Try Girl Scouts (NAPSA)—If you're ever the parent or grandparentofagirl, recent research from the University ofEssex in England may provide somesurprising but important information: Girls are more willing to take risks, speak up, and take on leadership roles when in single-gender environments. In the study, researchers found that whenin all-girl groups, female students had a 7.5 percent boostin their average marks. Other studies support the finding that single-gender environments provide more opportunities for girls to build confidence and have greater academic andlife success, andthatgirls in single-gender environments are more likely to explore and pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects. At a time when81 percent of American voters think preparinggirls for leadership roles should bea nationalpriority, Girl Scouts of the USA—the preeminent leadership development organization for girls—offers girls even more opportunities to learn skills and empower themselves with the experiences they need to succeedin life. And as the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) releases new findings that confirm the outstanding leadership results that Girl Scouts exhibit compared to their non-Girl Scoutpeers, there has never been a bet- ter timeto join. Where To Turn Participating in a single-gender group activity such as Girl Scouts can help girls develop key leadership skills they need to be successful in life. New GSRI research shows, comparedto their peers, Girl Scouts are morelikely to: Be leaders eHave confidence in themselves and their abilities eAct ethically and responsibly, and show concernfor others Seek challenges and learn from setbacks eDevelop and maintain healthy relationships e Identify and solve problems in their communities Research reveals thatgirls in all-girl groupsare morelikely to express an interest in STEM subjects. Take an active role in decision making Do better in school. For over 100 years, Girl Scouts has helped girls become their best selves. Today, it’s 2.6 million strong—1.8 mil- lion girls and 800,000 adults who believe in the power of every G.I.R.L. (Go-get- ter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)” to change the world. Now, there's new programming designed to build girls’ skills and encourage their interest in STEM and the outdoors. In fact, the organization has just released 23 new STEM andoutdoor badges, which are twoareasthat girls may not otherwise be encouraged to explore. Girls can design robots and racecars, go on environ- mentally conscious camping trips, create algorithms, collect data, try their hand at engineering and much more. Further, the new programming is available to volunteers via a digital toolkit, which is intended to save time and make it even easier to support amazing experiences for girls. Leadership, collab- oration and a commitment to personal developmentare the keys to creating engaged leaders, and that’s whatgirls gain from Girl Scouting, determined a study by Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. “Girls’ experiences and skill developmentin Girl Scouting had a dramatic impact on their sense ofself? said Dayle Savage, an assistant professorof the practice in leadership and organizations. Learn More For more information and to join or volunteer, visit www.girlscouts.org/join.
