Measuring the Girl Scout Leadership Experience

October 2008 - June 2009

Measuring the Girl Scout Leadership ExperienceOctober 2008 - June 2009

4931 GSEM girls invited to participate

2430 GSEM girls participated in two surveys (October/November and May/June)

395 troops/groups

148 GSEM communities

Measuring the Girl Scout Leadership ExperienceOctober 2008 - June 2009

Outcomes measure what girls GET as a result

of their Girl Scout experiences over time

Girls DISCOVER themselves and their values

Girls CONNECT with and inspire others

Girls TAKE ACTION to make the world a better place

Girls DISCOVER themselves and their values

Girl Scout Daisy and Brownie responses improved 45%

Girl Scout Junior and Cadette responses improved 48%

Girl Scout Senior and Ambassador responses improved 42%

As a result of her Girl Scout experiences a girl who answered

"I hardly ever think if I try hard, I can accomplish anything"

changed her answer to

"I almost always think if I try hard, I can accomplish anything"

DISCOVER OUTCOMES

1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4

Girls develop a strong selfof self

Girls develop positivevalues

Girls gain practical lifeskills

Girls seek challenges inthe world

Girls develop criticalthinking

October

June

"I have learned to work with others more. Before Girl Scouts, I normally worked and kept to myself. Girl Scouts has taught me to work more with other girls."Girl Scout Junior

"Girl Scouts is a fun adventure with your friends where we teach each other about the things we deal with in life." Girl Scout Junior

"Girl Scouts taught me to be independent, care for myself, be confident, and has really helped me become who I am. I love Girl Scouts!" Girl Scout Cadette

"At Girl Scouts, I learned to think more positively of who I am - both my personality and my looks." Girl Scout Senior

How girls describe DISCOVER

Girls CONNECT with and inspire others

Girl Scout Daisy and Brownie responses improved 45%

Girl Scout Junior and Cadette responses improved 40%

Girl Scout Senior and Ambassador responses improved 38%

As a result of her Girl Scout experiences a girl who answered

"I disagree that an effective leader listens to the opinions of others"

changed her answer to

"I strongly agree that an effective leader listens to the opinions of others"

CONNECT OUTCOMES

1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5

Girls develop healthyrelationships

Girls promote cooperation andteambuilding

Girls can resolve conflicts

Girls advance diversity in amulticultural w orld

Girls feel connected to theircommunities

October

June

How girls describe CONNECT

"I have Down Syndrome and my Girl Scout friends are the BEST! My Girl Scout troop even went on a Buddy Walk to raise awareness of Down Syndrome with me." Girl Scout Junior

"I am living in China this year, and Girl Scouts helped me to make new friends, and not be afraid to try new things." Girl Scout Cadette

Girls TAKE ACTION to make the world a better place

Girl Scout Daisy and Brownie responses improved 22%

Girl Scout Junior and Cadette responses improved 38%

Girl Scout Senior and Ambassador responses improved 40%

As a result of her Girl Scout experiences a girl who answered

"I disagree that solutions to global problems can start with my own actions"

changed her answer to

"I agree that solutions to global problems can start with my own actions"

TAKE ACTION OUTCOMES

1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5

Girls can identify communityneeds

Girls are resourceful problemsolvers

Girls advocate for themselvesand others

Girls educate and inspireothers to act

Girls feel empow ered to make adifference in the w orld

October

June

How girls describe TAKE ACTION

"Because of the work I did on my Gold Award, I know that anything is possible with hard work, dedication, and commitment to something you believe in." Girl Scout Ambassador

"I know I can help others when they need it, just by working together with my Girl Scout friends." Girl Scout Brownie

"It is AWESOME to be part of a group that helps others in my community. We get to figure out ways to make things better for people who need it!" Girl Scout Junior

Discover + Connect + Take Action = LEADERSHIP

DISCOVER THEMSELVES AND THEIR VALUES:

96% of Girl Scout Juniors and Cadettes tell us that “Girl Scouts helps me discover my inner strengths and personal values”

99% of Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies say “Girl Scouts helped me to discover something I am very good at”

Discover + Connect + Take Action = LEADERSHIP

CONNECT WITH AND INSPIRE OTHERS:

93% of Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies say “Girl Scouts helped me to make new friends in my school and community”

92% of Girl Scout Juniors and Cadettes, and 100% of Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors report: “Girl Scouts helped me to connect with people in my school and community”

Discover + Connect + Take Action = LEADERSHIP

TAKE ACTION TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE:

91% of Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies say “Girl Scouts gave me the opportunity to help other people in my community”

95% of Girl Scout Juniors and Cadettes and

96% of Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors say “Girl Scouts prepared me to be a leader in other areas of my life”

Discover + Connect + Take Action = LEADERSHIP

55% of Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors tell us“I have taken on a leadership role in school or in my community because of what I learned in Girl Scouts”

Why we measure the Girl Scout Leadership Experience

To empower Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts decisions about how best to serve girls and use resources:More than 1000 girls participated in our Girl Interest Survey, telling us what they want to learn about, participate in, and how they want their experience to be supported by adult volunteers.

To support Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts volunteers as they support the girls:Our volunteer survey showed the best ways to get information to girls and adults, and proved that what volunteers think girls want to do is often different from what girls REALLY want to do.

To prove the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts provides a meaningful leadership experience to girls:Our evaluations show Girl Scouts have a diverse range of experiences and involvement in our local and global communities.

To demonstrate that Girl Scouts in Eastern Massachusetts Discover themselves and their values, Connect with others to inspire; and Take Action locally and globally to make the world a better place:Our outcomes study of a scientific sample shows clearly that our girls Discover, Connect and Take Action in meaningful ways throughout our footprint and regardless of how she joins or participates in Girl Scouts.

To provide quantitative evidence that Girl Scouts is meeting our mission: "Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, character and confidence who make the world a better place."

What is the Girl Scout Research Institute?

The Girl Scout Research Institute, formed in 2000, is a vital extension of Girl Scouts of the USA's commitment to addressing the complex and ever-changing needs of girls.

Comprised of a dedicated staff and advisors who are experts in child development, academia, government, business, and the not-for-profit sector, the institute conducts groundbreaking studies, releases critical facts and findings, and provides resources essential for the advancement of the well-being and safety of girls living in today's world.

The goals of the Girl Scout Research Institute are to originate new projects and initiatives that bolster knowledge about girls, as well as to synthesize the research that exists on the healthy development of girls.

These efforts not only support the development of the Girl Scout program but also supply accurate information to educational, not-for-profit, and public policy organizations, parents seeking the best ways to help their daughters, and girls themselves.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts is one of only eight Pilot Councils nationwide supporting the work of the GSRI, and the GSEM Department of Research and Initiatives is one of only three such departments nationwide

dedicated to measuring the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

Additional Research Information

What is a survey? A survey is a quick way to collect information in just a few questions. More than 1000 girls (Girl Scouts and non-Girl Scouts) participated in the GSEM Girl Interest Survey in February 2009.

What is an evaluation? An evaluation is like a snapshot taken during an event or activity. It lets us collect information specific to that event, and related to the 15 National Girl Scout Outcomes, as defined in Transforming Leadership. Since October 2008, more than 4000 GSEM girls have filled out an evaluation of their Girl Scout experience.

What is a pre-and-post test study? Pre and post testing lets us measure the 15 NATIONAL GIRL SCOUT OUTCOMES over time. Girls take a survey at the beginning of the Girl Scout year, and then take a similar survey at the end of the year. Changes that happen over the year in a girl’s attitudes and behaviors, as related to the outcomes, can be measured.

When we measure the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts uses a pre-and-post test study over a program year or longer.