About Girl Scouts

Our mission is to build Girl Scouts of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. At Girl Scouts, they will unleash their inner G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)! How? Through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience – a collection of engaging, challenging, and fun activities like earning badges, going on awesome trips, selling cookies, exploring science, getting outdoors, and doing community service projects.

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The Benefits of Participation

Strong Sense of Self
Girl Scouts have confidence in themselves and their abilities and form positive identities.

Positive Values
Girl Scouts act ethically, honestly, and responsibly, and show concern for others.

Challenge Seeking
Girl Scouts take appropriate risks, try things even if they might fail, and learn from mistakes.

Healthy Relationships
Girl Scouts develop and maintain healthy relationships by communicating their feelings directly and resolving conflicts.

Community Problem Solving
Girl Scouts desire to contribute to the world in purposeful and meaningful ways, learn how to identify problems in the community, and create action plans to solve them.

Learn More About Our Program

Mythbusters

Think you already know what Girl Scouts is all about? Don’t fall for these common myths about Girl Scouts!

Myth: There are a lot of organizations like Girl Scouts.

Fact:

Girl Scouts is the premier leadership development organization for girls. At Girl Scouts, everything we do is designed with, by, and for girls. Our all-girl, girl-led space allows girls to safely thrive in an environment designed just for them! The environment offered by Girl Scouts creates an inclusive, safe space in which girls are free to explore their potential and take the lead without the distractions or pressures that can be found in a co-ed environment.

Learn more about our program.

Myth: Girl Scouts don’t go camping or do much in the outdoors.

Fact:

Girl Scouts go camping, build outdoor skills, and participate in high-adventure activities.

Girl Scouts start camping in kindergarten, helping them develop a life-long love of the outdoors!
Girl Scouts learn archery, paddle-boarding, backpacking, rock climbing, kayaking, zip lining, horse-back riding, and so much more!
Girl Scouts frequently go on long outdoor trips with their troops. Our summer camps also offer multi-day backpacking and other types of trips and excursions.
Not only do Girl Scouts go on outdoor adventures, they raise the money and plan the trip, leading the experience and ensuring they oversee their own adventure.
Girl Scouts earn badges in outdoor skills, adventure, and more!

Learn more about camp & outdoors at Girl Scouts.

Myth: Girl Scouts don’t build rockets or do other activities involving science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Fact:

Girl Scouts have TONS of STEM workshops, projects, badges, and more!

Girl Scouts earn badges in engineering, robotics, environmental science, space science, and more!
Girl Scouts build and program their own robots in all-Girl Scout teams in our LEGO robotics leagues!
Our STEM content helps Girl Scouts develop a lifelong interest in how things work and teaches them how to think like scientists, programmers, and engineers.
We host a variety of events and workshops that encourage creative growth and innovative thinking. Girl Scouts build circuits, work on 3-D printers, learn to code, and more!

Learn more about STEM programming at Girl Scouts.

Myth: Girl Scouts mostly just sell cookies.

Fact:

The Cookie Program funds the activities and trips Girl Scouts choose, plan, and budget for!

As the world’s largest girl-run business, the Cookie Program gives girls an opportunity to develop expertise and confidence in goal-setting, decision-making, money management, people skills, business ethics, and more.
Girl Scouts do AMAZING things with their cookie money. From adventures to service projects, the Cookie Program gives them the freedom to make their dreams a reality. Imagine planning and budgeting for a trip abroad when you’re in middle school! Girl Scouts accomplish astonishing things every year and they reap the benefits of their hard work.

Learn more about the Girl Scout cookie sale.

Myth: There is no high-rank award for Girl Scouts.

Fact:

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest Girl Scouts can earn and requires the completion of a rigorous project. The standards for completing and earning the Gold Award go above and beyond those of many other youth-serving organizations that offer awards for service projects.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable—proof that not only can she make a difference, but that she already has.
Seniors and Ambassadors who earn the Gold Award tackle issues that are dear to them and drive lasting change in their communities and beyond.
Think of the Gold Award as a key that can open doors to scholarships, preferred admission tracks for college, and amazing career opportunities.

Learn more about the Gold Award.

Myth: It’s hard for families (especially dads) to get involved with Girl Scouts.

Fact:

Whether you want to lead a troop, or just help occasionally, it’s easy and fun to get involved with Girl Scouts!

Lots of dads volunteer in different ways, supporting as co-leaders of troops, Cookie Sale coordinators, camp volunteers, and more!
Parents who are also troop leaders have a great opportunity to bond with their daughters as they move through the Girl Scout program.
Volunteering doesn’t have to be overwhelming! There are roles big and small for parents and guardians who want to get involved.

Learn more about being a Girl Scout volunteer.

Myth: Troops are all the same.

Fact:

Every troop is unique because Girl Scouts choose and help plan the activities they engage in!

What a troop does varies depending on the interests of the Girl Scouts in that troop.
There are a variety of events, badges, and other programs to choose from, and it is impossible to run out of new things to do!
Whether your future Girl Scout is interested in art, sports, STEM, the outdoors, entrepreneurship, or something else entirely, we guarantee there’s a way for them to develop their passions, build skills, and have fun while doing it!
When you register, be sure to talk with your staff representative about your future Girl Scout and what their interests are. That will help us find a troop that is a good fit!

Check out the activities we have available in western Washington.

Questions or concerns?

We'd love to hear from you! Call 1(800) 541-9852 or email customercare@girlscoutsww.org.

Our customer care team hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM.

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