The Girl Scout Movement has been about social justice, equity, and inclusivity from its very beginning. It’s written into the guiding principles of our Promise and Law. From the first call to offer something to all the girls, at a time when women didn’t even have the right to vote, to the first racially integrated troops long before schools and businesses were mandated to integrate, Girl Scouts has been at the forefront.
Girl Scouts look around their communities, see what needs fixing, and create sustainable solutions.
Right now, communities are hurting, especially Black communities, and we – as an organization that has always strived for racial equity – stand with our Black Girl Scouts and all families of color as we push toward a future where no one has to face the fear and trauma seen by this and previous generations.
As our Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Sylvia Acevedo said: “The problem of racism can feel enormous, but our individual responses don’t have to be.”
Our answer is greater civic engagement — an area we know well.
Girl Scout programming has long had a focus on civic engagement. There are civic badges for all program levels, in addition the Junior level Agent of Change Journey and the Ambassador level Justice Journey both focus on sparking change. Additionally, identifying a societal problem and creating a sustainable solution is at the core of our Highest Awards program.
But these are not enough. The conversations of the past few weeks have motivated us to do more. We are:
Launching a new patch program this month to start the conversation of race and racism by learning to appreciate diversity and to honor and celebrate our differences in our local communities and around the world.
Reaching out to partner organizations with experts to guide conversations relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion for adults and children.
Creating safe spaces for Girl Scouts to have conversations on topics relating to diversity, inclusion, and equity.
Developing resources and using our platforms to share resources for families and troops to engage and reflect on matters relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Continuing to create programming to educate and engage our girls and community in civic action and conversations around systemic racism.
Making the world a better place is our mission and we will continue to give girls the tools they need to do it. Watch the GSCO Blog for more details and how you can join us soon.