eTroop is the most flexible Girl Scout troop yet! eTroop is a monthly program for girls in grades K-5 who aren’t part of a traditional Girl Scout troop but want to experience some of the great things troops have to offer.

Receive monthly emails with activity ideas from science to art to the great outdoors. You choose to do what interests you! And yes, you can sell cookies, earn badges, and attend camp and events too.

Learn more about this exciting new offering by visiting our eTroop page.

In September, GSNWGL accepted an offer on the Green Bay Service Center from the Green Bay Area Public School District. As previously communicated, the sale is contingent on zoning reclassification. A request to amend the Planned Unit Development (PUD) for a proposed youth education program operated by the school district was put forth before the Green Bay Common Council.

On Monday, December 9, the Green Bay Plan Commission met to discuss the rezoning request of the property to accommodate the sale to the Green Bay public school system. GSNWGL property director David Van Dyke and representatives of the school district were present. After discussion, the commission narrowly voted to not approve the zoning change. While a recommendation from the committee is ideal, their “no” vote is not necessarily a dead end; the zoning change request will be on the Tuesday, December 17 common council agenda where it will be debated further and voted on or sent back to committee for further discussion.

If you would like to voice your support for the rezoning, Green Bay residents are encouraged to attend the meeting on December 17 or contact their common council representative. A district map and contact information can be found here.

At this time, GSNWGL continues to explore several options for a new location in Green Bay, including possible collaborations with other area nonprofits. We will continue to keep our members updated as information unfolds. Please direct any questions to David Van Dyke at dvandyke@gsnwgl.org.

While data is not destiny, many girls are falling behind in America

First-of-its-kind report illustrates steep socioeconomic challenges faced by emerging majority in U.S.

 Although girls in the United States have made substantial progress in the classroom and elsewhere, persistent disparities and challenges exist that could keep many girls from achieving their full potential. Black/African American and Hispanic/Latina girls are far more likely than their white counterparts to face an array of socioeconomic hurdles that range from growing up in poverty or a low-income household to dropping out of school and struggling with obesity, according to a report released this week by the Girl Scout Research Institute.

 The State of Girls: Unfinished Business charts the often-vast disparities that cleave the girl experience along racial and ethnic lines. For example, the report finds that poverty rates among black/African American, Hispanic/Latina, and Native American girls ages 5 to 17 are more than twice that of white and Asian American girls. In the United States today, 21 percent of all girls live in poverty, and the rates are higher for black/African American girls (37 percent), Hispanic/Latina girls (33 percent), and American Indian/Alaska Native girls (34 percent), as compared to white girls (12 percent).

 “These findings underlie how vital it is that our organization continue to invest in and enhance our programs that provide support for our populations of girls at risk,” said Gail McNutt, CEO of Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes. “Programs such as Reaching Out bring resources and the Girl Scout leadership message into schools and other venues where girls are dealing with these increasing socioeconomic stresses.” (more…)