Girl Scouts Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

By Girl Scouts
Sept 15, 2009

 

September 15 – October 15, Girl Scouts of the USA is proud to celebrate the diversity and rich culture of Hispanics, across America and beyond. During this month we pay homage to Latinos who honor their indigenous, Spanish and African roots.

Today more than 44 million people in the United States are of Hispanic origin, 270,000 of whom are young Latinas who proudly call themselves Girl Scouts. Through Girl Scouts, girls can not only earn patches for learning more about Hispanic heritage, they can also hold Quinceañera celebrations, attend leadership development training, and build the confidence and self-esteem to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Hispanic Heritage Month is the perfect time for girls of all backgrounds to come together to discover, connect and celebrate the Hispanic culture, as well as commemorate the amazing work that is being done everyday by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) with locations across the globe including places such as Spain and Nicaragua.

We invite you to celebrate with Girl Scouts as we strive to provide young Latinas—and every girl—with the leadership skills and opportunities so they can make a powerful, positive and profound contribution to their community—and to our world.

What Latina Girls Say About Leadership

 

Change It Up! What Girls Say about Redefining Leadership brings the voice of girls age 8 to 17 to the forefront on a broad spectrum of issues related to leadership: how they define it, their experiences, and their aspirations. (Boys were also included for comparison purposes.)

What follows is what Latina girls are clearly saying: We need to “Change It Up! (PDF) in how we define and think about leadership:

Insight #1
Girls are redefining leadership in meaningful terms

For Latina girls, preferred definitions of leadership imply personal principles, ethical behavior, and the ability to effect social change. Being a leader is important to 66% of Latina, 70% of African American, and 56% of Asian American girls compared to 49% of Caucasian girls. Nearly 90% of Latina girls want to be the kind of leader who stands up for her beliefs and values, brings people together to get things done, and tries to change the world for the better.

Insight #2
Self-Confidence + Skills = New Girl Leaders

Latinas report high self-regard on a number of leadership skills and qualities and are likely to aspire to leadership. The desire to be a leader is higher among Latina (50%), Asian American (59%), and African American girls (53%) compared to Caucasian girls (34%). Nine out of ten (90%) Latina girls agree that no matter who they are, girls can learn to be good leaders, and 79% agree that girls can be leaders whether or not they are in positions of authority.

Insight #3
Opportunities + Experiences + Support = New Girl Leaders

Families, particularly mothers, are a major positive influence on Latina girls’ leadership aspirations. So are their fathers, relatives, teachers, and friends. Three-quarters (75%) of Latina girls say their mothers encourage them to be leaders, followed by teachers (54%), fathers (50%), friends (48%), and siblings and older relatives (31%).

Latinas Leading Globally

Challenge

How do you talk with your friends about the dangers of Juvenile Diabetes—and

How do you talk with your friends about the dangers of Juvenile Diabetes—and the importance of exercise and eating right—when your 3,000 miles apart?

Opportunity: Girl Scouts Learn Locally, Lead Globally

The Girl Scouts of the Nassau County Council had become proud peer educators on the dangers of Juvenile Diabetes, a disease that affects three-million children and teenagers in the United States. Lisbeth, Andrea, Ashley, Jocelyn and other girls in the Council wanted to share information about Juvenile Diabetes—and the importance of exercise and good nutrition—with young people in Nassau County and throughout the world. But how?

Nassau County Girl Scouts: Reaching, Teaching and Transformation

The Nassau County Council launched a partnership with a WAGGS member organization, located in Lima, Peru. Using videoconferencing technologies and a chat room, Girls Scouts and WAGGGS members shared information about Juvenile Diabetes, Obesity and Hunger. The girls discussed how self-esteem, self-confidence, exercise and a good diet were important building blocks to living a healthy life.

The girls also discussed the similarities—and differences in their cultures. Their questions ranged from Jocelyn asking Brenda, a Peruvian Girl Guide, about her favorite role model (Brenda’s answer: Mother Theresa), to ho was the person some of the girls would like most to meet. Their answer: President Obama!

The Power of Partnership: Results

• Girls Scouts created an international forum connecting them with WAGGGS members.
• Girls Scouts educated their peers about juvenile diabetes and empowered them with information about living healthily.

Girl Scouts and Girl Guides shared information about the differences in their cultures.

Source: Girl Scouts

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? And if you are or were in the Girls Scouts, we would like to hear your story. dan@youngchronicle.com