Norman Rockwell Museum Salutes Girl Scouts 100

WAMC Northeast Public Radio reports that in 1977, Norman Rockwell was approached by the Franklin Mint to create a dozen designs for medallions depicting the ideals of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America on the occasion of the organization’s 65th anniversary.

On Saturday, September 22, Norman Rockwell Museum will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts with a special centennial celebration to be held at the Museum.

Guests can discover Rockwell’s ties to the Girl Scouts with gallery tours of a special exhibition of related works. Other activities will include outdoor watercolor painting sessions throughout the day, and a demonstration of basic horse grooming with a live horse on Museum grounds, courtesy of the Berkshire Equestrian Center.

Also, check out WAMC's on-air interview with Dana Carnegie, Communications Manager for Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts; Monica Minor, Vice President of Girl Development for Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York; and Jeremy Clowe, Manager of Media Services at Norman Rockwell Museum.

Girl Scouts of the USA Celebrates with Girls Who Code!

Join us tonight as we cheer on fellow girl-centric non-profit, Girls Who Code. Tonight they host graduation ceremonies for the young app-developing ladies they've been mentoring and working with all summer. The ceremony will also include a final wrap up of the girls' summer project. Tune in here at 6pm as we take in all of the great work accomplished this summer. Read here for more on Girls Who Code.

Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona Kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month

Arizona's Tucson News Now reports that Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona is kicking off Hispanic Heritage month with a fiesta this weekend.

Folklorico dancers in bright dresses, upbeat mariachi music and activities for the entire family will be featured. Hispanic Heritage month is celebrated nationally from September 15 to October 15, highlighting the rich culture, history and contributions of Hispanics across America.

This fiesta is only a small portion of the year long Hispanic Initiative the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona are participating in. This initiative is bringing girls together to participate in activities in their own neighborhoods.

“This often makes it easier for moms, older sisters, tias and abuelas to participate in Girl Scouts as a family,” noted Reina Ravago, Hispanic Initiative Coordinator. “It’s wonderful to see three generations learning, working, and having fun together through Girl Scout activities.”

Girl Scouts community involvement is happily noted by Jonathan Contreras, Director of Mariachi Aztlan de Pueblo High School, “We’re proud to be a part of this groundbreaking event and are glad that the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona is embracing the Hispanic community through its increasing efforts to appeal to the often overlooked Hispanic youth.”

Ruth N. Bramson: "Collaboration is key in ending STEM gap"

"Girls make up a majority of undergraduate students in this country, yet they earn a smaller share of the degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields," states Ruth N. Bramson, CEO of Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, in an OpEd for Mass High Tech. "Gender stereotypes negatively affect girls’ perception of STEM. Girls need hand-on, collaborative learning opportunities to complement traditional classroom learning, which is often focused on lectures and textbooks. Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts know that girls’ interest in STEM is strong and sustainable when girls are able to engage in STEM in an environment that is welcoming and safe."

According to the Girl Scout Research Institute study Generation STEM: What Girls Say about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, 74 percent of teen girls are interested in STEM subjects and the general field of study. Further, a high 82 percent of girls see themselves as "smart enough to have a career in STEM." And yet, few girls consider it their number-one career option: 81 percent of girls interested in STEM are interested in pursuing STEM careers, but only 13 percent say it's their first choice. Additionally, girls express that they don't know a lot about STEM careers and the opportunities afforded by these fields, with 60 percent of STEM-interested girls acknowledging that they know more about other careers than they do about STEM careers.

Girls are also aware that gender barriers persist in today's society: 57 percent of those studied concur that if they were to pursue a STEM career, they would "have to work harder than a man to be taken seriously."

"Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts is committed to ensuring that every girl has the opportunity to explore and build an interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics," states Bramson. "The strength of our nation depends on increasing girls’ involvement in STEM, and in helping them to develop critical-thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills that are so important throughout life. While the percentage of careers that require advanced STEM education increases, an alarmingly high percentage of girls lose interest in STEM subjects early in their development. If the U.S. is to maintain its competitive advantage in the global economy, we need to ensure that our entire population of young people —especially girls— are educated in STEM fields."

Rusine Mitchell Sinclair is a Lifetime Achievement Winner

The Triangle Business Journal honored Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines Chief Executive Officer Rusine Mitchell Sinclair with its Women in Business Lifetime Achievement Award on August 23. The weekly business journal reports that for Sinclair, the glass ceiling is a dance floor, not an obstacle. The CEO of Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines and former vice president at IBM, Sinclair smashed through the ceiling as an accomplished businesswoman whose instincts, even as a young graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, have kept her ahead of the trends and on the payroll.

