This month’s Mercer Savings Bank Giving Mission recipient is the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio. The organization serves girls in grades K-12 in 32 counties in western Ohio and southeastern Indiana.
Learn more about the organization and find out how you can help support its mission.
Exploring the Mission of Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
“The mission of Girl Scouts is to build girls’ courage, confidence, and character as they make the world a better place,” said Director of Marketing and Communications KayAnn Rutter. “That underlines the foundation of everything we do.”
The Girl Scouts of Western Ohio discover their strengths, try new things, and gain confidence through the support of adult volunteers and mentors in their local communities.
“We always like to sum up scouting as a safe place to fail,” said KayAnn. “The girls learn through hands-on programs and are encouraged to work together to plan their activities and goals.”
Girl Scouts focus on making the world a better place by promising to help others and showing courage, strength, and compassion. Throughout the experience, girls enjoy making new friends, working as a team, and building life skills.
Discovering What Girl Scouts of Western Ohio Do
Girl Scouts can get involved in a wide variety of activities with their troop, from service projects and cookie sales to hiking and pottery classes — and everything in between.
“Girls can join anytime during the year and are grouped according to grade level with a local troop,” said KayAnn. “The scouts always have a say in what they do, starting as a Daisy on up through the Ambassador level. The troops participate in cooperative learning where they develop an idea, brainstorm solutions, create a common goal, and work together to achieve it.”
Here are the levels of Girls Scouts:
- Grades K-1: Daisies
- Grades 2-3: Brownies
- Grades 4-5: Juniors
- Grades 6-8: Cadettes
- Grades 9-10: Seniors
- Grades 11-12: Ambassadors
“The Girl Scouts follow four pillars of activities and programs as they learn and grow: STEM, outdoors, entrepreneurship, and life skills,” said KayAnn.
Girl Scouts can choose to engage in some of the following activities during their time as a scout:
- Visit an animal shelter
- Film a movie
- Participate in summer camp
- Plan a service project
- Try new things
- Sell cookies
- And more
Girl Scouts are encouraged to give back to their community and participate in the Highest Awards program, where they can earn bronze, silver, and gold awards when they complete service projects that make a sustainable impact in their local area.
“The Highest Awards program is about making the world a better place. It’s a comprehensive leadership project that builds and demonstrates valuable life and leadership skills,” said KayAnn. “Girl Scouts have progressive opportunities to make a difference in their communities where they find a need and set out to achieve it.”
Girl Scouts can also earn badges for achieving skills throughout their journey as a scout. The girls learn how to make smart decisions, act responsibly, and support others through teamwork and leadership opportunities.
Supporting the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
There are many ways the community can support the mission of the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio.
“We are always looking for volunteers to serve as troop leaders, short-term volunteers, presenters, or program partners,” said KayAnn. “Our volunteer troop leaders should plan for a multi-year commitment while our short-term volunteers can assist with our six-week series of outreach programs in area schools.”
The organization also seeks program partners to share life skills with the troops, including auto workshops, art classes, or other educational opportunities. Additionally, presenters are needed for conferences and workshops to share an area of expertise or life skills.
Another way to support the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio is to purchase cookies from a local scout during the annual cookie sale event. You can also donate to the organization to help cover the costs of scouting activities and summer camps.
“Many of our scouts say they made the best memories at summer camp, so we appreciate donations, like the Giving Mission fund, that will help pay for those that otherwise may be unable to afford the expense,” said KayAnn.
Additional information about the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio can be found on their website and Facebook page, as noted below.
Website: https://www.gswo.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/girlscoutswoh/
