Girl Scouts are Outdoor Explorers

Guest Post: Girl Scouts are Outdoor Explorers

Guest Post from Vicki Wright, GSUSA Outdoor Initiative Lead, Lifetime Girl Scout, Former CEO of multiple Girl Scout Councils

Girl Scouts Launches Inaugural Badge Series Chosen by Girls

This year, on its 103^rd Anniversary, Girl Scouts is celebrating our commitment to providing fun and beneficial outdoor experiences for girls with the launch of a new series of outdoor badges, chosen by Girl Scouts themselves.

Outdoor experiences are an integral part of Girl Scouts and are woven into Girl Scout program in such a way that girls feel comfortable trying new things and testing their limits, and gain confidence and acquire new skills in a safe and supportive all-girl environment. From a relaxed nature hike through the forests to teaming up on a wildlife conservation project to high-adventure rock-climbing, Girl Scouts offers girls a variety of opportunities to learn and grow inside and out.

My first experience with Girl Scouts was in an outdoor setting where I learned to become comfortable in the outdoors and with myself.  I did not understand at the time all that I was learning while having so much fun.  I can honestly say that my love for the outdoors came from those experiences and truly molded the person I became.

In the month of November, GSUSA began the polling process for the Girls’ Choice Outdoor Badges by inviting girls to vote on a diverse option of outdoor badge themes. Outdoor Explorer emerged as the overall theme, with five age specific Badge offerings: Outdoor Adventurer, Horseback Riding, Archery, Paddling and Ultimate Recreation Challenge.

But why is this so important to us?

According to our research (Girl Scout Research Institute’s study, More Than S’mores), girls benefit immensely from time outdoors. Girls who spend time outdoors eclipse their peers in environmental stewardship, more readily seek challenges, and are better problem solvers, all of which are traits needed for 21st century leadership.

Outdoor experiences through Girl Scouting, such as camp, are beneficial to girl leadership development across ethnicities. Latina (38 percent) and African American (40 percent) girls are more likely than their peers (28 percent) to say they overcame a fear of the outdoors through Girl Scouting; seventy-nine percent of Latina girls say they first tried an outdoor activity in Girl Scouts, and an overwhelming 59 percent of Latina girls say Girl Scouts has offered them outdoor activities they would not have otherwise had access to.

Simply put, this is important to us because it is important to girls. Once exposed to the outdoors, girls love it.  And, now more than ever, research shows us that getting outdoors is so important to the physical, social and psychological development of our girls and the health of our planet.

We want to get more girls outdoors, more often and in varied ways. Please join us in this effort.

Girl Scout Teens Unite to Plan Conference

With many events, committees must be formed to ensure every aspect of the function is planned with careful consideration and detail. The same can be said for the 2011 Teen Conference. What makes this event unique is that the conference is planned by teens for teens. Typical meetings include Central Texas girls discussing what is important to their peers and what needs to be done to implement their ideas.

The GSCTX Marketing Department has had the pleasure of working with a group of four girls to plan and create the promotional materials for the upcoming conference. Under our guidance, Annie L., Alison S., Clara S. and Belle T. have been able to take the lead on implementing many of the projects that are usually given to seasoned professionals. The girls are currently creating the event logo along with developing content for the website, social media, TV, radio and print materials.

Join us February 19, 2011 at the UT Alumni Center to celebrate the hard work of these girls and experience a day that can help any high school girl get ready to take on the next stage of her life.

Photo: GSCTX Graphic Designer Larisa Chavarria guides Annie L. on designing the logo.

KXAN Reporter Leslie Rhode shares 2010 State Gold Award experience

When I was asked to emcee the State Gold Awards, I jumped at the opportunity to do something with the Girl Scouts because I have good memories of my time as a Scout. As a mom of a daughter, it means a great deal to me to be involved in organizations that promote the strong growth, education and leadership of young women.