The Women in Business awards program recognizes Triangle women who have proven to be dynamic and outstanding leaders with established track records of significant accomplishments in business and/or community service. Judges pored through more than 160 entries to come up with this year’s crop of 26 winners, with Sinclair taking top honors with the lifetime achievement honor.

Anna Maria Chávez to be Featured Speaker at LinkedIn “inDay Speaker Series”

On Wednesday, September 5, at 2:00 p.m. PT, Anna Maria Chávez, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of the USA, will be the featured speaker at the LinkedIn “inDay Speaker Series” in Mountain View, California. Following Anna’s presentation, Marina Park, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Northern California, will join Anna for a Q&A session.

The event will be streamed live, so mark your calendars!

LinkedIn “inDay Speaker Series” featuring Anna Maria Chávez and Marina Park

Live stream: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/linkedin-speakerseries

LinkedIn is a social networking website for people in professional occupations. Founded in December 2002 and launched on May 5, 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking. As of June 2012, LinkedIn reports more than 175 million registered users in more than 200 countries and territories.

Girl Scouts of the USA Receives Two-Year Dell Grant for “Journey and Connect Through Technology”

Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) has received a two-year grant for its “Journey and Connect Through Technology” program from the Dell Powering the Possible Youth Learning Initiative. The program will engage underserved girls in Information & Technology (ICT) and STEM skills, while developing Be The Video Game Designer, an interactive experience that will be made available on the Girl Scouts website.

In line with GSUSA commitment to develop age appropriate leadership skills in girls, the program will put them in the driver’s seat of idea generation in video game development. The girls will consider aspects of what they would like to see in video games, and make selections based on those preferences including choosing avatars, storylines and other video game features. They will learn critical thinking, teamwork, and ideation skills that will help them experience themselves as creators in the video game process.

“Children are learning in new ways, connecting with other people and gaining valuable skills,” said Trisa Thompson, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at Dell. “But it’s not just about the technology; it’s about preparing young people for success. This shared responsibility between Dell and the community brings about real learning opportunities and real change. It’s about helping youth discover more possibilities, because when they’re connected, their worldview becomes much wider and they better understand the opportunities that lie ahead.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with Dell on this exciting project,” said Anna Maria Chávez, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of the USA. “Technology and all of the STEM fields are essential to our nation’s future and we at Girl Scouts are committed to exposing our girls to the amazing possibilities that STEM careers have to offer, from environmental science to computer engineering to designing that next generation of video games. And not only does this project expose girls to technology, but it also allows them to take the lead.”

GSUSA is the only organization, out of 50 charities managing 34 programs, to receive a 2-year commitment from the Dell Powering the Possible Youth Learning Initiative. The initiative provides $2.4 million to charities across the nation.

This grant comes as Girl Scout celebrates its 100th anniversary during which the iconic organization launched a cause campaign known as ToGetHerThere. ToGetHerThere is designed to bring about balanced leadership across all sectors in a single generation by supporting girls and their leadership development.

Girl Scouts of Nassau County Share Anti-bullying Tips

New York's Bellmore Patch reports that with the new school year just around the corner, parents and children are gearing up to go back to school and possibly, back to bullying.

The Girl Scouts of Nassau County has recognized this behavior, relational aggression or bullying, defined as a behavior that harms others by damaging or manipulating one's relationships with peers, or by injuring one's feelings of social acceptance, and explains how this year bullying will be different.

“This year, New York State is cracking down on bullies,” said Donna Ceravolo, executive director of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County. “As of July 1, all New York State schools are required to follow the Dignity for All Students Act. This act, which Girl Scouts of Nassau County proudly helped design, requires schools to take steps to prevent and respond to bullying.”

The Girl Scouts of Nassau County is offering the following advice to combat bullying this school year:

• If your child is cyber bullied by another student, the school is required to take action. Schools have to address ALL bullying incidents, even those that occur off of school grounds.
• Educate yourself on your school’s bullying policy. Schools must post their bullying policies in a public place – on the school website, in the student handbook, etc.
• Partner with appropriate staff at your school, including teachers, administrators, and staff assigned to bullying incidents. Schools are required to have one staff person dedicated to investigating, resolving, and reporting all bullying incidents.
• Encourage your school administration or PTA to sponsor anti-bullying programs. Schools are required to provide bullying prevention programs to students. Many organizations offer these programs, including Girl Scouts of Nassau County.
• Schools are required to provide staff training on how to address bullying. Girl Scouts of Nassau County offers staff training programs and can connect you with other organizations who also offer these programs.
• The Girl Scouts of Nassau County has been tackling relational aggression head on for more than six years. Schools, religious groups and community members have benefited from their programs. This past year alone they have conducted 80 workshops to more than 1,000 girls and 200 parents giving them the tools, tactics and language to address bullying and social aggression.

