Girl Scouts of North East Ohio
www.gsneo.org
Girl Scouts wants girls to have the courage, confidence and character to choose their path in life whether their goal is to become a CEO or a stay-at-home mom. The largest, most active female voluntary service organization in the region is Girl Scouts of North East Ohio, which serves 35,000 girls in 18 counties with the help of 14,000 adult members and volunteers.
Led by CEO Jane Christyson, GSNEO works hard to provide a safe, inclusive environment where girls can partner with positive role models in a range of activities not limited by gender stereotypes. The goal is that every girl has the opportunity to explore her world and discover her passions.
Programs and badges focus on areas such as environmental awareness; science, technology, engineering and math; community engagement; healthy living; financial literacy; the arts; and outdoor experiences. Knowledge in these areas helps girls to see the world around them more clearly and empowers them to create solutions to problems in their community.
Girl Scouts focuses on the leadership skills of girls because women continue to be at a disadvantage in our society. Although more women are enrolling in college, they continue to earn less than their male counterparts. Men also continue to hold higher positions in fields like math and science while women are subconsciously pushed towards humanitarian roles.
A recent alumnae survey found that women who were a Girl Scout for three or more years had more self-confidence, were more engaged in community service and were more likely to obtain higher education than their non-Girl Scout counterparts.
