievements. Through games, songs, and activities, Daisies learn to work together, explore their interests, and earn their first badges.
Emphasis is on play-based learning, basic life skills, and beginning to understand community service.
Brownie Girl Scouts (2nd-3rd Grade)
Brownies expand their world and develop real skills through activities in badges and challenges. Girls explore diverse interests, develop stronger friendships, and take on leadership roles within their troops.
Brownies develop problem-solving skills and begin understanding social responsibility.
Junior Girl Scouts (4th-5th Grade)
Juniors pursue their passions with greater independence and deeper skill development. Girls can explore badges across diverse topics from STEM to arts to outdoor skills, and take on meaningful service projects.
Juniors develop advanced leadership and decision-making abilities.
Cadette & Senior Girl Scouts (6th-12th Grade)
Cadettes and Seniors lead the way with sophisticated projects, high-adventure experiences, and opportunities to make real change in their communities. They design and lead initiatives addressing issues they're passionate about.
These older girls develop as transformational leaders and advocates.
Impact and Legacy
Empowering Women Leaders
For over a century, Girl Scouts has been building confidence and leadership in girls, resulting in millions of women leaders in every field. Many of today's most influential women in business, government, academia, and social service credit their Girl Scout experience with building their character and capabilities.
Girl Scouts has consistently prepared girls for success at a time when girls' education and leadership were not universally valued. The organization has been a powerful force for expanding opportunities for girls and women.
Research shows Girl Scout participants demonstrate higher self-esteem, stronger leadership skills, greater civic engagement, and increased likelihood of pursuing careers in STEM and leadership fields.
Girl Scout Gold Award
- • Highest award in Girl Scouting for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts
- • Requires designing and implementing sustainable community service project
- • Demonstrates leadership, problem-solving, and commitment to change
- • Gold Award recognized by colleges and employers nationwide
- • Girl Scout leaders report it significantly enhances college applications