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The New Girl Scout Leadership Experience

The Transformation of Girl Scouting

In conjunction with its 95th anniversary in 2007, Girl Scouting has launched a historic transformation and will focus on our core strength of leadership development for girls in the 21st century. Since it’s founding in 1912, Girl Scouting has continuously developed, adapted, and provided programming so girls would have the leadership skills needed to succeed. Girls view leadership in different ways, so a broad range of experiences will be offered to every Girl Scout. In fall 2008, Girl Scouts of the USA will launch the New Girl Scout Leadership Experience designed to provide girls ages 6 to 17 with expanded leadership opportunities.

Click here for the Ten Best things about the New Girl Scout Leadership Experience

Click here for the New Girl Scout Leadership Experience

New Research Review: “Exploring Girls’ Leadership”

Confronted by a national lack of data on gender-specific data on girls and leadership, the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) has launched a body of work to identify what girls need to succeed as leaders. This work is designed to support and accelerate a national transformation launched in 2006 to modernize Girl Scouting as the premier leadership experience for girls in the 21st century. The GSRI’s new research review, “Exploring Girls’ Leadership,” analyzes the literature from the youth development and youth leadership fields and contrasts continued misperceptions with youths’ realities and community approaches to leadership in the field.

Click here for the Summary of the Research Review of Exploring Girls Leadership

Click here for the Full the Research Review of Exploring Girls Leadership

To address the need for further research, the GSRI has begun an original national study scheduled for release in Spring 2008 which will explore girls’ and boys’ definitions of leadership, their perceptions and attitudes about leadership and leadership behaviors, and what they need to see themselves as leaders today and in the future. Results of this study will help GSUSA develop program and policy, and contribute to the dialogue about what it takes to grow and sustain girls’ and boys’ leadership aspirations through adulthood.