The event itself was an amazing experience. As I heard what the Gold Award recipients did to get their honors, I was inspired by their hard work. I actually thought - “What am I doing with MY time?!” It was a great reminder to take the time to look for opportunities to give back to your community and to not be afraid to do it. Half the battle is “getting started” sometimes! I looked at the faces of the honorees and knew these were the future leaders of our state.

I hope the girls will be able to walk away from this milestone more aware of the value of “every” person and what they can bring to the table when it comes to nurturing and strengthening our community.

In short, Girl Scouting grows strong women. Girl Scouts learn to be leaders, examples and better friends - all life changers.

To learn more about becoming a Girl Scout or earning your Gold Award, please visit http://www.gsctx.org/.

-Leslie Rhode

(Photo of Elks Gold Award Scholarship recipient Shalika Shetty being interviewed at State Gold Awards.)

Less is Sometimes More with this Girl Scout

If you have ever served as a volunteer or been a Girl Scout yourself, you know a Girl Scout is a girl with a strong mentality to make great things happen for both themselves and their communities. This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to meet one of these amazing girls. Ashley Agbasoga, 18, daughter of James and stepmom Olivia Agbasoga served on the Girl Planning Committee for the first Girls’ Respect Conference. Her story proved to me and the GSCTX staff the potential a Girl Scout can reach and the kind attitude they can acquire along the way.

Ashley became a Girl Scout in 7th grade through the advice of a close friend. From there, she experienced fun camp outs, making friends and developed a strong sense of self. She kept this mentality with her as she went through the next stages of her life. Coming from a school with very little resources, Ashley never let this factor into her goals in life. A school project with a UT grad student inspired her future career aspirations as a biomedical engineer. Ashley eventually caught the attention of Colombia University and they have accepted her as a student in the fall. Not one to forget her values, Ashley intends to use her degree to help those less fortunate in foreign countries by working with the ‘Engineers Without Borders’ program.

For the short time I spoke with Ashley, I was able to gather this girl had a great head on her shoulders. No matter what she maintains the mentality that “just because you have less, doesn’t mean you can’t do more.”

GSCTX is confident Ashley will continue to make her family, friends and us proud.

-Kristine Rheinboldt

This Is Me

Your opportunity to create, define and be yourself happens on June 12 at Texas State University. Register now and tell the world "this is me."

Girls' Respect Conference: Registration Special

World travel, social media, health, music, self-respect, college admissions, dating - that's what real high school girls are talking about.

Girl Scouts of Central Texas is proud to announce that on June 12, we're going to talk about all that and more with hundreds of the state's high school girls.

Planned by a committee of high school girls, the Girls' Respect Conference is especially for teenage girls in Texas. It is all about the things they care about, are interested in and need to talk about.

In hands-on workshops, girls will live out the conference's theme of "create, define, be yourself." Each girl will pick her workshops that day, giving her an experience that is as unique as she is. With dozens of options, the conference can be molded to the interests of any and every girl. Parents are also invited to attend and will have a special adult track. Please note, to give everyone the best and most tailored experience, girls and parents will not participate in workshops together.

This week, as an added bonus, the first 100 girls who register will receive a free conference t-shirt. Register now.

Connect with the Girls' Respect Conference

• Check out who else is coming by visiting the Facebook event.
• Follow updates about the conference on Twitter using the tag #GRC10
• Scope out Texas State University as part of your conference experience by staying in the university's dorms on Friday night. Sign up to stay overnight.

-Cheryl Black
GRC Staff Committee

Free t-shirts are limited to the first 100 girls to register during the week of April 19-24.

College Applications: Straight from the Mouth of a UT Student

The idea of college lingers in the minds of most young people, especially high school students. Your parents want you to attend a good college and your school counselors and teachers are constantly giving speech and speech on what forms to fill out and what scholarships to apply for (see Girl Scout scholarship opportunities). Many young people are desperate to break away from the clutter of information and still end up at the university of their choice. Here’s how to do just that.

