Girl Scouts Of Southeast Florida Inc

GIRL SCOUTING BUILDS GIRLS OF COURAGE, CONFIDENCE AND CHARACTER, WHO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.

GSSEF SERVED 6,477 GIRLS IN GRADES K-12 AND 3,647 ADULT MEMBERS IN BROWARD, INDIAN RIVER, MARTIN, OKEECHOBEE, PALM BEACH AND ST LUCIE COUNTIES. WE ARE A GIRL-LED ORGANIZATION THAT BELIEVES IN HANDS-ON LEARNING TO DEVELOP EMPOWERED GO-GETTERS, INNOVATORS, RISK-TAKERS, LEADERS. OUR MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES & PROGRAMS THAT BENEFIT THEM BY FOSTERING A STRONG SENSE OF SELF, POSITIVE VALUES, CHALLENGE-SEEKING, HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNITY PROBLEM-SOLVING. THESE ACTIVITIES & PROGRAMS ARE SUPPORTED BY OUR FOUR PROGRAM PILLARS: STEM, OUTDOORS, LIFE SKILLS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (GOAL SETTING, FINANCIAL LITERACY, BUSINESS ETHICS) WHICH INCLUDES THE PRODUCT SALES PROGRAM. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) WHEN A GIRL PARTICIPATES IN OUR PRODUCT SALE PROGRAM (COOKIES, NUTS, CANDY AND MAGAZINES), SHE'S PART OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAM FOR GIRLS, RUN BY GIRLS. SHE'S BUILDING A LIFETIME OF SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE. SHE LEARNS GOAL SETTING, DECISION MAKING, MONEY MANAGEMENT, PEOPLE SKILLS AND BUSINESS ETHICS. SHE DISCOVERS THAT SELLING COOKIES IS MORE THAN JUST A BUSINESS - THAT SHE CAN DO WHATEVER SHE PUTS HER MIND TO, THAT HER DECISIONS MATTER, AND THAT SHE CAN MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. OUR GIRLS CHANGE THE LIVES OF THOSE IN THEIR COMMUNITY THROUGH SERVICE PROJECTS AND OUTREACH, WHEN THEY PUT THE ALMOST $1,202,085 THEY EARNED IN PROCEEDS TO WORK.

THE GIRL SCOUTS OUTDOOR PROGRAM AT CAMP IS A PLACE TO EMBRACE NATURE, TEACH CRITICAL THINKING, INTRODUCE THE TOPICS OF EARTH SCIENCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AS WELL AS AND CREATE FUTURE LEADERS. GSSEF OFFERS CAMP PROGRAMS YEAR-ROUND THAT PROMOTE THESE ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS IN THE OUTDOOR SETTINGS AT OUR TWO 640-ACRE CAMP PROPERTIES LOCATED IN JUPITER AND CLEWISTON. OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP ARE CORE VALUES TO THE GIRL SCOUT LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE FOR GIRLS. WE WATCH AS GIRLS WHO EXPERIENCE CAMP AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS ECLIPSE THEIR PEERS (WHO SPEND LITTLE/NO TIME OUTDOORS) IN ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP ACTIVISM, MORE READILY SEEK CHALLENGES, AND ARE BETTER PROBLEM SOLVERS - ALL CRITICAL TRAITS IN LEADERSHIP. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)ADDITIONALLY, GSSEF ADDED OUTDOOR PROGRAM ELEMENTS THAT HELP GIRLS UNDERSTAND HOW DISTRACTION-FREE TIME OUTSIDE CAN IMPROVE HOW THEY FEEL PHYSICALLY AND OFFER STRATEGIES TO REDUCE THE SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, WHILE IMPROVING OVERALL SELF-ESTEEM. THOUSANDS OF OUR MEMBERS EXPERIENCE UNIQUE OUTDOOR PROGRAMS WHILE STAYING ROOTED IN THE TRADITIONS OF OVERNIGHT CAMPING, OUTDOOR COOKING, TRAILBLAZING, WATER SPORTS, IDENTIFYING AND ENCOUNTERING WILDLIFE, AT OUR CAMP PROPERTIES THROUGH CAMPING OR ATTENDING ONE OF OUR MANY PROGRAMS FOR GIRLS AT EVERY AGE AND SKILL LEVEL. THIS YEAR 144 GIRLS ATTENDED SUMMER RESIDENT CAMP AT CAMP WELAKA OVER SIX CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. GSSEF SERVED MORE 2,000 PARTICIPANTS AT BOTH CAMP PROPERTIES IN 2022.

