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Anna Maria Chávez, CEO, Girl Scouts of the USA

Washington — The U.S. Girl Scout movement is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, with plans to make greater use of technology to reach more girls and teach them leadership skills.

“Our mission is to build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place,” said Anna Maria Chávez, the chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of the USA, which has some 2.3 million girl members.

To do so in today’s world of the Internet, smartphones and Facebook, Girls Scouts is building a stronger online presence. “There’s no question that girls are already in the digital space, and providing them a way to engage their sister Girl Scouts virtually is the logical next step,” Chávez said.

Recently the Girls Scouts launched a pilot program called the “Virtual Pathway,” which allows girls to participate in online Girl Scout communities no matter where they live.

“We have councils piloting some quite creative and fun things, like virtual book clubs and even a mobile device scavenger hunt,” Chávez said. Virtual Pathway also allows American Girl Scouts to connect with sister organizations in some 145 nations, she said.

But Girl Scouts isn’t just striving to reach girls via cutting-edge technology; it is also encouraging girls to pursue technological innovation themselves.

“It’s a big focus for us,” Chávez said. “We just released a study on girls and the so-called STEM fields: science, technology, engineering and math.

 

“The great news is that girls say they’re very interested in the STEM fields. Some 74 percent of teen girls said they were interested in STEM subjects and the general field of study.

“And yet, few girls consider those fields their Number 1 career option: Only 13 percent said it's their first choice,” Chávez said. “There’s a disconnect between interest and actually pursuing careers in STEM. So we engage girls in hands-on science and technology projects.” These projects, she said, include robotics teams and proficiency badges focused on topics having to do with digital arts, science and technology, and innovation.

Today’s Girl Scouts have come a long way from the fledgling organization founded on March 12, 1912, by Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, Georgia. Low sought to bring girls of all backgrounds together — including girls with disabilities — to enjoy the outdoors and develop self-reliance and resourcefulness. 

Over the years, Girl Scouts has nurtured the leadership skills of some 50 million American girls, some of whom grew to be women of prominence, such as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; magazine publisher, television personality and businesswoman Martha Stewart; and Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

In March 2012, Girls Scouts of the USA launched a $1 billion fundraising campaign as part of an initiative called ToGetHerThere.

“The goal of ToGetHerThere is to bring about gender-balanced leadership across all sectors in a single generation by supporting girls and their leadership development,” Chávez said. “This is a very ambitious goal, but it’s time for the nation to focus on girls and the great hope for the future they represent.”

“We currently serve 8 percent of all girls, and think of the incredible leadership pipeline we would have in this country if we could reach an even greater number of girls. We’re determined to bring all the benefits of Girl Scouting to as many girls as possible in the years ahead,” Chávez said.