“We are happy to see the state get involved in this destructive behavior and hope that we can continue to educate the community about what to do when your child is bullied, in the hopes to stop it once and for all,” Ceravolo said.

Anna Maria Chávez Discusses Girls' Financial Education with Maria Bartiromo

Girl Scouts garners strong coverage over the weekend with Anna Maria Chávez’s appearance on CNBC’s Wall Street Journal Report with Maria Bartiromo to discuss the organization’s initiative to provide girls with financial education. Check it out here!

Girl Scouts Delivering on the Leadership Proposition

Houston Chronicle's L.M. Sixel reports that girls have higher grade-point averages. They are more likely to be members of the National Honor Society. And more women than men graduate from college and then go on and get graduate degrees.

But four out of five girls believe they don't have what it takes for leadership positions, Jamie Vazquez says, citing a study conducted by the Girl Scout Research Institute. Even though girls are excelling in academics, something is going on under the surface that is keeping them from becoming leaders.

Vazquez, who is president of W&T Offshore, an exploration and production company that is one of the largest acreage holders on the conventional shelf in the Gulf of Mexico, hopes to reverse that female leadership drain as a board member of the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council.

Part of the problem, Vazquez suggests, is that young women have a harder time seeing themselves as business executives or top political officials. Young men, however, have an easier time seeing themselves as a CEO.

"We thought we were past that," Vazquez says. "We thought girls can do anything, but girls themselves don't have that faith."

Girls tend to be self-critical when asked to judge their own abilities, says Mary Vitek, CEO of the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, which encompasses Harris and 25 other counties in Southeast Texas. When the girls and boys in the study were given a list of the typical characteristics that describe good leaders, the girls rated themselves lower.

"When you see that in the girls before they even get to the workforce, they're opting out before they're even giving it a try," Vitek says.

My 18-year-old daughter has taken on increasingly complicated leadership responsibilities at school and in the community. She credits her decade as a Girl Scout as the "No. 1 factor" that gave her the skills to set goals, plan and delegate so projects get done.

Behind the Scenes: Jobs@GSUSA

Once a month, we show how our readers a behind-the-scenes look at our work here at Girl Scouts' national headquarters. Each month, we spotlight employees from different departments and the work they do to serve our 3.2 million members. This month our Social Media Intern, Elizabeth Venere, interviewed Hispanic and Underserved Markets Consultant, Vanessa Faxas.

Vanessa Faxas is proud of Girl Scouts’ 300,000 Latina members. Because, as the Hispanic and Underserved Markets Consultant, Vanessa's job is to work with councils to activate more Latina girls and volunteers. She also collaborates with various GSUSA departments to find new ways to engage girl members and support the volunteers who work with them. And she helps develop GSUSA’s Spanish-language resources, including a new series of starter books for Spanish-speaking girls and volunteers and upcoming video tutorials for councils that will demonstrate successful membership practices within the Hispanic community.

Vanessa has always been dedicated to helping underserved communities and developing youth leadership. She knows she was fortunate when she was growing up, because she had a support network that encouraged her to pursue her dreams. That led her to study social work at Ramapo College of New Jersey, and then go on to the Ivy League for graduate work: Columbia University’s School of Social Work. Vanessa also holds a Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate from Georgetown University and continues to learn and hone her skills every day.

Working for Girl Scouts is a perfect way for Vanessa to make a positive impact on the lives of Hispanic girls and their families. She spends most of her time on the “grassroots” nature of her work, which requires building awareness and trust within communities, getting people who may never have heard about Girl Scouts to be passionate about our mission, and ensuring that those who prefer Spanish resources have the tools they need.

In spite of challenges along the way, Vanessa’s greatest satisfaction comes from seeing councils brainstorm and test innovative ways to grow membership and, in doing so, ensure that all girls—and especially Latinas—have the chance to experience Girl Scouting. Vanessa says she’s lucky to work for an organization that matches her own values and beliefs . . . one that gives all girls the opportunity to be leaders

Elizabeth Venere is not only our social media intern, but also a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient entering her junior year of college this fall. She provides GSUSA with awesome social media content.