Today’s young girls face a far more complex and challenging world. Girl Scouts has evolved to help girls meet the challenge on issues ranging from teen suicide to drugs, eating disorders to physical abuse. Girl Scouts guide girls at a turning point in their lives with programs that promote physical activity, health and fitness, civic responsibility and community involvement.

Stop for a moment and consider these facts…

1. Nearly one quarter of female teens (23%) have fewer than three adults they could go to if they needed help.

2. Seventy-four percent of girls ages 8-12 aspire to achieve a college degree and move on to graduate school, but only 19% believe they will be the boss of their own company.

3. Thirty percent of girls who have gone into public chat rooms have been sexually harassed online, but only 7 percent of those girls say they told their mother or father about the incident immediately.

4. Among ninth graders, girls (23%) now consume alcohol and binge drink at rates similar to boys (26%).

5. Girls 13–18 years old think that by far they are the “savviest” computer user in their household (58% of girls), but only 20% of high school students taking advanced placement computer science exams are female.

6. Nearly 1 out of every 2 high school boys plays sports while only 1 in 3 girls do.

7. In 1970, only one out of every 21 girls was obese or overweight; today that figure is one in six.

8. One-third (34%) of girls 13-17 are concerned about being forced to do something sexual and more than one quarter (26%) of girls cope with feeling unsafe by using alcohol and drugs.

Girl Scouts Offers Solutions and Support for Girls

Girl Scouts’ cutting-edge program initiatives give girls the skills they need to avoid unhealthy behaviors and make responsible decisions that will help them overcome challenges throughout their lives. In fact, 64% of today’s women leaders in the United States (civic, corporate, political, etc.) were Girl Scouts and 82% of high-achieving alumnae believe Girl Scouts influenced their success. In study after study, it’s clear that girls involved in Girl Scouts are more likely to lead healthy successful lives as they develop:

Self competence
Social skills
Respect for others
Feelings of belonging
Strong values
Concern for community
Teamwork
Leadership