On March 12, 1912, Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low– founder of the Girl Scouts (GS) of America– inducted 18 girls into the first official Girl Scout troop. 2020 will mark the 108th year since the founding of Girl Scouts. Known now primarily for their cookie sales, Girl Scouts has so much more to offer young girls. Scouting continues to educate young girls on the outdoors, first aid and other practical skills. Performing various acts of community service encourages young girls to build lifelong leadership qualities and active citizenship. Across the world in over 92 countries,  and over 100 local councils, girls are given the opportunity to better their skills and talents.

This day was established as a way to pay homage to all Juliette Gordon Low did for the organization. As a scout, young girls learn important lifelong skills that will encourage them to do more for their community. Freshman Kinzie Carlson has been in Girl Scouts since kindergarten. Carlson is a Senior Scout in her 11th year. Carlson said, “It’s more than just cookie selling. It’s about building connections with people, and learning how to do things in life.” Even today, Girl Scouts begin to develop long-lasting connections while learning lifelong lessons.

Today there are an estimated 2.5 million Girl Scouts. Those that have been a scout since kindergarten have made incredible progress throughout the years. Senior Charity Jackson is an Ambassador in Girl Scouts. As a scout, she has earned many badges and has participated in many events, even being one of two delegates representing the Owatonna service unit at the annual River Valley Girl Scout meeting. Jackson said, “Girl Scouts shows you multiple factions of life, it helps you explore your interests, and really expand your horizons.” 

As each girl grows in scouts, they are given the opportunity to work on service projects that take community service to the next level. A Take Action project is a way for troops to address a problem they see in their community and put in the time to work out a solution to the issue. Service projects coincide with badges, and are specific with each level. An example would be sharing the importance of wildlife conservation with younger troops, and spreading the word by creating pamphlets. Jackson said, “We do a lot of community service, and those service projects help us to become really well-rounded individuals.” These Take Action projects are the Girl Scout way of giving back to their community, and continuing to serve as leaders. 

Girls Scouts is an organization that works to empower girls and teach new skills that will benefit girls as they move forward in life. Founded by one ambitious woman over 100 years ago, the Girl Scouts of America has grown into the largest leadership organization for girls in the world. They continue to encourage leadership in young girls, and build courage, confidence and character to make the world a better place.