Grounded in the Girl Scout Promise and Law, Girl Scouting is a nonformal, experiential, and cooperative education program that promotes girls' personal growth and leadership development. Partnering with caring adults, girls design fun and challenging activities that empower them and raise their voices within a local, national, and global sisterhood. Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes and Pines serves 11,000 members throughout 39 counties in northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.
From founding libraries in America’s heartland to establishing free medical clinics in India, each year 2.6 million Girl Scouts take the lead in bettering their communities and the world. Girl leaders have been at the heart of Girl Scouts since its founding in 1912, when Juliette Gordon Low recognized that developing girls’ leadership abilities was critical for ensuring they would be the change-makers of the future.
Since Low’s time, the world has changed dramatically. Social, cultural, and economic shifts that once took shape over a generation or more are now rapid and have a global impact. This ever more complex and uncertain world clearly requires a new kind of leader – one who values diversity, inclusion, and collaboration and is committed to improving neighborhoods, communities, and the world.
Our Mission
Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.
Why We Need a New Website
In Girl Scouting, adults partner with girls to guide and inspire growth and achievement. Volunteers are essential to the strength and capacity of our Movement. A new web site will provide support for volunteers to ensure success.
How Our New Site Will Help Make the World Greener
The Top 5 Ways a Web Rebuild for Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes and Pines will make the organization work "greener" AND encourage sustainability in the world around us:
5. From career exploration to community service to global travel: Girl Scouts are busy. Make it easier for girls and volunteers to find out what's available.
4. Electronic files = less papers to distribute to volunteers. Less papers = more trees. More trees = more oxygen.
3. Girls who earn the Girl Scout Gold Award serve their communities in amazing ways. Earning the award takes more than 150 hours. Let's match their effort.
2.Slow the spread of germs. Let's say someone is home sick. They get tired of watching TV, so they grab Girl Scout paperwork to sign up for a program. Their germs are now transferred to the paper. Therefore, papers carry germs; germs make people sick; sick people can't come to work (and not coming to work is not sustainable).
1. Girl Scouts have been "green" for 98 years. Help the movement flourish in northern Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin as it reaches a century of inspiring girls to make the world a better place.
When the judges choose which non-profits will be selected to participate in this year's Challenge they will take into account testimonials from beneficiaries, donors, volunteers, board members and other
I grew up in Missouri as a Girl Scout and when I came to Minnesota for a graduate degree one of the first things I did was sign up to become a Girl Scout Leader. This organization placed me with another leader to work in a newer program--an after school troop/group meeting in a pretty rough part of town. A good deal of the girls in our troop already have children of their own and the extra support our group can offer them is life-changing for not only them, but their young children as well. Some of our members missed out on the opportunity to learn life skills prior to starting a family; this program allows them to catch up on those essentials as well as to connect with one another and help each other make it through life's ups and downs.
Jessica Kershner--Girl Scout Volunteer, Duluth
I have been a volunteer with Girl Scouts for over 10 years, all in this council. As our girls have grown, technology has become a critical part of their lives. This influence from the girls requires that us as adults also be able to keep up with their changing needs. Our council is large, making face-to-face meetings very difficult and costly. With the current economic times, the cost of printing and mailing information to volunteers and girls takes away from the programming funds for the girls. Also, with so much information being time sensitive, instant communications are critical. Having a website and communication system that allows girls, volunteers, staff, and community to connect and retrieve information at any time, day or night, is very beneficial.
Teresa Swanson - Girl Scout Volunteer, Deerwood
Please support the Girl Scouts of MN. I love this organization. They really help young girls and women in so many ways. They leadership and team working skills. Develop confidence and poise. They learn about the world all around them. Both my daughter and I were Girl Scouts and I was a leader for 3 years. This organization is worth your nomination
Sheila McCabe - Past Leader and girl scout
My daughter has been a Girl Scout for 5 years and has been able to try many activities that would have never been made available if it wasn't for her troop leaders. As a Girl Scout myself, I feel it is very important to keep this organization alive and energized to offer these girls opportunities to grow and strive for greatness in our ever changing times. This organization is vital to the growth and development of fine young ladies!
Dana Hoenigschmidt - Mom and volunteer, Ramsey, MN
I was a girl scout growing up and a leader. Girl scouts was important to me 40 years ago when I was growing up but I think it is even more important now to the young girls today. They learn self esteem, confidence and poise but most of all they learn the joys and fulfullment of volunteering and getting involved. I am concerned that we are raising a generation of kids who care about themselves. Organizations such as girl scouts help girls understand there is much more. They will be the role models for their families and kids. Tomorrow's future depends on the training these young girls get in organizations such as Girl Scouts.
Please consider Girl Scouts as the organization that gets your vote.