Applying to college is a process and its one that should start from the time you walk through the doors of your high school freshman year. Helpful Hint #1: Start keeping a notebook or excel sheet documenting everything you have done starting the day you enter high school. I am talking about every extracurricular, volunteer activity, title you held while serving those groups and awards you won. Anything that makes you stand out from the rest is something you will want to write down. You need to maintain this list as you go because when it comes time to fill out the application your senior year, you do not want to be stuck trying to remember everything you did the past four years. Remember to include your Girl Scout Gold Award, CIT experiences, Program Aid experiences, etc!

Most of us dread the essay portion of the application. Having a college base your writing capabilities off two essays is nerve-racking. This is definitely something you should not wait to do at the last minute. Helpful Hint #2: As soon as the essays on the application are released, start drafting an outline. You might go through several outlines. It might even help to take these to a teacher so they can guide you through the process or at least help get you started. In my experiences, teachers have always been happy to help especially if you have made a previous effort to build a friendly relationship with them. You could even go to a former teacher if the one you have now is too busy.

Some students set their sights high when it comes to applying to the major of their choice. Being an admirable quality, it helps to evaluate your options before deciding on your desired major. Helpful Hint #3: If you want to apply to a competitive college like the UT McCombs Business School, make sure your application and grades are top-notch or take a different route. Apply to a less competitive college or choose undeclared for your first year. This will give you a chance to improve your grades and resume freshman year and give you a better chance at getting in the following year.

Lastly, the most important of them all is DEADLINES. Helpful Hint #4: Every college has a different set of deadlines and most of this information is listed on the college’s Web site. Write down all the deadlines for the universities you are applying to on a special calendar so you know when every form, transcript, etc. is due for that particular college. You also want to check when housing applications need to be in. You don’t want to spend your first year at college without a place to live! Review it at the start of each week so you ensure things get turned in on time!

And those are my tips straight from my experiences applying to UT. If you have any other questions, comments or concerns feel free to leave a comment!

-Kristine Rheinboldt, Communications Intern

Photo: Gold Award recipient and GSCTX Board Chair, Linda Pelton, at 2009 Statewide Gold Award Ceremony.

Kids & Cell Phones

A recent New York Times article reports that in 2005, 11.9% of children ages 6-11 had their own cell phone. By 2009 that jumped to 20%. When you narrow the age range to 10 and 11 year olds, more than a third of children have a cell phone.

With 21.8% of girls 6-11 owning cell phones, they hold a small majority lead over the only 18.3% of boys with cell phones. However that gender gap is significantly smaller, almost 50% smaller, than it was in 2005.

Read the full article here.

This got us thinking: what are the trends in Central Texas?

Does your child have a cell phone? How does having or not having a cell phone affect your child and family on a daily basis? What age is appropriate to give a child a cell phone at? What are the determining factors for your family? Children with drivers licenses? Entering high school? Lack of landline home phone? What other considerations, rules or results have you found from your decision?

We're curious. Tell us what you think.

-Cheryl Black

Girls Conflicted About Body Image, Role of Fashion Industry

New research from the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) supports what many parents, educators and youth advocates have believed for years:

The increased scrutiny of the fashion industry and its use of ultrathin models isn’t without validation, as nearly 9 in 10 American teenage girls say that the fashion industry is at least partially responsible for "girls' obsession with being skinny," according to a national survey released today by the Girl Scouts of the USA.

The research also indicates that girls would prefer to see more natural beauty in the media. In fact, 81% of girls would rather see natural photos of models as opposed to the adjusted and airbrushed versions and 75% say they are more likely to purchase clothes shown on real-size models as opposed to stick thin models.

Yet despite these findings, it's clear that girls have a love-hate relationship with fashion and body image. Contradicting the aforementioned findings, 48% of girls wish they were as thin as the models in fashion magazines and 41% prefer to see the latest fashions modeled on thin women than fuller-figured women.

