Girl Scouts of Black Diamond

Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council serves 5,000 K-12 girls in 61 counties in West Virginia, Ohio, Virginia and Maryland with the support of almost 2,000 adult volunteers (most of whom are women). Girl Scouts develops girls’ personal and leadership skills around four program pillars - STEM, Life Skills, Entrepreneurship, and Outdoor Adventure. Girl Scouts research-based curriculum aligns with national and state learning standards to ensure progressive, multiyear learning experiences for K-12 girls. The Girl Scout Leadership Experience Model is designed to accelerate girls’ academic learning and help girls develop essential social and emotional competencies or “soft skills” that prepare girls for success in educational attainment and workforce readiness.

What inspired your organization to have a focus on assistance for girls or women?

• Juliette Gordon Low (1860–1927), also affectionately known by her nickname “Daisy,” founded Girl Scouts of the USA in 1912. She imagined a movement where all girls could come together and embrace their unique strengths and passions—and as Girl Scouts has done since, she made that dream a reality.

• Studies show all-girl environments help girls become more confident, independent, and willing to share their opinions and ideas. In Girl Scouts specifically, girls:

·                  Learn positive values

·                  Seek out new challenges

·                  Build healthy relationships

·                   And learn how to solve problems in their communities.

 Could you share a success story or impactful outcome from your programs/services for girls or women?

• There are so many success stories that I could share with you. From the girl who could barely say her name to introduce herself who over time became a top cookie seller with great communication skills, to the girl who visited the state capitol because of Girl Scouts and now wants to help change the world and be in politics one day; each girl in Girl Scout has her own success story. The stories are as different as the girls – the one who learns to sail; the one who gets to see the ocean for the first time; the one who watches a baby sea turtle hatch and make its way to the water, the one who writes a book, the one who plants a garden at her school. I have had the honor to work with so many girls over the years and see them grow into amazing young women.

 How do you collaborate with WVU to better serve girls or women?

• One of the ways we collaborate with WVU is to partner on community service projects.  WVU students have helped support Girl Scout events, have been mentors for our girls, and helped with cookie delivery. We have also had several WVU students serve as interns or work with us through federal programs.  These experiences help them with real-life work experience, but Girl Scouts benefits from their efforts.  We have had students write grants and help with our social media.  I have had the honor to guest lecture for several of Dr. Kelly Nix’s classes. This opportunity allows me the chance to showcase the kinds of careers that Girl Scouting can offer but also lets me share some of my experience leading an organization with the students.