THROUGH STAFF-LED TROOPS, GSSEF PROVIDES THE GIRL SCOUT LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE TO MORE THAN 1,501 GIRLS (19% OF OUR TOTAL GIRL MEMBERSHIP) IN COMMUNITY AREAS THAT NEED IT MOST. THESE GIRLS ARE SERVED IN COMMUNITY CENTERS, SCHOOLS AND A VARIETY OF SITES THROUGH GRANT FUNDING AND ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN TRADITIONAL GIRL SCOUT ACTIVITIES LIKE THE BADGE WORK, ADVOCACY, THE GIRL SCOUT COOKIE PROGRAM AND A VARIETY OF EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL SKILL-BUILDING EXERCISES THAT DEVELOP THEIR SELF-ESTEEM, CONFIDENCE AND CRITICAL LIFE SKILLS. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT MEMBERS OF STAFF-LED TROOPS EXPERIENCED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE AREAS OF CONFIDENCE, COMMUNICATION, INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP SKILLS, IMPROVED GRADES, IMPROVED SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND DECREASES IN SCHOOL DISCIPLINARY ACTION. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)GSSEF'S GET REAL! PROGRAM, SUPPORTED BY THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS A 30-WEEK, IN-SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR AT-RISK GIRLS AT LAUDERDALE LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL. WE SERVED 102 GIRLS IN THE SCHOOL. THIS COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM HAS A THREE-PRONGED APPROACH TO TARGET THE AREAS OF GREATEST CONCERN AND DETRIMENT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE GIRLS. FIRST, GET REAL! ADDRESSES LITERACY BY PROMOTING A READING PROGRAM COMPRISED OF CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE THAT OPENS THE DOOR TO DISCUSSING REAL-LIFE PROBLEMS AND SITUATIONS. THE SECOND COMPONENT IS A CHARACTER-BUILDING COURSE THAT DEVELOPS CHARACTER AND SELF-ESTEEM AND STRENGTHENS THE DECISION-MAKING SKILLS AND AUTONOMY OF THE GIRLS. THE THIRD AND FINAL PIECE OF THE PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PROVIDES A VEHICLE TO RETURN BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE GIRLS. THESE THREE COMPONENTS TOGETHER PRESENT A MULTI-FACETED ADVANCE ON THE DIFFICULT ISSUES AND SITUATIONS THE GIRLS FACE DAILY. THESE PROGRAM ELEMENTS ADDRESS INDIVIDUAL NEED AS WELL AS SOCIETAL PRESSURES THAT ARE PLACED ON YOUTH TODAY. THROUGH THE MENTORS AND THIS CURRICULUM, THE GET REAL! PROGRAM TEACHES THE GIRLS NOT ONLY THE SKILLS TO COPE WITH THE ISSUES CONFRONTING THEM BUT PROVIDES VEHICLES FOR ACTION IN THEIR OWN LIVES AS WELL. THE PROGRAM ALSO PROVIDES MENTORING SERVICES IN GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALLY TO THE GIRLS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR BONDS TO POSITIVE ROLE MODELS ARE FOSTERED AND MAINTAINED. SURVEY DATA FROM STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND TEACHERS CONVERGE TO SHOW POSITIVE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STUDENT'S LIFE AND RELATIONAL SKILLS, ENGAGEMENT IN SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS SCHOOL. GIRLS REVEALED AN OVERALL POSITIVE EXPERIENCE AS PARTICIPANTS IN THE GET REAL! PROGRAM. SOME REMARKABLE COMMENTS INCLUDE: "I LEARNED HOW TO GET ALONG WITH OTHERS," "THAT WE SHOULD CARE AND PROTECT OTHERS EVEN IF WE DON'T KNOW THEM," "I ALSO LEARNED THAT MEETING NEW PEOPLE ISN'T ALWAYS A BAD THING, AND "I LEARNED SELF-ESTEEM." IN SUPPORT OF THE PROGRAM, PARENTS STATED: "IT HELPED HER STAY FOCUSED MORE," "IT HELPED HER GAIN MORE CONFIDENCE AND FOCUS MORE ON HER GOALS," "HELPED WITH THINGS AT HOME, AND "SHE HAS BEEN STRONGER EVER SINCE SHE JOINED AND MORE HAPPY. TUESDAY IS HER FAVORITE DAY!" ON AVERAGE, 87.5% OF THE GIRLS SURVEYED BELIEVED, BECAUSE OF THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE GET REAL! PROGRAM, THEIR READING SKILLS IMPROVED, THEY ESTABLISHED A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MENTOR, AND RECOGNIZED THE THINGS THEY ARE CAPABLE OF DOING WELL. THE GIRL SCOUT TROOP EXPERIENCE OFFERS GIRLS CONSISTENT, AGE-APPROPRIATE SETTINGS TO MAKE FRIENDS, LEARN NEW SKILLS, BE BOLD, BE HEARD AND BE THEMSELVES IN A SAFE SETTING WITH NURTURING ADULTS TO GUIDE THEM ON THE JOURNEY. FUNDING PROVIDED BY THE CHILDREN'S SERVICES COUNCIL ALLOWS GIRL SCOUT TROOPS TO BE LOCATED IN UNDERSERVED AREAS WHERE VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP IS EXTREMELY CHALLENGING IN ST. LUCIE COUNTY. GSSEF DELIVERS AN INTERACTIVE COMBINATION OF PROGRAMS TO 490 GIRLS THAT INCLUDES "POWERUP" (FOCUSING ON ANTI-AGGRESSION AND BULLY-PREVENTION), STEM ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING CANDY SCIENCE AND CAREER EXPLORATION IN THE TECHNOLOGY FIELDS), AND HEALTHY LIVING (INTEGRATING SESSIONS TO BOOST SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-CONFIDENCE, AS WELL AS PERSONAL SAFETY, NUTRITION AND FITNESS.

OTHER PROGRAMS AND MEMBER SERVICES.