Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Racial Justice

The Girl Scout legacy of inclusiveness

Inclusiveness has been a core value of Girl Scouts since its founding in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low. This value is fundamental to the Girl Scouts mission, promise, and law. Throughout our history, Girl Scouts:

actively supported the suffrage movement
was one of the first organizations to take a stand against segregation
has advocated for religious acceptance
stood in solidarity with transgender girls

To learn more about Girl Scouts’ continuous journey toward equity and racial justice, click HERE.

The commitment to expanding and redefining how we serve girls, while remaining true to the essence of our founder’s vision, is how we remain relevant and able to make the world a better place. Girl Scouts has over a century of experience as change makers, and we have a tremendous amount of work yet to do. We recognize the evolutionary nature of this work as we move at the speed of the girl. We celebrate past accomplishments while also acknowledging and learning from our shortcomings. We remain confident that Girl Scouts can be an instrument of change, promoting equitable outcomes for all.

Calling all Girl Scouts!

In June 2020, GSWCF launched the DEI-RJ group to lead our council to new areas of introspection and ultimately achievement in the advancement of anti-racism and justice. We are undaunted by the breadth and complexity of this work. The collective courage, confidence, and character of our membership is exactly what is needed to overcome barriers to racial, economic, and social justice.

Here are the ways in which we are actively working to foster Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Racial Justice at GSWCF and some ways you can join in to suport our efforts:

Educate Girls, Volunteers & Staff

Here are some ways for girls, families volunteers, and staff to learn more and become an active ally:

Complete a patch program dedicated to inclusion. Examples include: Multicultural, Black History Month, World Thinking Day, Hispanic Heritage Month. Click here to see our patch programs.
Take our adult trainings which are designed to include diversity and inclusion strategies.
Participate in council-wide events. This allows girls to meet their sister Girl Scouts who participate in different troops and service units across our council.

Diversify Leadership & Membership

GSWCF is committed to increasing racial/ethnic diversity among our leadership and membership. Join our efforts by:

Becoming a Girl Scout. All girls and adults are welcome. By registering, you become a member of an organization where belonging is defined as committing to the Girl Scout promise and law and you are respected for the multi-faceted individual that you are. Click here to register today!
Volunteering. Having a supportive adult provides girls with life-changing mentorship. Click here to see the many ways you can volunteer.
Making a donation. Your contribution supports the council in offering access to Girl Scouts membership, program opportunities, camp experiences and so much more for thousands of girls, no matter their race, ethnic, or socioeconomic background. Click here to give today!
Applying for a GSWCF staff position. A career at GSWCF is employment with purpose. Girl Scout staff members apply their skills to the movement while also having the opportunity for professional development and career growth. Click here for current openings.

Assess Norms, Practices and Traditions

GSWCF is assessing and addressing systems, practices, traditions and unspoken norms that could create barriers for inclusion. Share your perspectives on how we can best live the commitment to DEI-RJ in everything we do. We would love to hear from you. Email us at: future@gswcf.org

Partner for Equity

GSWCF partners with organizations and companies committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and racial justice. Some of our proud partners include: Juvenile Welfare Board and the Children’s Board.

For more information about our partnerships or to become a partner, please contact our corporate and community partnerships team: cmoll@gswcf.org

Serving a movement that builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place, is as important and relevant as ever. As Juliette Gordon Low aptly stated, "The work of today is the history of tomorrow, and we are its makers". Let's make history that is deserving of our movement and the girls we serve.

We welcome your feedback and questions. Please contact us at: info@gswcf.org