Other findings from GSRI's research include

• 47% say fashion magazines give them a body image to strive for yet,
• 65% say the body image represented by the fashion industry is too skinny and 28% say the fashion industry body image looks sick.
• 31% of girls admit to starving themselves or refusing to eat as a weight loss strategy and
• 20% of girls consider plastic surgery and/or weight-loss surgery acceptable.
• However 79% of Hispanic girls, 76% of African-American girls and 72% of Caucasian report being satisfied with their bodies.

The tangled web of girl body image can be seen in nearly every one of these findings.

Body image, the fashion industry's role and these survey results, will be addressed at New York City's Fashion Week by Girl Scouts of the USA. The conversation can be viewed live via online streaming video at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/beauty-redefined on Wednesday, February 10, 5 p.m. CST.

What's Happening Locally

Girl Scouts of Central Texas (GSCTX) recognizes that adolescence is an especially challenging time for girls and their self-esteem. With programs, volunteer trainings and merchandise, GSCTX continually strives to help girls develop into confident young women. Through its "grow strong" initiative, Girl Scouts of Central Texas hopes to help girls untangle their body image and develop a strong, healthy sense of self. Programs such as the Girls' Respect Conference encourage open, healthy conversations about relevant issues like body image and self-esteem, and ultimately assist in the development of confident young women.

Additionally, GSCTX offers merchandise through the shops that girls can feel confident and stylish in no matter what their size or shape. With 75% of girls citing fashion as very important; stylish, affordable and age-appopriate merchandise is essential to meeting the needs and interests of all girls.

For More Information

• For more survey results visit http://girlscouts.org/news/news_releases/2010/nationwide_study_feelings_about_fashion.asp  
• For more about Girl Scout programs visit http://www.gsctx.org/?nd=gsctx_calendar_list 
• For more about Girl Scout merchandise visit http://www.gsctx.org/?nd=shop
• To contact GSCTX visit http://www.gsctx.org/?nd=contact_us

-Cheryl Black

There's a photo of WHAT on your phone!?

Have you tried to buy a phone without a camera recently? It's not easy. Some cell phones are used as much for their photo taking capabilities as their talking capabilities. Great photos have come from cell phones - license plate numbers from hit-and-runs, smiley cute puppies and more. And not so great photos have come from cell phones too and a lot of those fall into the category of sexting.

In a nutshell, sexting is the practice of sending sexually suggestive or inappropriate photos between cell phones via SMS. And wowzas, is it done more than you or I would ever care to know. In fact a recent poll by AP-MTV found that more than 25% of young people are in on sexting and girls do it more than boys. I'll say it again - WOWZAS!

It's not just adults who are blown away by these stats; girls are too. As we've been planning the 2010 Girls' Respect Conference, our girl committee has spoken up about all this. They've told us it's a real problem and they want GSCTX to speak up about it at the conference.

But why wait to speak up? The conference is in June but girls are sexting now. In no particular order, here's five reasons why sexting is a terrible, terrible idea.

1. It spreads like wildfire. Cell phones are connected to each other and now more than ever, the Internet. One little picture to your sweetie could go everywhere with a mistaken forward or after a nasty break up or even via a hacker. Pop sensation Miley Cyrus had the hacker-experience after sending photos to her then boyfriend. And once those pictures are out there, not even Miley Cyrus can get rid of them.
   
2. It's actually illegal. If the subject is under 18, it's child pornography. There are teens who found this out the hard way and will suffer for years.
3. It'll come back to haunt you. Remember how on point #1 we said you can't ever get it back? Now imagine that photo finding its way to a college admissions office or your dream job's HR department. One word: disastrous.
4. It might not be so cool. 40% of girls who have done it say it was a joke but nearly 30% of boys thought it meant a girl "expected to date or hook up." (Read the full article from Cosmo Girl and the National Center to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.) What about unintended recipients? People check each other's phones all the time. Will the recipient's mom think it's that cool?
5. You are worth more than that. You are an intelligent young woman with a lot more to offer the world than your good looks. Don't sell yourself short. You work hard to be respected, listened to and heard; an immature act like this undermines everything you've worked for.

