Local Girl Scouts receive funding
Girl Scouts of Western Ohio (GSWO) recently announced that it received $33,000 in funding from the Dayton Foundation. As a result of a $22,000 grant from the Francis Crosthwaite Fund of the Dayton Foundation and an $11,000 grant from Dayton Foundation donor advised funds, GSWO will pilot 18 staff-led troops in Montgomery County, which will engage at-risk Dayton girls in Girl Scouting that will encourage their personal achievements, academic success, and future career success.
“The Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, which empowers girls to become strong leaders with positive values, is an integral part of the fabric of our community,” said Michael M. Parks, President of the Dayton Foundation. “The Dayton Foundation is pleased to award this grant to help them provide greater learning opportunities for some of our regions’ most economically challenged children.”
The purpose of piloting staff-led troops is to provide the full Girl Scout Leadership Experience to girls who live in low-income neighborhoods without the presence of volunteer-led Girl Scout troops. Staff-led troops operate similarly to traditional Girl Scout troops, meaning that programming occurs year-around; girls participate in educational activities and community action projects; girls earn badges; girls participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program; and girls are given the opportunity to attend Girl Scout resident camp. Staff-led troops utilize a progressive curriculum that is collaborative, experiential, and designed to teach girls 21st century skills including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), entrepreneurship, financial literacy, conflict resolution, and more. All staff-led troop activity costs are underwritten by GSWO, and girls will participate in the program free of charge.
Roni Luckenbill, CEO of Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, said, “Thanks to the generosity of the Dayton Foundation, hundreds of girls from low-socioeconomic communities in Dayton will be able to participate in staffled troops. This gift will help Girl Scouts change lives and create the female leaders of tomorrow.”