Now Is the Time to Register for Girl Scouts: GSWPA Calls for Girls and Volunteers to Join in the Fun
Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) September 23, 2016 -- Now that the school year is underway, Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania (GSWPA) is inviting girls to join the fun and register for Girl Scouts.
Since Girl Scouts is open to all girls in grades K-12, girls who have entered Kindergarten are eligible to become Girl Scouts for the first time.
Girl Scout troops are currently forming throughout western Pennsylvania, giving girls a supportive space to take chances, try new things, and learn to succeed through failure—improving all aspects of their lives.
When girls are given a safe and supportive environment to take chances, despite the potential for failure, they’re able to experience the emotional impact of risk without damaging consequences. Girl Scouts is the premier place to provide girls with a safe environment for trying new things and overcoming fears, making them greater challenge-seekers, more academically proficient students and eventually, more successful adults.
Feeling empowered to take action is difficult for girls, but experiencing the benefits of girl-led programming like Girl Scouts can lead to significant growth in girls’ leadership skills—and, according to the Girl Scout Research Institute, Girl Scouts have more leadership experiences than other girls and boys. Of girls, 84 percent say that 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. Through experiences like these, girls become more active and engaged learners, develop a positive sense of self, and learn resourceful problem solving.
Research shows that embracing failure as a learning opportunity, rather than viewing it as a detractor from success, improves all aspects of a child’s life, particularly academics. The Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) found the variety of activities offered through Girl Scouts—from planning and leading projects to participating in community service and outdoor expeditions—allows girls to gain skills and confidence that also help them do well in school.
“At Girl Scouts, we encourage every girl to take on new challenges, whether she’s climbing the rock wall for the first time or taking action to address a community issue,” said Patricia A. Burkart, CEO of GSWPA. “Girl Scouts learn that while things may not always work out the first time, their hard work, creative ideas and readiness to take on challenges will bring them success.”
Children are resilient and will problem solve until they master a challenging situation, bouncing back if success isn’t immediate. According to a new study published by the American Psychological Association, kids perform better if they know failure—trying again when it doesn’t go as planned the first time is part of the learning process. Research shows “helping children to interpret difficulty, not as a sign of intellectual limitation but as the normal learning outcome,” enhanced how they tackled tough tasks and lowered their negative emotional response to these activities.
To join Girl Scouts or learn more, please visit gswpa.org/join or attend a Family Information Night in your community. See a complete calendar of Family Information Nights at gswpa.org/info-nights.
While Girl Scouts is open to all girls from kindergarten through grade 12, anyone over the age of 18 can become a Girl Scout troop leader. Girls cannot experience the positive impact of Girl Scouts without adult volunteers, and each adult who volunteers as a troop leader has the opportunity to make a real difference in the life of a girl. Girl Scout volunteers come from all walks of life; they are men, women, young professionals, retirees, college students, and more. Both girls and adult volunteers can join at any time of the year. Visit gswpa.org/volunteer to find out more about becoming a Girl Scout troop leader.
About Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania
Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania (GSWPA) provides nearly 25,000 girls from 27 counties and many different backgrounds and beliefs with the resources to become tomorrow’s leaders. And all of this is made possible thanks to the dedication of more than 6,000 volunteers, 100 full-time staff, 20 board members and countless supporters, all believing in the power of girls. Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. For more information on how to join, volunteer, reconnect or donate to GSWPA, call 800-248-3355 or visit gswpa.org.
Lisa Shade, Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania, http://gswpa.org, +1 (800) 248-3355 Ext: 1427, [email protected]
Share this article