 Take this list and go forth! Let's crush the sexting trend one person at a time!

-Cheryl Black

PS Need more info? Read the Newsweek blog entry from 12/8/09.

Teenagers Ready to Do the Right Things—With Our Help

Are young people today more moral and ethical than they were a generation ago?

If you’re prone to watching television shows like “Gossip Girl,” your answer is likely to be no. The truth, however, is that the popular media’s depiction of young people as morally adrift, materialistic and disaffected is wrong. The great untold story about young people today in Central Texas and across the country is that they are much more apt to make responsible choices and refrain from risky behavior than in the recent past.

Research is increasingly bearing this out. There has been a substantial drop, for example, in teenage crime over the past decade. The dropout rate has also decreased and college attendance among young people reached an all-time high in 2008. And recently, the Girl Scout Research Institute published a nationwide survey of young people in middle and high school. The study, almost identical to one done in 1989, paints a fascinating picture of the beliefs and ethical values of young people and how they have changed in just two decades.

It turns out that nearly two out of three young people say they would not cheat on a test compared to about half in 1989. Fifty-eight percent say they would refuse an alcoholic drink if offered one at a party. That’s compared to fewer than half (46 percent) in 1989. And only 18 percent say they believe that smoking is alright if a person finds it enjoyable. In 1989, more than a quarter of those surveyed thought smoking was acceptable.

And our young people value diversity and civic involvement in a big way. Nearly six in 10 say that being around people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds is important to them. This appears to be particularly important to girls (63 percent versus 55 percent of boys). And some 79 percent say they are ready, willing and able to volunteer in their communities, and 71 percent of them say their religious beliefs are important to them.

This is not to say that all is perfect. Although many young people have good intentions about making responsible choices, they need help connecting these desires to action and decision making. That’s where we as adults come in. We should be doing all we can to value their voices and create venues for them to get involved. Our young people are as comfortable—if not more so—speaking their minds as previous generations, so let’s give them ample opportunity to do so by engaging them on issues that matter to them and getting them to take action by serving in our community.

This is not an issue solely for our schools; this involves all of us as a community. We at Girl Scouts of of Central Texas offer many opportunities for girls to come together, develop skills and take the lead in projects that serve our community.

The Forever Green project we are piloting allows girls to take lead on environmental projects and initiate a sustainable change in our communities. The girl advocacy network helps girls learn how to impact laws at the local, state and national level. And last but not least, the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards provide project road maps for girls to make the world a better place through a cause of their choice.

We’re certainly not alone in offering young people opportunities to express themselves and build leadership skills, but all of us must redouble our efforts. That's why we want to hear it from you: How do you empower girls to make the world a better place? How do you offer guidance? What activities have been the most successful? What tips can you offer other adults committed to helping girls grow?

If we as a community help our young people, they can fully develop the moral and ethical values that will serve them—and all of us—well for generations to come.

-Etta Moore

Girl Scout Grows To Be Homecoming Queen

Q. How did you first get involved in Girl Scouts and what kept you involved through high school?

A. My first encounter with Girl Scouts was when I was at four months old and my sister was a Girl Scout Daisy. When I got older, I wanted to get to do the things she was doing, so I became a Daisy. I have stayed in Girl Scouting because of the wonderful people and the unique opportunities. My Dad is in the Air Force and Girl Scouts has been great way to get active in new communities. Also enjoyable for me are the opportunities I have to work with younger girls.

Girl Scouts is a beneficial program and the best way to recommend it to others is to set an example like my sister did for me. My two younger sisters are following in mine and my older sister’s footsteps and I hope there are other girls I have influenced in such a way. After receiving the honor of Homecoming Queen at my high school, a mother came up to me with her 7 year old daughter and told her daughter that I was a Girl Scout too.

