Age range

Website: www.girlscoutsbayarea.org

Mission/Goals: Girl Scouts programs aim to increase self-confidence and to support girls as they develop to their fullest potential.

Notes: Programs include: 1) Growth, Independence, Friendship, Trust (G.I.F.T.), which brought the Girl Scout experience to more than 3,000 girls through troop meetings at more than 150 Bay Area elementary and middle schools in areas underserved by Girl Scouting;
2) Teen Power — From the Heart, which brought Girl Scout activities to pregnant and parenting teens, focusing on health and sex education, positive relationships, childcare and job skills;
3) Science is Super, which enables girls to view science in a realistic, applicable and manageable manner so that they are encouraged to study, appreciate and feel confident in the subject; and
4) The LEAD (Leadership, Education, And Development) program, which developed the leadership skills of Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts.

Source(s): www.guidestar.org; www.girlscoutsbayarea.org

Type of Evaluation: Outcomes Monitoring

Note: The evaluation reported here does not include the Oakland program.

Objective: The study was designed to measure the extent to which the four program goals of Girl Scouting are being achieved. These four program goals are that, through participation in Girl Scouting, girls will: 1) Develop to their full potential; 2) Relate to others with increased understanding, skill, and respect; 3) Develop values that guide actions and provide the foundation for sound decision-making; and 4) Contribute to the improvement of society through the use of their abilities and leadership skills, working in cooperation with others.

Impact/Outcomes:  In general, Girl Scouts reported significantly greater opportunities to experience the outcomes of self-reliance, self-competence, social skills, respect for others, feelings of belonging, values/decision-making, helpfulness/concern for the community, teamwork, leadership than in school. The size of the differences between girls' report of opportunities in Girl Scouting versus opportunities in school increased as the age level of the girls increased. On all nine outcomes, parents rated opportunities for their daughters in Girl Scouting to be significantly greater than in other clubs or organizations. Brownie Girl Scouts reported significantly higher scores on self-reliance and feelings of belonging than did non-member girls. Junior Girl Scouts did not report significantly higher scores on outcomes than non-member girls. Cadette Girl Scouts rated themselves significantly higher than non-member girls on self-reliance, self-competence, respect for others, teamwork, and leadership. On all outcomes except social skills, Senior Girl Scouts rated themselves significantly higher than did non-member girls.