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The State of GirlsUnfinished BusinessGirl Scout Research InstituteSeptember 11, 2013
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Agenda
• Major findings• Program and policy implications• Ideas for council activation • Release plans
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The State of Girls Report – What Is It?
• It is critical for Girl Scouts to have up-to-date, accurate data about the state of girls’ physical, social, and psychological well-being.
• This is the first report to stake out key issues and major trends focused exclusively on girls’ healthy development in the U.S. today.– Includes data from secondary national government
sources on demographic and economic trends, health, safety, education, extracurricular involvement, and leadership.
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Summary of Findings
There is promising news for girls.• educational attainment• extracurricular, volunteer, and pro-social
activities • reduction of risk behaviors• connection to the digital world
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Summary of Findings
Not all girls are faring the same.• They struggle in their everyday lives at school,
at home, and in other social environments with issues such as relational aggression, bullying, depression, and even suicidal ideation.
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Summary of Findings
Many girls are being left behind.• Black/African American and Hispanic/Latina girls face
significant challenges in making successful transitions to adulthood.
• Poverty and a lack of resources prevent the following:– access to good healthcare– nutrition and general wellness– the opportunity to prioritize education – the chance to explore constructive extracurricular activities
The demographic distribution of girls in the U.S. is changing rapidly.
Setting the Stage – Millennial America
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Setting the Stage – Millennial America
By 2020, nearly half of all girls ages 5 to 17 will be racial/ethnic minorities.• Hispanic/Latina girls currently make up more
than 20% of girls ages 5 to 17. • By 2020 they are projected to make up 27% of
girls in that age group.• Nearly ¼ of girls live in immigrant families in
which one or both parents were born outside of the U.S.
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Economic Well-being
Poverty is a critical issue for girls in this country.• 1 in 5 girls lives below the poverty line, and
42% of girls live in low-income families.• In 2010, poverty rates ranged from 12%
among white girls to 37% among black/African American girls.
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Economic Well-being
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Physical Health
Hispanic/Latina girls are significantly less likely to have health insurance than their peers. –17% of Hispanic/Latina girls were without
health coverage in 2010, compared with 11% of black/African American girls and 7 percent of white girls.
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Physical HealthChildhood obesity rates have risen sharply in recent years.
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Emotional Health
• Girls’ self-reported rates of depression are higher than rates reported by girls’ parents.
• Suicide among girls is relatively rare, but about 18% of all high school girls report that they have seriously considered attempting suicide in the last year.
• Although many girls report that they have friends and adults that they can trust and turn to at school, about 30% of girls reported some sort of bullying or aggression from their peers.
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Emotional Health
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Teenage PregnancyWhile the teen birth rate has declined over the past years and has reached its lowest recorded levels, a higher share of black/African American and Hispanic/Latina girls become teen mothers, compared with white girls.
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Risk Behaviors
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Education
• Girls are more likely than boys to graduate from high school, and women now outnumber men on college campuses.
• Asian American girls have better outcomes on education measures, followed by white girls, multiracial girls, black/African American girls, and Hispanic/Latina girls.
• Many girls are graduating from high school and going to college, but Hispanic/Latina girls are at risk for early school drop-out.
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Education
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Out-of-School TimeMany girls are engaged in sports and extracurricular activities.
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Out-of-School Time
• White girls are slightly more engaged in extracurricular activities than black/African American and Hispanic/Latina girls. – Participation in school athletics is highest among
whites (59%), followed by blacks/African Americans (52%) and Hispanics/Latinas (48%).
• The majority of teen girls volunteer.– About ¾ of teen girls volunteer at least once a
year, and volunteerism increases as girls get older.
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Access to Technology
Most girls in this country are connected digitally. • More than ¾ of girls ages 12 to 17 have a
computer or laptop in their home, have a cell phone, and play video games.
• Despite increased use of electronic media, girls still value spending time with their friends. – Nearly 60% of all girls spend time doing social
activities in person with their friends at least several times a week.
Access to TechnologyNot all girls have equal access to technology use.
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LeadershipLeadership is not a top goal for girls.
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Leadership
• Girls value a social and collaborative approach to leadership as opposed to the traditional top-down, command-and-control style.
• Girls’ leadership experiences are limited to responsibilities and opportunities that exist in their family and social circles (e.g., babysitting, taking care of a pet, or helping a friend)
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Call to Action - Girl Scouts
Data are not destiny.• Girl Scouts is committed to ensuring that all
girls develop to their full potential.– GSLE sets forth a bold and aspirational model of
leadership that encourages girls to discover, connect, and take action.
• No single organization can do it alone.
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Call to Action - GS and External Audience
• Collaborate with Girl Scouts to raise awareness, educate the public, and fund opportunities that can help remedy some of the most pressing challenges girls and communities face today.
• Improve the lives of girls and youth by sharing and promoting the findings at the local, state, and federal levels.
• Work with policymakers to address the issues that are most critical to the healthy development of girls and youth.
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What Girl Scouting Does
• Girl Scouting can address several areas relevant to girls’ well-being.– Out-of-School Time– Leadership– Education/Academic Success – STEM – Outdoor Activities– Emotional Health – Financial Literacy – Physical Health
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Opportunities at the Local Level• Use the report to raise awareness and educate your community leaders
and policymakers.– Hold community conversations/roundtable discussions.• Partner with other organizations in your community that are also
focused on these issues.• Engage potential funders (foundations/corporations).• Invite local media to cover events and ask media figures to
moderate panel discussions.• Have girls participate in the discussions.• Invite members of the local school boards and school district
leadership teams.• Use this as an opportunity to promote Girl Scout programming that
addresses many of these issues.• GSLE, STEM, BFF, GSBB/ GSDC
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State House Activities• Look for opportunities to share findings of the report with state public
officials.– Governor, state agency heads, state legislators
• Many of these issues are priorities in the GS Legislative Agenda.– Leadership, STEM, healthy living, financial literacy
• Distribute the Executive Summary or a link to the report during your Girl Scout Day at the State Capitol.
• Look for opportunities to have Girl Scouts testify before key committees. • Hold a briefing hosted by the “Honorary Troop at the State House” on one
of the issues in the report.• Host a panel discussion with subject matter experts and make sure to
include the girl voice.
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Benefits to Councils
• Opportunity to develop new partners in the community
• Girl Scouts will be seen as a resource/thought leader on girl issues
• Chance to share expertise on girl policy issues• Will create media opportunities for your council• Will promote your council’s programming• Will cultivate new funders
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Council Examples
• Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast Tracy Wayson, Chief Development and Brand Officer
• Girl Scouts Heart of Central California Julie O’Donnell, Director of Marketing and
Communications• Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
Shana Davis, Director of Marketing and Communications
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GSUSA Release Plans
September-October 2013• Power point presentation• Executive summary (digital, printed)• Findings brief • Fact sheet – “What Girl Scouting Does to
Address the State of Girls”• Community engagement tools (boilerplate press
release, message matrix, community conversation template)
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GSUSA Release Plans
December 2013• National media coverage• Full report (digital, printed)• Infographic• Fact sheets (Black/African American girls,
Hispanic/Latina girls)Link to Pearl Community:https://pearl.girlscouts.org/communities/2013/709a1eaa-51e5-4778-9ab9-e09f0588ea8b/default.aspx
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Next Steps
• State-level project 2014-2015– Fact sheets for all states
• Localizing data– Examples of state-level resources from full report– Poverty, health insurance coverage, employment,
earnings, nativity status: http://factfinder2census.gov
• Council best practices – Spring 2014