Q. What is your proudest Girl Scout accomplishment?

A. My proudest accomplishment as a Girl Scout was earning my Gold Award. Thanks to my incredible leader, Sharon, our troop was able to focus, work around our crazy schedules and keep the troop together and strong. We worked extraordinarily hard to finish our goal of the Gold Award and Sharon was there the entire way guiding and supporting us.

Q. How has Girl Scouts influenced or changed your life?

A. It has helped me accomplish goals and to be a better role-model for the people around me. It has also helped me improve my communication skills, organizational skills, and of course outdoor and campfire skills! I am an expert S’more maker!

Q. What advice can you offer girls who are considering leaving the Girl Scout program?

A. Girl Scouts can really help you in the future. You have so many opportunities to positively impact your community that it is worth sticking with it. In addition to the many traits Girl Scouting builds, there are many opportunities down the road such as scholarships.

Q. If you could tell the whole world one thing about Girl Scouts, what would it be?

A. Although tasty, there is so much more to Girl Scouting than cookies! It is so neat how Girl Scouting incorporates character building through fun activities like skiing, horseback riding, rock climbing and more. There have been opportunities for me to make a positive impact on the world by working at soup kitchens and through clean up and restoration projects all over the country. I have served as a Girl Scout Council delegate during the national restructuring of Girl Scouts. All these experiences have made me a better person.

Q. What are your plans for the future?

A. I plan to attend at least four years of college. Currently I am undecided, but I have considered becoming a physician or a marine biologist. I also plan on keeping Girl Scouts as a part of my life so I can continue to have a positive influence on younger children. Like my older sister, I plan on becoming a Lifetime member of Girl Scouts when I graduate from high school. Just as all my amazing Girl Scout leaders, Linda, Dorthey, Barbara and Sharon have done, I hope to someday serve as a troop leader.

-Mary, Girl Scout Ambassador

Mary was recently crowned Homecoming Queen at Wall High School. She is an active athlete at her high school and participated in the 2009 Girl Scout Race on the River in San Angelo. 

Teen Safety Behind the Wheel

When I see a teen driver cutting someone off or making another poor driving decision, I often mumble to myself about how bad high school drivers are. And though that’s my personal observation and opinion, the research and stats out there agree with me to a degree.

A recent article from US News & World Report tells us that car crashes are the leading cause of death among teens. If we told teens that eating vegetable X was the leading cause of death, they would probably avoid it like the plague. Driving, however, doesn’t elicit that same response. Despite the frequency of crashes, teens are still chomping at the bit for the car keys.

So how can we as caring, responsible adults help teens be smarter, safer drivers? Start by considering these points.

• Only 10% of teens who share the family car have had an accident in the past year, compared to 25% of teens who have their “own” car. (US News & World Report)
• Children of parents who have authoritative or authoritarian parenting styles were 50% less likely to have had a crash in the past year, compared with parents whose style is permissive or uninvolved (US News & World Report).
• 37% of Texas teens say texting or instant messaging while driving is “very distracting” (Texas Department of Transportation) but that doesn’t stop 42% of urban teens from doing it (Waco Tribune).
• However that percentage should drop since a new Texas law prohibits drivers younger than 18 from using a cell phone for talking or texting while driving (Dallas Morning News).
• Teenage drivers and passengers are among those least likely to wear their seat belts (Texas Department of Transportation).
• But hopefully that will change too now that a new Texas law requires all passengers to wear a seat belt (Austin American Statesman).

To encourage smarter driving practices, GSCTX offers programs like Road Trippin’ and MADD About You for girls in grades 6 and above.

For more on helping teens be safe drivers, see the tips on the Keeping Young Drivers Safe Web site or visit the Texas Department of Transportation’s Teens in the Driver Seat Web site.

-Cheryl Lowe